49. Ask, Seek, Knock

[Pastor Ralph]

Please share your thoughts on one or more of the questions in this lesson. 

[hanks]

1. Where is the humour in Jesus' Parable of the Friend at Midnight? (11:5-8) 
I can just imagine the neighbour in this difficult and awkward position of not wanting to wake up everybody in the room, including the children and the chickens and what have you, when he goes to open the door. Yet he is almost forced to do it by cultural pressures and the Jewish laws of hospitality, at the time. There is this enormous amount of pressure on the man and the neighbour to provide food for his guest, and to be unable to do so, is both embarrassing and even disgraceful. The man persists in his knocking leaving the neighbour in a no-win situation. He would find it difficult to get up - not because he had no spare bread, nor because he did not want to help his friend, but because he did not want to disturb the children and set all the chickens clucking and the other animals making a dreadful noise. With the persistent knocking he decides the only way to get all back to sleep would be to get up and give him the bread. 
 

[hanks]

2. Does the parable teach that God won't help us unless we insist? What's the essential lesson of this parable? 
Yes, we are to persist in prayer, but it does not mean that God won’t help unless we insist. He will still decide what is best for us. The essential lesson in this parable is that we are to be bold in our prayers and to persevere. And He will hear in His good time. When we come to Him in persevering prayer, God will “give” us our requests, we will “find” the answers, and “the door will be opened” to the realization of His promises. Our needs will be met. This, however, is not prosperity theology, the promise that God wants to give us everything we want, keep us healthy and wealthy, if only we will ask and let Him do it. That is false teaching. 
 

[hanks]

3. There are three promises in 11:9-10 that are really one promise. What is this promise? 
The three promises are that if we keep on asking it will be given; if we keep on seeking we will find; if we keep on knocking the door will be opened. We are to be progressively bold in our prayers. In other words, our prayers will be answered. But, with our sovereign Lord deciding what will be the best for us in any and every situation. A “yes” (giving what we ask for), a “no” (refusing to give it because He knows it isn’t for the best), and a “wait” (giving the request but in His time, not in ours). However, we must recognise that in every situation we are in desperate need and need His help, and that we cannot rely on our own physical, mental, and spiritual resources unless God provides them. The promise is that we can be assured that “in all things God works for the good” (Rom 8:28) and responds in love and compassion to our prayers. 
 

[hanks]

4. How can fear of God's response keep us from praying boldly and persistently? How does Jesus answer this concern? (11:11-13) 
We should fear to pray for anything that is not in accordance with His will. As we grow spiritually, and as we study more and more of His Word, we will learn to know what God’s will is and we will be able to pray more intelligently. Then, we can approach His throne of grace with confidence. We can pray boldly and persistently, knowing that He hears us, and if we know He hears us, we know our prayers will be answered. Jesus answered this concern by stating that if sinful people “know how to give good gifts” that will help rather than hurt others, how much more will our Heavenly Father do even better. The one thing we can be certain of is that God is a loving Father who watches over us and wants only what is best. 
 

[hanks]

5. Why can the Holy Spirit be considered the Father's best gift? According to the Scripture, does the Father only give the Holy Spirit to certain Christians? 
All who truly believe in Christ receive the Holy Spirit at the moment of salvation, but in our daily walk we need to be filled continually with the Spirit as we study the Word, spend time in meditation and prayer, and as we live in obedience to the Lord. This our greatest need and this is our Heavenly Father’s greatest gift to us. And because He is our loving Father who understands, cares, and comforts, He will willingly give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. That is why Jesus instructs us to come as needy children and ask Him to pour out His Spirit upon us. 
 

[Irmela]

1.  Where is the humor in Jesus' Parable of the Friend at Midnight? (11:5-8)

From what is explained one can imagine. Probing around in the darkness to get to the door, firstly, is already an undertaking. To do this without waking anyone before more incessant calling or knocking makes it worse. Fulfilling the quest or not fulfilling it, will both wake the household. Thus the quicker it is done the quicker everyone can settle down again. 

[Irmela]

2.  Does the parable teach that God won't help us unless we insist? What's the essential lesson of this parable?

No. It does not teach us that there will only be an answer if we persist or insist. 

What it teaches us is not to give up asking until there is an appropriate answer. Or not to think we should not ask as it is too inconvenient or rediculous a request. 

We may approach God at any hour and request no matter what and there will finally be an answer, be it "Yes. No. Or not now. "

ASK UNTIL THE ANSWER IS THERE

[Irmela]

3.  There are three promises in 11:9-10 that are really one promise. What is this promise?

God will answer. 

