Prayer, the Power To Possess What You Already Own Lesson Two
“Brazen Asking” Define POWER:
Define SHAMELESS:
Define PERSISTENCE:
Scriptures for Daily Journals
Day One
Luke 11:1-13
Day Two
Matthew 5:42-48
Day Three
James 4:1-12
Day Four
James 4:13-17
Day Five
Luke 18:1-8
Day Six
1 John 3:18-24
Day Seven
1 John 5:14,15
39
END OF WEEK SUMMARY
These things I have asked for and believe I already possess :
Notes
40
If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me. But certainly God has heard me; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, Who has not rejected my prayer, nor removed His mercy and loving-kindness from being (as it always is) with me.
Psalms 66:18-20
Looking into our study... In Luke 11 we get a look at the prayer life of Jesus. He was praying and when He stopped one of His disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray.” The exceptional thing about Christ’s prayers is that He prayed with complete expectation. When heard praying by the disciples like this, they were stirred to learn of Him. After Jesus tells them to pray the Lord’s prayer, He goes on to talk about a man who went to his friend at midnight. This man needs three loaves of bread because he hasn’t any bread at home to feed his unexpected company. Jesus is teaching that this man will not get the bread because he is petitioning a friend, but because of the kind of asking he is doing.
I tell you, although he will not get up and supply him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his shameless persistence and insistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
Luke 11:8 AMP
This man is asking at an inconvenient time, midnight. He knows his friend is already asleep, but he goes to get his three loaves regardless of the time because he has an emergency. The word persistence in the Greek language means shameless, brazen, and uncouth. To ask shamelessly is to have an emergency. In an emergency a seriousness is present that otherwise may not be felt. Notice how he went knowing exactly what and how much he wanted. Notice also that this is a story Jesus creates for His disciples to teach them how to pray! 41
So I say to you, Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you. For everyone who asks and keeps on asking receives, and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds; and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking, the door shall be opened.
Luke 11:9, 10 AMP
Ask and keep on asking. Do you have a need this morning? Ask. Do you have another need this afternoon? Ask again. You can’t ask for too many things too often. Nothing is trivial with God. If three loaves of bread at midnight is not trivial to God then ask. . . for you will not get what you want unless you ask for it. You have not because you ask not. God also asks. God did not rape Mary, He asked for permission to give her the seed of His Son. Likewise, He comes to show us all what He wants to do for us if we ask Him. Then, like Mary, we can respond, “Yes Lord, be it unto me according to Thy word.”
Confident Asking In order to pray confidently and without shame, it’s very important that a Christian knows who he is in Christ, for it is this knowledge firmly rooted within him that eradicates all shame and the sense of guilt. In righteousness we pray knowing that our Father wants to give us what we ask for. Another truth we need to understand is about the will of God. Following is a journal from James 4:13-17 which says, “You ought to say, If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that thing.”
A Journal. . . “Jaque, if asking Me is your coming to Me for intimacy and is your opening the door to My knock, then this is the place where we consummate our deepest relationship. Doesn’t it stand to reason that this is the area that will be most 42
attacked by the devil? Understand this; the prince and power of the air will stop your prayers if he can cause you to doubt your ability to know My will with this single phrase, ‘If it be thy will.’ “Religious authority has taught this to the Church. It is a crack in the wall where Satan comes in with his harassment and plants questions such as, ‘How can I ever hope to think that I can consistently know what God wants?’ or ‘God’s will is too much of a mystery--no one really knows it, what makes me think I could make a request in line with it?’ or ‘If I ever really knew what God wanted, I’m sure it would be the opposite of what I want. He probably would tell me to go to Africa and feed the natives!’ So why would anyone in their right mind really want to ask for the will of God? “Such ignorance leads to prayers that say, ‘If it be thy will’. Without confidence this person figures he probably missed it
“ If you know My character, you will know My will.”
anyway, so he makes a generalization to cover his mistakes and believes that everything is happening according to the will of God. I am not known through this kind of praying. Nothing changes. It is the evil one who has brought this confusion in order to keep My Church from praying.
