God wants us to pray, and he wants to answer our prayers. We should therefore pray boldly with faith in God’s goodness and grace. That is the main point of Jesus’ teaching here. But Jesus also gives some important guidance. The sample prayer is a model (an abridged version of that in Matthew 6:9-13) that shows a sequence of priorities. Worship and devotion to God and God’s purpose set the direction and context for prayer. We should pray for what we need (our daily bread), but prayer must be an extension of a selfless life. The example of boldness in prayer is of a man who seeks resources to bless another person (vs.6). And above all we should be oriented to what is truly best. We should seek the giver, not just the gifts. The giver is the greatest gift, as Jesus says here, “How much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Compare this with Matthew 7:11.) “Delight yourself in the Lord,” says David in Psalm 37:4, “and he will give you the desires of your heart.” God wants us to have what is best. If God doesn’t answer your prayer, it may be that God has something better in store for you. He always answers prayer. But, in the end, he is God, and he knows what is best. ‘Best’ in God’s perspective pertains to his purpose for your life. God’s purpose is to draw us closer to him and to make us more fruitful so we may be a blessing to others around us.
Ask God to fill you with his Holy Spirit to transform, guide and empower you for his purpose.
Read Luke 11:1-13
