2. The Friend At
Midnight
Luke 11:5-13

3. “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; for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 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’? 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. “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. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, 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” (Luke 11:5-13).

4. The Friend At
Midnight
Reason For The Parable

5. Reason For The Parable 1) Disciples’ request.
“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1).

6. Reason For The Parable 2) Model prayer given.
“So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Give us day by day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one” (Luke 11:2-4).

7. The Friend At
Midnight
Reason For The Parable
Point Of The Parable

8. Point Of The Parable 1) The need to pray.
“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples” (Luke 11:1).
“Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12).

9. Point Of The Parable 2) The need to be persistent in prayer.
“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” (Luke 11:8).
Persistence – “denotes shamelessness, importunity, and is used in the Lord’s illustration concerning the need of earnestness and perseverance in prayer, Luke 11:8. If shameless persistence can obtain a boon from a neighbor, then certainly earnest prayer will receive our Father’s answer” (Vine, p. 591).

10. The Friend At Midnight Reason For The Parable Point Of The Parable
The Application

11. Application Of The Parable
1) Notice what they are told to do.
“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. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11:9,10).
Ask – “to ask; to ask for one’s self, request for one’s self” (Thayer, p. 17).
Seek – “to seek in order to find” (Thayer, p. 272).
Knock – “to strike, knock, is used in the N.T. of knocking at a door; figuratively, (of importunity in dealing with God)” (Vine, 637).

12. Application Of The Parable
2) Comments on these verses.
“This is not a mere repetition, for to seek is more than to ask, and to knock is more than to seek; and thus an exhortation is given to increasing urgency in prayer, even till the suppliant carries away the blessing which God is only waiting for the proper time, to give” (Trench, Notes on the Parables, p. 116)
“Ask, seek, & knock” – Each of these imperatives is in the present tense; keep on asking, seeking, and knocking, i.e., be persistent. Do not become discouraged” (Wayne Jackson, The Parables in Profile, p.72).

13. Application Of The Parable
3) God knows how to provide!
“If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, 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!” (Luke 11:11-13).

14. Application Of The Parable
4) Another observation about this text.
“It is worthy of notice that the argument for persevering prayer increases. First from a friend, then from a father, who is more than a friend, and now from the relation of heavenly Father, who is infinitely more than an earthly father” (The Gospel of Luke, H. Leo Boles, p.

15. The Friend At Midnight Reason For The Parable Point Of The Parable
The Application
Condition To Be Met

16. Conditions To Be Met 1) One must be a faithful child.
“For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit.  Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:10-12) Quoted from Psalm 34:12-16.

17. Conditions To Be Met 2) We must abide in His word.
“If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you” (John 15:7).

18. Conditions To Be Met 3) According to His will.
“Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).

19. Conditions To Be Met 4) Must have confidence.
“But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind” (James 1:6).

20. Conditions To Be Met
5) Some times His answer is no or in His own time!
“Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me” (2 Corinthians 12:8).

21. The Friend At Midnight Reason For The Parable Point Of The Parable
The Application
Condition To Be Met

22. In Conclusion
1) Lenski says this about the parable: (a) Only a friend – whereas God is a Father. (b) At midnight, the time that offers the best excuse for refusing a request – with God there is no night, no inconvenient time, no intention to use anything as an excuse. (c) Asking for a stranger whom the sleeper does not even know and to whom he is under no obligation whatever – we are known to God, are even his own children. (d) A slight need, considering even Eastern customs of hospitality; the friend might well be asked to wait for refreshments till morning – our needs are far greater. (e) A small gift, just a few, small “breads,” flat cakes, hence three for one man – our requests are for vastly greater gifts for soul and body. (f) A selfish, unfriendly excuse for refusing the request – whereas our Father is perfect love and kindness and offers us the most abounding promises instead of excuses” (p. 625).