Chapter 11

11:1  And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.

teach us to pray

This is the central N.T. passage on prayer. In the Sermon on the Mount Christ had announced the new basis of prayer, viz.: relationship Matthew 6:9 Matthew 6:28-32 . The believer is a child of God through the new birth. (See Scofield "John 3:3") . The clear revelation of this fact at once establishes the reasonableness of prayer; a reasonableness against which the argument from the apparent uniformity of natural law shatters itself. God is more than a Creator, bringing a universe into being, and establishing laws for it; more than a decree- maker determining future events by an eternal fiat. Above all this is the divine family for whom the universe with its laws exists ; Colossians 1:16-20 ; Hebrews 1:2 ; Hebrews 2:10 Hebrews 2:11 ; Romans 8:17 ".

When ye pray, say, Our Father." What God habitually does in the material universe concerns the reverent investigator of that universe. What He may do in His own family concerns Him, and them, and is matter for divine promise and revelation. Science, which deals only with natural phenomena, cannot intrude there 1 Corinthians 2:9 .

Christ's law of prayer may be thus summarized:

(1) He grounds prayer upon relationship, and reveals God as freely charging himself with all the responsibilities, as His heart glows with all the affections of a Father toward all who believe on Jesus Christ Matthew 6:25 Matthew 6:32 ; 7:9-11 . Prayer, therefore, is a child's petition to an all-wise, all-loving, and all-powerful, Father-God.

(2) In the so-called Lord's prayer Christ gives an incomparable model for all prayer. It teaches that right prayer begins with worship; puts the interest of the kingdom before merely personal interest; accepts beforehand the Father's will, whether to grant or withhold; and petitions for present need, leaving the future to the Father's care and love. Used as a form, the Lord's prayer is, dispensationally, upon legal, not church ground; it is not a prayer in the name of Christ (cf) John 14:13 John 14:14 ; 16:24 and it makes human forgiveness, as under the law it must, the condition of divine forgiveness; an order which grace exactly reverses (cf) Ephesians 4:32 .

(3) Prayer is to be definite Luke 11:5 Luke 11:6 and,

(4) importunate, that is undiscouraged by delayed answers.

11:2  And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.

Thy kingdom

(See Scofield "Matthew 3:2")

11:3  Give us day by day our daily bread.

day by day

Or, for the day.

11:4  And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.

forgive

sins

forgive (See Scofield "Matthew 6:12") .

sins Sin. (See Scofield "Romans 3:23") .

11:13  If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

give

It is evident that none of the disciples, with the possible exception of Mary of Bethany, asked for the Spirit in the faith of this promise. It was a new and staggering thing to a Jew that, in advance of the fulfilment of Joel 2:28 Joel 2:29 all might receive the Spirit. Mary alone of the disciples understood Christ's repeated declaration concerning His own death and resurrection John 12:3-7 . Save Mary, not one of the disciples but Peter, and he only in the great confession Matthew 16:16 manifested a spark of spiritual intelligence till after the resurrection of Christ and the impartation of the Spirit ; John 20:22 ; Acts 2:1-4 . To go back to the promise of Luke 11:13, is to forget Pentecost, and to ignore the truth that now every believer has the indwelling Spirit ; Romans 8:9 Romans 8:15 ; 1 Corinthians 6:19 ; Galatians 4:6 ; 1 John 2:20 1 John 2:27 . (See Scofield "Acts 2:4")

11:30  For as Jonas was a sign unto the Ninevites, so shall also the Son of man be to this generation.

the Son of man

(See Scofield "Matthew 8:20") .

11:45  Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him, Master, thus saying thou reproachest us also.

lawyers

(See Scofield "Matthew 22:35") .