Prayer

Luke 11:1-11

Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples”. ~Jesus said, “This is how you should pray: Father, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. ~Give us each day the food we need, ~and forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us. And don’t let us yield to temptation.” ~Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ~‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ ~And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ ~But I tell you this - though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. ~”And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. ~For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. ~ “You fathers - if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? ~Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! ~So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

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How to pray:

- Pray earnestly: Colossians 4:12; 1 Thessalonians 3:10

- With bold confidence: Hebrews 4:16

- With sincerity and selfless intent: Matthew 6:5-8

- With humility: Luke 18:9-14; James 4:6,10; 1 Peter 5:6-7, 2 Chronicles 7:14, 34:27; Isaiah 57:15

- Stay alert: Colossians 4:2

- In Jesus’ name: John 14:13-14; 15:16; 16:24,26; Colossians 3:17

- Be devoted (make it a habit): Romans 12:12; Acts 6:4

- An attitude of Thanksgiving: *Colossians 4:2*

- A forgiving spirit: Matthew 6:12-15; 18:21-35; Ephesians 4:32

- Perseverance/persistence: *Luke 11:5-9*; Ephesians 6:18

- Don’t give up: Luke 18:1

- Pray expecting to receive: Mark 11:24; James 1:5-8

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Who to pray for:

- The Lost: Romans 10:1; Matthew 9:36-38

- Rulers: 1 Timothy 2:2; 1 Peter 2:13-17

- The Sick: James 5:13-15; Acts 28:8

- Our Enemies: Matthew 5:43-48; Luke 6:27-28; Romans 12:20-21

- Christians: Ephesians 1:16; *6:18*; 2 Timothy 1:3; Colossians 1:3; 1 Corinthians 1:4; 1 Thessalonians 1:2

- Proclaimers of the Gospel: 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2; *Colossians 4:2-4*; Acts 4:29; 12:5; 13:3

- Examples of who to pray for by Jesus: John 17

           - Pray for self: John 17:1-5

           - Pray for saved: John 17:6-19

           - Pray for lost: John 17:20-26

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When to pray:

- Day and night: Luke 2:37; *1 Thessalonians 3:10*

- All night: Luke 6:12

- Unceasingly: 1 Thessalonians 5:17

A group of ministers had assembled for the discussion of difficult questions. Among other, it was asked how the command to "pray without ceasing" could be complied with. Various explanations were given. It was finally agreed that one was appointed to write a lengthily essay on it which would be read at the next meeting.

The entire discussion was overheard by a young woman who had been serving the tea. She said, "What? A whole month to tell the meaning of that text? Why it is one of easiest and best texts in the Bible!"

"Well, well, Mary", said an old minister, "what can you say about it? Let us know how you understand it. Can you pray all the time without ceasing?"

"Oh yes, sir!" "What?" the old minister coughed back, "when you have so many things to do?" "Why, sir, the more I have to do, the more I can pray!" "Indeed", he replied, "Well Mary, let us know how it is. Most of us think the answer is otherwise."

"Well, sir", she said, "when I first open my eyes in the morning, I pray 'Lord, open the eyes of my understanding'; and while I am dressing, I pray that I may be clothed with the robes of righteousness; when I wash, I ask for the washing of regeneration; as I work, I pray that I may have the strength equal to my day; as I sweep out the house, I pray the my heart may be cleansed from all impurities; while preparing and eating of breakfast, I pray to be fed with the hidden manna and the sincere milk of the Word; as I am busy with the little children, I ask God to make me become as a child; and so on, all day. Everything I do furnishes me with a thought for prayer."

"Enough, enough", cried the old minister, "these things are revealed to babes and his from the wise and prudent. Go on , Mary, pray without ceasing. May we all do the same!"

- All times: Luke 21:36; *Ephesians 6:18*; Colossians 1:3; 1 Thessalonians 1:3

IF WE ARE TO BUSY TO PRAY… WE ARE TOO BUSY!

