We've Got to Keep On Keeping On!

This morning, if you have your Bibles, please take them and find Luke 11:5.  I want to share with you a message entitled, “We’ve Got to Keep On Keeping On!”

 

Today, we are continuing to talk about the subject of regular and personal prayer in the life of a follower of Christ.  We introduced this subject last Sunday morning looking at Jesus’ pattern in prayer.

 

However, I want to go back even further to the first Sunday of the year.  I challenged to you make a commitment to daily Bible reading, and so many of you have started. 

 

Praise the Lord, and you can start even today!  I challenged you to make this your number one priority as a follower of Christ in 2025. 

 

Then, last week, I challenged to make regular prayer your second priority, and we looked at Jesus’ pattern in prayer.  He prayed regularly and for big decisions or crises events.  Jesus prayed alone and with others, and Jesus prayed for Himself and others. 

 

Here is the main idea that I want us to see and understand this morning.  God wants His children to persist in their prayers and persist in praying. 

 

Look at verse 9.  Here, we find that word “persistence.” 

 

The NIV uses the “shameless audacity.”  The KJV uses the word importunity.

 

The word “persistence” means to endure or persevere.  Teenagers today might use the word “grit.” 

 

It means to continue an act until the desired effect is realized.  It means to keep on keeping on.

 

Here in Luke 11:5-10, I want us to see the explanation of persistence in praying, an illustration of persistence in praying, and the application of persistence in praying.

 

 

1. The Explanation of Persistence in Praying, Luke 11:8

8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

 

Beginning in verse 5, Jesus made a point using a parable.  A parable is an earthly story with heavenly or spiritual meaning.

 

The point of the parable is verse 8.  Jesus commended man’s persistence or his shameless audacity. 

 

In this context, shameless would be synonymous with bold, and used in a positive way.  Again, my main point this morning, and the main point of this text is to commend and advocate for followers of Christ persisting in their prayers or persisting in praying. 

 

 

2. An Illustration of Persistence in Praying, Luke 11:5-7

5 And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8 I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.

 

Verses 5-8 contain a parable.  A parable is an earthly story with a heavenly or spiritual meaning. 

 

Here’s the story.  A man has an unexpected friend drop by at midnight traveling through town. 

 

Why was the friend traveling at night?  It was probably to avoid the hot temperatures in the Middle East during the day.

 

This man knows that it is incumbent upon him to be a good host.  However, he doesn’t have any bread for the friend to eat.

 

What does he do?  He goes to a neighbor and asks for three loaves of bread.  Remember, it is midnight. 

 

It’s also important to know the neighbor probably had a one room house.  That meant everyone, parents and children, slept in the one room. 

 

When the neighbor hears the knocking or the calling, he goes to the door and essentially says, “Go away!  It’s too late.”

 

Why was this his response?  To open the door would mean burning a lantern and unbolting the lock.  He was surely to have wakened his children and his wife.  For those parents in the room, you know the advice of never wake a sleeping baby.

 

However, what does verse 8 say.  It says that if the man is persistent in his request, the neighbor will oblige. 

 

Can you imagine the scene?  It is midnight.  It is dark.  People are asleep.  It is quiet.

 

Then knocking starts and won’t stop.  Then yelling starts and won’t stop.

 

Finally, both stop.  Why?  Because the neighbor is tired of all the racket. 

 

BTW…in studying parables, there is always the danger of pressing the parable too far.  For example, God, our heavenly Father, is NOT a grouchy old man.

 

 

3. The Application for Persistence in Praying, 11:9-10

9 “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

 

One of the great things about today’s text is that Jesus doesn’t leave us wondering about what it means.  He is crystal clear.

 

In verse 9, we find three words that are significant.  They are ask, seek, and knock.

 

In the language of the NT, they what are called “present imperatives.”  That means they are commands for continuous action. 

 

Consequently, don’t just ask once.  Keep asking.  Don’t just seek once.  Keep seeking.  Don’t just know once.  Keep knocking. 

 

The progression in the words is also significant.  Ask is verbal.  Seek is adding actions to your words.  Knock is adding persistence to your words and actions.

 

As a result, look at verse 10.  When you keep asking, you will receive.  When you keep seeking, you will find.  When you keep knocking, the door will be opened.

 

The point is NOT that we can manipulate God with our amount of prayers.  The point is also NOT that the person who prays the most gets the most desired prayer requests. 

 

The point is that God wants us to pray and pray more and keep praying.  We may not know if God has ordained the end.

 

However, we definitely know that He has ordained the means.  Now, let us be found faithful.

 

Keep praying for your marriage to flourish.  Keep praying for your loved one to be saved.  Keep praying for your friend to be healed. 

 

However, there is one pray that you only need to pray once.  That is the prayer for Jesus to come into your heart and forgive you of your sins and save you today.