The following is a list of Bible
Truths in Luke 11:1-13, the story of Jesus
teaching about prayer.
- Jesus prayed. Luke 11:1.
- Jesus taught the disciples to pray to God:
 | As a Father. Luke 11:2. |
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| With a desire to see God honored in the world. Luke
11:2. |
|
| With a desire that God's kingdom come into the world.
Luke 11:2. |
|
| Recognizing their total dependence on God for provision of
their daily needs and for protection from evil. Luke
11:3-4. |
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| Asking for God's provision and protection. Luke 11:3-4. |
|
- Jesus taught that believers should pray together for the provision and
protection of all believers. Luke 11:3-4.
- A person should be bold and persistent, not fearful or shy, in making requests of
God. Luke 11:8-9.
- A person can pray to God at any time and in any situation. Luke
11:5-9.
- Jesus taught the disciples to ask for God's blessing and He promised that
God would answer. Luke 11:9-10
The following Background
Information is helpful in understanding the
story.
| Hospitality Customs - In biblical times, a
host was obligated to feed a visitor. It would be shameful not to meet
this obligation. Since it was also common to prepare a fresh supply of
bread each day, the host in this story had no bread to offer to a visitor
who arrived in the middle of the night. Thus, the host, to avoid
shame, was forced to go to a friend in the middle of the night in search of
bread. |
| Lifestyles - Many families lived in one-room
homes. The entire family slept on a mat on the floor. The host
in search of bread not only woke his friend, but also his friend's children. |
| Answers to Prayer - God can answer prayer in
three ways: yes, no, and wait. |
The following activities
can be used to teach the Bible story and
truths.
Bible Story Activities.
| Role Play
- The children can role play the story to learn that the time, or place, or
situation should not stop a person from asking for something from God.
 | Spread a blanket on the floor and explain that
many families only had a one room house and everyone slept on a mat on
the floor. |
| Actors needed. Host and neighbor.
The rest of the class plays the sleeping family. |
| The neighbor and family lay on the mat,
pretending to sleep. |
| The host goes outside, knocks on the door and
says: "Neighbor, lend me three loaves of bread. A
friend of mine came to visit and I have no food to offer him." |
| The neighbor, half asleep, says: "Go
away and be quiet. We are asleep. I cannot get up and give
you bread without waking up my small children." |
| The host keeps knocking and saying:
"Please neighbor, give me some bread. |
| Finally, the neighbor gets up and gives him the
bread. |
| Help the children understand that God is not
like the neighbor who does not want to be bothered. God wants us
to ask for His help. God loves us and is always willing to give
good things to us. It does not matter what time it is, where we
are at the time, or what we are doing. |
|
Games.
| Top Five Countdown - Use this game to help the
children understand there are no limits to prayer. A person can pray
whenever, wherever, and for whatever there is a reason to pray.
| Print the top choices for the following categories:
|
| Select a category and cut the paper so each choice will be on a
separate piece of paper. Tape the top choices to the wall, with
the writing facing the wall. |
| Assign points to each of the choices, with the top choice being
assigned the most points. For example, the last choice could be
assigned five points while the first choice could be assigned
twenty-five points. |
| Divide the class into two groups. |
| Ask one of the groups to name a choice they believe would be in the
Top Choices. If the group guesses correctly, turn the paper around
to show the choice and the points assigned to that choice. That
group gets the points assigned to that choice and continues to guess
until it guesses wrong three times. Then the other group takes a
turn. |
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