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God will Answer the Prayers of:

- The Righteous: Proverbs 15:29; 1 Peter 3:12

- The Obedient: John 15:7; 1 John 3:21-22

- Godly Men and Women: 1 Timothy 2:8

- Devout person who are seeking God: Acts 10:2,30-31

- Those who turn from their wicked ways: *2 Chronicles 7:14*; Acts 8:22

God will not Answer the Prayers of:

- Those disobedient to God’s law: Proverbs 28:9; *1 Peter 3:12*

- Those unforgiving towards others: Mark 11:25; James 2:13

- Those with unforgiven sin in their life: Isaiah 59:1-2; John 9:31; Psalm 66:18-20; Isaiah 1:15-17

- Those who mistreat their spouse: 1 Peter 3:7

- The Self-righteous: *Luke 18:9-14*

Adding Context Back into the Bible

First of all, I need to establish that there is nothing wrong with reading the Bible at face value. There is no wrong way of reading the Bible; this is just one of those ways. Contextual reading is used to interpret the subtle meanings of actions and words based on the cultural lifestyle of the 1st century

I would greatly recommend getting a study bible if you do not already own one. It really doesn’t matter what version it is. A study bible already includes many notes for key verses or events throughout the bible. Reading these notes can be important to ‘reading between the lines’

When it comes to studying the context of the bible, it is really hard to find a prominent source of information. That’s why when you do your research, you need to be active in finding clarification. you don’t want to take the first source you find and use it as fact. Most of what I will talk about is in the book “Understanding Jesus: Cultural Insight into the Words and Deeds of Christ”. You have probably heard me talk about this book. I have had the privilege of meeting the author, Joe Amaral. I have talked to him about clarification on some points in his book and heard him speak about many different 1st century cultures. I may have started with Joe’s book but I have done my own research both online and with biblical commentaries. I am very confident with what I have found but I encourage you to do your own homework on anything that you may have concern.

Today a man just asks for the bride’s parents’ blessing to marry their daughter and then they plan the wedding. In ancient Israel, it was a very involved process. When it came time for a man to marry, he would have to go to the young woman’s house to present not only her but her father as well with a betrothal contract. This document outlined to the woman and her father how this man was going to provide for his bride. He would state his occupation, salary, and living arrangements as well as his intentions for her.

The father would make the decision to accept or reject the man’s offer. One of the important issues surrounding the covenant was the “bride price”. How much was the man willing to pay for the woman whom he wanted to marry? Not only would the “bride price” help compensate the family for the loss of their daughter, but it demonstrated to the father how much the man loved his daughter.

Keeping this first step of the betrothal process in mind, let’s determine how Jesus carried this out. At His final Passover supper, He accomplished the first requirement. He stated to all those who were gathered, how He was establishing a new covenant with them. He would provide for this covenant with the breaking of His body and by shedding His blood to fulfill the requirements necessary to keep the covenant.

In respect to the “bride price”, He stated that He would pay for it with His life. Remember that the amount of the “bride price” determined the level of love. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 1:18-19: “For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. ~It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God.

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The Cup

The next step of the betrothal involved the pouring and drinking from a cup. After the man’s presentation of the betrothal contract, he would pour a cup of wine and offer it to the woman. She would then drink from the cup. This indicated that she had accepted his proposal and the couple were betrothed. The betrothal was legally binding and was the same as being married, except for sexual consummation of the marriage. The could not refuse to marry unless they got a certificate of divorce. The man would then drink from the cup to show his joy that she had received him.

The couple would then separate and begin to make their preparations for the wedding day. They were not permitted to see each other during this time. The betrothal period would last between 12 and 18 months.

Jesus also offered a cup of wine to His disciples in the Upper Room on the night of His final Passover meal. Matthew 26:27-29 says: “And he took a cup of wine and gave thanks to God for it. He gave it to them and said, ‘Each of you drink from it, ~for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many. ~Mark my words - I will not drink wine again until the day I drink it new with you in my Father’s Kingdom.’”.  He offered the cup to each of them and told them to drink. Each one there received the cup and therefore accepted the covenant Jesus was offering them. At that point, the disciples were betrothed to Christ.

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Gifts to the Bride

After the contract was accepted, the bridegroom would leave the woman with gifts. There were a demonstration of his joy for her acceptance and a sign of his affection for her. The gifts were to serve as a reminder. He was about to go away for a long time and the gifts were a reminder to her of him. Every time she would use one of the gifts that he had left her, it would remind her of him. So the purpose of this gifts was to keep the bride focused on her groom in his absence.

Jesus also gave gifts to His bride. Paul writes in Ephesians 4:7-8: “However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. ~That is why the Scriptures say, ‘When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.’”. Several of these gifts are listed in 1 Corinthians 12. It is important for us to remember the purpose of the gifts. Jesus left us the gifts for one specific reason: to remind us of Him. Every time you exercise one of the gifts that you have been given, it should bring all the attention and glory to Christ.

