seek and you will find; knock and the door will be
So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
~ Jesus (Luke 11:9-10)
Some might call it a Consumer Gospel. In a religious setting of entitlement, excess, and egocentric theology, it is a doctrine where material enrichment and personal comforts are imagined to be God’s highest priority. If you’ve witnessed the contemptible, manipulative presentations of this message you were likely revolted. The teaching twists and demeans of Jesus’s mission.
Detecting these abuses as they are spread in various media is relatively easy. Sensing similar trends in our prayer lives often proves much more difficult (note Matthew 7:1-5). Individually, and collectively, there is constant pressure to view our wants and desires as paramount. This focus on self is natural – Paul might call it conforming to the world (Romans 12:1-2). To be renewed and transformed, to seek God’s glory and will, is the ongoing pursuit of the believer. One of the benefits of faithful prayer is the way it impresses God and his will on his followers.
Getting Started 1. Which of the following descriptors do you see as being elements of prayer? (You might wish to look up the meaning of these terms as you form your response)
Adoration Confession Humiliation Requests Praise Thanksgiving Worship
2. What are some ways to guard against prayer becoming egocentric (self-centered, self-focused)?
Texts to explore 1. Luke 11:9-10 (Matthew 7:7-8) a. What is the context of these statements? b. How do the words found in 1 John 5:14, John 14:13, and 15:7 help explain the meaning of Luke 11:9-10 (Matthew 7:7-8)?
2. Luke 11:11-13 (Matthew 7:9-11) a. What is Jesus teaching about the nature of God by means of these illustrations? b. What is Jesus teaching about prayer in Luke 11:9-13? c. What difference(s) do you notice between Luke and Matthew’s accounts? d. How does Matthew 7:12 fit with what Jesus teaches about prayer? Group 1. What are some ways your prayer life needs to mature?
2. How do/can you guard against prayers becoming personal wish lists?
3. As a group develop a prayer to Ask, Seek, and Knock.
~ Jesus (Luke 11:9-10)
Some might call it a Consumer Gospel. In a religious setting of entitlement, excess, and egocentric theology, it is a doctrine where material enrichment and personal comforts are imagined to be God’s highest priority. If you’ve witnessed the contemptible, manipulative presentations of this message you were likely revolted. The teaching twists and demeans of Jesus’s mission.
Detecting these abuses as they are spread in various media is relatively easy. Sensing similar trends in our prayer lives often proves much more difficult (note Matthew 7:1-5). Individually, and collectively, there is constant pressure to view our wants and desires as paramount. This focus on self is natural – Paul might call it conforming to the world (Romans 12:1-2). To be renewed and transformed, to seek God’s glory and will, is the ongoing pursuit of the believer. One of the benefits of faithful prayer is the way it impresses God and his will on his followers.
Getting Started 1. Which of the following descriptors do you see as being elements of prayer? (You might wish to look up the meaning of these terms as you form your response)
Adoration Confession Humiliation Requests Praise Thanksgiving Worship
2. What are some ways to guard against prayer becoming egocentric (self-centered, self-focused)?
Texts to explore 1. Luke 11:9-10 (Matthew 7:7-8) a. What is the context of these statements? b. How do the words found in 1 John 5:14, John 14:13, and 15:7 help explain the meaning of Luke 11:9-10 (Matthew 7:7-8)?
2. Luke 11:11-13 (Matthew 7:9-11) a. What is Jesus teaching about the nature of God by means of these illustrations? b. What is Jesus teaching about prayer in Luke 11:9-13? c. What difference(s) do you notice between Luke and Matthew’s accounts? d. How does Matthew 7:12 fit with what Jesus teaches about prayer? Group 1. What are some ways your prayer life needs to mature?
2. How do/can you guard against prayers becoming personal wish lists?
3. As a group develop a prayer to Ask, Seek, and Knock.