Keep on asking, you will RECEIVE. 

Keep on seeking, you will FIND. 

Keep on knocking and the DOOR WILL BE OPENED. 

It might just be one of three answers.

YES

NO 

NOT KNOW

But there will be an answer. 

[Irmela]

4.  How can fear of God's response keep us from praying boldly and persistently? How does Jesus answer this concern? (11:11-13)

Jesus says clearly that God knows how to give good gifts to us. If we as humans who only see partly, know how to give good gifts to our children, then surely, He as God, who sees the beginning from the end and the end from the beginning, who knows our hearts,  surely He knows much better what is good for us. 

[Irmela]

5.  Why can the Holy Spirit be considered the Father's best gift? According to the Scripture, does the Father only give the Holy Spirit to certain Christians?
It is He Himself that He gives us. He gives Him to all who ask. We need to feel free to ask for the Holy Spirit. 

[Katy]

Q1.The man who has an unexpected visitor is in an awkward position because he finds he has no bread to offer his visitor. To be unable to offer a meal to a guest would be considered shameful and insulting to the guest and it would bring disgrace on him and his family. Even though it is long after bedtime he goes to his friend and bangs on his door but he is told to go away because the household are tucked up in bed, and the animals have settled for the night. He cannot return empty handed , and so he persists with his banging until the neighbour in fear of all the children being woken as well as the animals being disturbed stumbles out of bed. You can imagine the sight of him half asleep struggling to step over each child and almost loosing his balance. He is desperate to get rid of his friend before the household is wakened and the children think it’s time to get up! He doesn’t get up out of friendship but because of his persistent knocking!

Q2.We have no right to expect anything from God , never mind insist. We must not insist that God gives or does anything for us. We must come to God in great humility and ask for the things we need and we must believe that He will give them to us provided it is His Will. John 15v7 If you remain in me and my word remains in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you. That verse and others do not say we will get what we ask for immediately , we must trust God and keep laying the matter before Him. God wants us to persist in prayer and not give up. Even if it takes years, we may not even see the answer in our lifetime but we must continue to trust that God will answer at the correct and best time.

Q3.We are told we must Ask, Seek, Knock. We must keep on doing these three things and if we do we will get an answer to our prayers. It may not always be the answer we want but it is always the best answer for us from God who knows all things.

Q4.Some May fear that if they pray in a wrong manner or maybe for something big that God will not be pleased withthem. We must remember that God loves us and wants good things for us. If we approach God with a sincere and humble heart and speak to Him from our hearts He will hear and answer us because He loves us and delights in giving us good things.
Q5.As soon as anyone accepts Jesus as their Lord and Saviour , the Holy Spirit dwells within them . He will never abandon us, we may displease Him, quench Him but He will never desert anyone who is earnestly trying to follow Jesus. The Holy Spirit is part of the Trinity and therefore is equal with God the Father and God the Son. The Spirit has the power of God and we have all that power at our disposal to help us every day, to lead us and guide us in every thing we do. We need to be aware of the wonderful privilege we have in having the Holy Spirit within us and to continually acknowledge His presence with us. 

[Old Jerry]

1. Where is the humor in Jesus' Parable of the Friend at Midnight? (11:5-8)

 

A. The friend being wakened up by is neighbor at midnight while everybody is asleep.

 

2. Does the parable teach that God won't help us unless we insist? What's the essential lesson of this parable?

 

A. No, the parable is not teaching us that God won’t help us unless we insist. It is teaching us that if we don’t get what we need when we first ask we should try again.

 

3. There are three promises in 11:9-10 that are really one promise. What is this promise?

 

A. If we ask it will be given to us. Those who seek will find what they are looking for and if you knock the door will be opened.

 

4. How can fear of God's response keep us from praying boldly and persistently? How does Jesus answer this concern? (11:11-13)

 

A. If we think that God would give us everything that we ask for whether good or bad that would keep us from praying boldly and persistently. Jesus answered this concern by telling us that God knows what we need.

 

5. Why can the Holy Spirit be considered the Father's best gift? According to the Scripture, does the Father only give the Holy Spirit to certain Christians?

 

A.  The Holy Spirit is the best gift that the Father can give us because it means that He is in us at all times. The Father I will give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks him for it.