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Preparing a Place

It was finally time for the man to depart and go to prepare a place for his bride. The groom normally went back to his father’s house to build an addition on the home where he and his bride would live. The groom would spend the next couple years preparing this new home. Although the son would build the home, it was built according to the father’s specification. THis was the place where the couple would come to spend their first seven days together (the honeymoon), so it was called the wedding chamber.

Jesus also had to leave His newly betrothed bride to begin the next step of preparation. Remember that the son would go back to his father’s house to begin construction the new home. Jesus spoke about this in John 14:1-4: “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ~There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ~When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. ~And you know the way to where I am going.”.

After the son went to his father’s house and built the room where he and his bride would live, he had to wait until his father released him before he would receive his bride. If he was asked when he would receive his bride, he would have to say he did not know the day; only his father knew the time. In Mark 13:32, Jesus said: “However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.”. Acts 1:6-7 reads: “So when the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, ‘Lord, has the time come for you to free Israel and restore our kingdom?’ ~He replied, ‘The Father alone has the authority to set those dates and times, and they are not for you to know.’”.

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A Waiting Bride

While the groom was preparing the wedding chamber, the bride had a responsibility as well. Her job was to ready herself for his return. That is all she had to do. The contract had been established and accepted, so all she had to do was prepare herself for the day of the man’s return. The bride was considered to be consecrated at this point. It was said of her that she had been bought with a price and was set aside for the groom only. She would wear a veil over he head when she was out in public so that others would know she belonged only to her betrothed. She would have saved all her money to use for her preparation period. She would not know the day or hour of his return, so she had to be ready at all times. Traditionally the groom would come at night and so she had to have her bags packed and lamps filled with oil ready by her bedside.

As the Bride of Christ, we too are called to be consecrated or set apart for Him. Our task at the point is to prepare ourselves for His return. It is interesting how the woman would save her money for the wedding. This money that she would bring to the groom was called a dowry. Without it, she would not be able to marry. Also, the groom would give her money towards this dowry and she would try not to lose it. By keeping it safe, she showed her love for the groom.

In Luke 15:8-9, Jesus said: “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Won’t she light a lamp and sweep the entire house and search carefully until she finds it? ~And when she finds it, she will call in her friends and neighbors and say, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost coin.’”.

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The Coming of the Groom

The day would arrive when the father would release his son to go and get his bride. Usually in the evening, the groomsmen would go ahead of him to the gate of the city where the bride lived. They would sound the shofar to let her know that her groom had come. At the blast of the trumpet sound, she would leave her home and come part of the way to the gate where the groom  would be waiting for her. He would then take her away to the wedding chamber, where they would spend the next seven days together.

Just as the groom would come in the middle of the night to steal his bride away at the sound of the  shofar and she would meet him halfway, so will Christ come for us and we shall rise to meet Him in the air. Paul makes reference to these betrothal practices in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-2: “Now concerning how and when all this will happen, dear brother and sisters, we don’t really need to write you. ~For you know quite well that the day of the Lord’s return will come unexpectedly, like a thief in the night.”.

Paul stated in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. ~Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.”. It is difficult to believe that the Apostle Paul did not have the betrothal process in mind when he wrote those words.

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Seven Days in the Wedding Chamber

After he comes to take his bride away, the groom takes her back to his father’s house; to the wedding chamber. The couple would spend the next seven days together on their own. The members of the wedding party would wait for the seven days to be over and then come together again to hear the announcement that the marriage had been consummated. Then they would celebrate for seven days.

The Jews believed there would be a seven-year “time of trouble” that would come upon the earth. It was also known as the time of “Jacob’s Trouble” or “The Birth Pains of the Messiah”. It was believed that the righteous would be resurrected just before this time and that they would enter the wedding chamber with the Messiah and be protected from this time of trouble. Today Christians call this the Great Tribulation.

If we recognize how Christ has fulfilled all but the last of the elements of the betrothal period, it is with great confidence that we believe that He will fulfill the remaining prophetic requirement of the marriage contract. As the Bride of Christ, we will be “caught up” before the time of trouble and will spend that seven-year period in the wedding chamber in the Father’s house. So we are called to await the return of our Bridegroom.

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Departure for Their New Home

After the wedding celebration, the bride and groom would depart for their new home that the groom had prepared for them. Even to this day, if you go to Israel you will see houses with unfinished, exposed rooms in the house. If you ask the father of the home why he has these unfinished rooms,  he will tell you that they are for his sons to that when each gets married he will have a place to come back to and build a wedding chamber for his bride.

Just as the bride and bridegroom would emerge and return to their new home, so will we return with Christ to our new home that He has prepared for us.

Rev. 21:1-10