The Friend at Midnight



Lesson #8 - The Persistent Friend

Main Point: Keep on praying to God!

Luke 11:5-13

5 Then Jesus said to them, "Suppose someone has a friend. He goes to him at midnight. He says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. 6 A friend of mine on a journey has come to stay with me. I have nothing for him to eat.'

    7 "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked. My children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.'

    8 "I tell you, that person will not get up. And he won't give the man bread just because he is his friend. But because the man keeps on asking, he will get up. He will give him as much as he needs.

    9 "So here is what I say to you. Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you. 10 Everyone who asks will receive. He who searches will find. And the door will be opened to the one who knocks.

    11 "Fathers, suppose your son asks for a fish. Which of you will give him a snake instead? 12 Or suppose he asks for an egg. Which of you will give him a scorpion? 13 Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

PowerPoint: BIG Question: What do I do when there seems to be no answer to my prayers?

(The answer? Keep praying!)

Ask: Have you ever really prayed hard for something and the prayer NOT been answered?

Say This: The story that Jesus tells helps us to know what to do when it seems that our prayers go unanswered.

PowerPoint: Luke 11:5-6 Then Jesus said to them, "Suppose someone has a friend. He goes to him at midnight. He says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread. A friend of mine on a journey has come to stay with me. I have nothing for him to eat.'

Say This: In the setting that Jesus tells the story, being a good neighbor is very important.

There is a man who had unexpected company, and he didn’t have any food for his guest. So he went to his neighbor’s house AT MIDNIGHT to ask for three loaves of bread.

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 PowerPoint:  Luke 11:7 "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked. My children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.'

Say This: The door is locked. The family is asleep – all in the same bed! To get up to give his neighbor bread would disturb the entire family.

PowerPoint: Luke 11:8 "I tell you, that person will not get up. And he won't give the man bread just because he is his friend. But because the man keeps on asking, he will get up. He will give him as much as he needs.

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Say This: The man keeps pounding on the door, so his friend will get up and give him the bread. Yes, they’re friends, and certainly, that helps. But it the persistence that causes the man to get up in the middle of the night to give his neighbor 3 loaves of bread.

PowerPoint: Luke 11:9 "So here is what I say to you. Ask, and it will be given to you. Search and you will find. Knock and the door will be opened to you. Everyone who asks will receive. He who searches will find. And the door will be opened to the one who knocks. “

Say This: Jesus is telling the people that if they pray to God, they must KEEP praying. If you look, God will show you. If you knock, He will answer. If you ask, you will receive. If you search, you will find. Because the man knocked shamelessly (the literal meaning in the Greek), his friend gave him what he needed. The same is true with God. He will give you what you need. Just keep asking.

PowerPoint: Luke 11:11-13  "Fathers, suppose your son asks for a fish. Which of you will give him a snake instead? Or suppose he asks for an egg. Which of you will give him a scorpion? Even though you are evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children. How much more will your Father who is in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

PowerPoint:

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Say This: After Jesus finished telling the story, He told the people to keep praying to God. God is a LOVING Father, and he WANTS to meet your needs. Keep asking. Keep praying. He is available 24/7. James 5:16 The prayer of a godly person is powerful. It makes things happen.

God may answer your prayer differently than you may ask, but remember that His way is BEST for you and for whomever you are praying. His answer will be YES, NO, or GROW!

Main Point: Keep on praying to God!

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