[haar]

1.    Where is the humor in Jesus' Parable of the Friend at Midnight? (11:5-8)

It found in this phrase found in Dr. Pastor Ralph notes:

"But Jesus' expression, "because of the man's shamelessness" is remarkable. The friend has no sense of decency of waiting until morning, of not disturbing his sleeping neighbor. He goes at midnight and knocks -- for some bread! And he shamelessly keeps on knocking until his neighbor gets up and shoves bread at him just to shut him up. Shamelessness! Brashness! Boldness!"

2.    Does the parable teach that God won't help us unless we insist? What's the essential lesson of this parable?

No.

Nevertheless, He expects us to continue to ask until we receive the answer.

The essential lesson is that we should always pray until the answer comes.

3.    There are three promises in 11:9-10 that are really one promise. What is this promise?

The promise that we ASK  and we shall RECEIVE

4. 1.    How can fear of God's response keep us from praying boldly and persistently? How does Jesus answer this concern? (11:11-13)

We may may not seriously pray to God if we fear that He may not give us what we want

5.    Why can the Holy Spirit be considered the Father's best gift? According to the Scripture, does the Father only give the Holy Spirit to certain Christians?

The Holy Spirit can be and really is the best gift from the Father, our Father because when we have the Holy Spirit we can think right and thus live right and do everything right. The Holy Spirit will guide on what to ask, when to ask etc. He gives the power serve God etc. The Holy Spirit is our best friend and help in all things and situations.

[Godswriter]

1.    Where is the humor in Jesus' Parable of the Friend at Midnight? (11:5-8)

It is in the fact the friend has a visitor come at night and he has nothing to give them and he has to go to the neighbor's and persist in asking them for something for their guest knowing that it is late to begin with. This is where the irony or humor is.

2.    Does the parable teach that God won't help us unless we insist? What's the essential lesson of this parable?

Yes in the fact that we need to continually ask and seek and knock for what He has for us. The lesson is in the fact that when we choose to ask in any way that honors the Lord; He is sure to answer us. 

3.    There are three promises in 11:9-10 that are really one promise. What is this promise?I

They are ask, seek and knock. When you put the first letter of each word together you get ask. When you ask believing that you will receive; you will have your prayer answered.

4.    How can fear of God's response keep us from praying boldly and persistently? How does Jesus answer this concern? (11:11-13)

It can paralyze us to the point that we are afraid to ask and don't think or believe that God will answer us. God is telling us that when we choose to ask we need to believe that God will answer us and supply what we need.

5.    Why can the Holy Spirit be considered the Father's best gift? According to the Scripture, does the Father only give the Holy Spirit to certain Christians?

He is the Father's best gift because according to Romans when we are able to utter a prayer; He will take over for us and utter in a language we don't know meaning a personal prayer language.

 

[kreilly]

2. Does the parable teach that God won't help us unless we insist? What's the essential lesson of this parable? 

I think the parable is teaching about persistence, perseverance, and not giving up.  Sometimes that is the lesson God wants us to learn.  Sometimes He wants to grow us up into maturity and has answered our prayer--not necessarily by providing what we asked for but by filling us with His Holy Spirit instead.  We don't always see it when our prayers are answered with the better gift (Holy Spirit) rather than the lesser gift (whatever we were asking for).

[George L]

Where is the humor in Jesus' Parable of the Friend at Midnight? (11:5-8) It is of the I can’t believe he is doing that, I would hate to do that, how would I feel if that were me or done to me experience. There is no part we do not live in our own mind.

Does the parable teach that God won't help us unless we insist?  Not so much as continue asking for what you have not seen yet.  What's the essential lesson of this parable? Keep on in faith in the goodness of God through the circumstances.

There are three promises in 11:9-10 that are really one promise. What is this promise? I hear the neighbor being asked coming to realize, “He really believes I will get up and give him the bread… Oh No! He isn’t going to stop! I see God smiling, knowing He has discovered another one that will keep on asking not giving up in prayer.

How can fear of God's response keep us from praying boldly and persistently? Failure to understand Fathers and the holy spirits nature. That if we are out of line they will surely let us know. How does Jesus answer this concern? (11:11-13) How will a father treat a son in this situation. He will give, he will teach, he will counsel, but he will surely give what is best.

Why can the Holy Spirit be considered the Father's best gift? He dwells in us as we give him space. Teaches us as we listen to his wise cousel. Teaches us the deep things, as from the deep wells of living waters. According to the Scripture, does the Father only give the Holy Spirit to certain Christians? No, to all who ask.