Importunity in Prayer

Lesson XI.—Sept. 15, 1878—Luke xi.: 5-18.

Golden Text.—Men ought always to pray and not to faint.—Luke xviii.: 1.

Notes.—The place is near Jerusalem. The exact time is uncertain. There is no parallel narrative, unless Matt. vii.: 7-12, be parallel to part of this discourse.

1. Which of you.—The Saviour's teaching was always personal and direct. It was not his custom to talk around subjects, in a general sort of way. He always spoke to the point, and to the man. Let all instructors endeavor to imitate him in that respect. The idle, useless, foolish words spoken by teachers, will all have to be accounted for one of these days.

2. I have nothing to set before him.—Through careless provision or an influx of visitors, this man's bread had given out. But when the friend came, even at midnight, he troubled himself to go out and borrow, in order that he might give him something to eat. Eastern people are proverbial for their kindness, and we in this day and time might learn a profitable lesson from them. This man knew he could not satisfy the hunger of his friend with empty dishes. He wished three good substantial loaves. Not so with many of us who are endeavoring to teach in Sunday School and from the pulpit. Often we pretend to be furnishing our hearers with bread, when there is nothing but a clatter of empty dishes. We do not even resort to borrowing, but go on making a show of furnishing this spiritual bread, until those under us are half-starved.

3. Trouble me not.—This has no special significance, except it shows the unwillingness of this man to get up and get the bread. It is not intended to show the disposition of God towards those who ask of him. It was an untimely hour to go to a neighbor for bread, and the man acted like many of us would do under similar circumstances. Yet that is not right. We should be kind, and obliging, and neighborly at all times. Just there we commit more little mean sins than in any other way. We are always ashamed of them afterwards, but the shame does not cause us to mend our ways much. To say of a person that he is a kind, good neighbor, always ready to do a favor, is the highest encomium that can be given to him.

4. Importunity.—No one can be importunate unless he is in earnest, and feels the need of what he asks. To make our prayers importunate, we must feel and acknowledge our own helplessness, our great need, and the power and willingness of God to help and bless us.

5. Ask and it shall be given unto you. No more precious promises than these could be given unto man. You are invited to go to him for everything. Of course, food, and raiment, and other temporal blessings come to men who never acknowledge God's providence in these things; yet those who carry all these requests to him in prayer, enjoy these common, everyday blessings with tenfold more intensity. The child that receives its food and clothing from the hands of loving parents, enjoys these things more than the one whose soup comes from the public soup house, and to whom clothing is furnished by overseers of the poor. In both cases life is supported and the body kept warm, but love and parental blessings sweeten the life of one, while the other kno [...]