“Jaque, if prayer is the way to come into a dynamic relationship with Me, wouldn’t you expect Me to make it very easy for you to know My will?” “Yes Father. If prayer is the only way your will shall be done on earth, I think you would make your will simple to know. Father, haven’t you already made your will known?” “Yes! My will and My purpose is that Jesus Christ be Ruler in the universe through believers. If you know My character, you know My will. Wherever Christ is not named as Lord, My will is not being done. “I am Love. I want My love reigning throughout this world . . . this is My will. . .this is the love that exists for others, this is the love that compels and covers. 43
“Wherever you find someone using another person for his own advantage, that’s not My will. Where there is selfishness, anger, greed, and pride, that’s not My will. My people already know so much about My will. “And what about your needs? Didn’t Christ tell you concerning your food and clothing that God knows your need . . . and all these things will be added to you besides? (Matthew 6) “I want you to be fed, I want you to have a good job, I want you to have clothes and transportation . . . I want you to have a roof over your head. I originated pleasure. At My right hand there are pleasures forevermore. I give to man all good things for his heart to enjoy. Poverty, disease, sorrow and pain. . . these are not My will. Idols and religion keep people away from Me. This is not My will. Religion has said, ‘this is the will of God. . . God is trying to teach me something by putting this sickness on me.’ Then they take their medications and hire doctors to keep them out of the will of God. Religion can’t live with it’s own philosophy! “Satan is the thief. Jesus is the Word. Read the gospel and know My will, for the gospel is the announcement of My will. I love you, I am on your side, I am for you and I have defeated the powers that held you. “Jesus knew My will when He went to Gethsemane, but He wanted to discuss it with Me because He came in pangs as a true human being and as a human He didn’t want it to be the way it was. ‘If there is another way. . . but not my will, thine be done.’ Jesus didn’t sin by discussing this with Me, He kept Me in the center of His heart and won the battle over the human will. Don’t let the devil destroy all your prayers with this discussion at Gethsemane. . . but pray the will of God because you know what it is.”
44
According To Some of you ask, “But what about the specific will of God?” Here is another journal...
A Journal “Jaque, there are two words that will set you free . . . they are “according to.” According to means in harmony with. If you ask anything in harmony with My will it will be done for you. My gospel reveals My will as I release you in your individuality. I loose you in your choices according to what you want. The specifics are up to you. Wherever you seek to bring a revelation of My light, My love, My provision, I put you in charge of the specifics. “In prayer, in journals, in life, I speak in your mind. I speak through your desires. When you find your mind flowing in a certain pattern and you find a desire coming up over and over again, consider this; Where else will Christ in you make His desires known but through your own desires? Whose mind is He going to use? Is not yours the mind that is committed to Him, to the very will of God? You have the mind of Christ! “Jaque, remember how you and Chuck came to live in the desert? At one time you banished the thought! This was the last place in the world you wanted to be, but in the season appointed, before I ever told you about My plan, I snuck the desire into your hearts to go there. Then at the appointed time you asked Me for permission to go! It felt right inside, it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to you. You and the Holy Spirit decided. My will in specifics was made known to you in your own mind process and since you knew yourself in Christ, you asked and it was given.”
45
God’s Executive Board We are more important to God than we sometimes realize. We are one with the will of God. It is being done on earth as we ask Him for permission to do those things He has already planted in our hearts. We ask shamelessly because we have an emergency. Our emergency is that we must have God’s kingdom on earth. This is the work of the Lord in our hearts . . . we are a part of God’s executive board.
46
Lesson Two END OF WEEK RESPONSE QUESTIONS Please answer questions on separate 8 ½ x 11 paper. Double space all lines and leave wide margins on both sides. Be sure to put your name, date and lesson number on the top left corner of the first page and staple your pages together.
1. What do you suppose happens to a man who prays for those who persecute him? What happens to his prayer life? (See Matthew 5:42-48) 2. Explain why persistence is greater than genius? (For help see the story in Luke 18:1-8). 3. Why is it impossible to pray true prayers if we feel guilty and condemned? 4. Please share your journalizing experience this week with regard to heart and frequency. Please attach a copy of one of this week’s journals.
47
Notes
48
“Brazen Asking” Lesson Two - Day One Luke 11:1-13 “For every one who asks and keeps on asking receives, and he who seeks and keeps on seeking finds, and to him who knocks and keeps on knocking the door shall be opened.” Luke 11:10 Today’s Date:
49
50
“Brazen Asking” Lesson Two - Day Two Matthew 5:42-48 “But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you...” Matthew 5:44 Today’s Date:
51
52
“Brazen Asking” Lesson Two - Day Three James 4:1-12 “...You do not have because you do not ask, (Or) you do ask (God for them) and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong purpose and evil, selfish motives. “ James 4:2,3 Today’s Date:
53
54
“Brazen Asking” Lesson Two - Day Four James 4:13-17 “You ought to say, If the Lord is willing, we shall live and we shall do this or that (thing).” James 4:15 Today’s Date:
55
56
“Brazen Asking” Lesson Two - Day Five Luke 18:1-8 “Also (Jesus) told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward - faint, lose heart and give up.” Luke 18:1 Today’s Date:
57
58
“Brazen Asking” Lesson Two - Day Six 1 John 3:18-24 “Little children, let us not love (merely) in theory or in speech but in deed and in truth - in practice and in sincerity. ” 1John 3:18 Today’s Date:
59
60
“Brazen Asking” Lesson Two - Day Seven 1 John 5:14,15 “And this is the confidence - the assurance, the (privilege of) boldness - which we have in Him: (we are sure) that if we ask anything (make any request) according to His will (in agreement with His own plan) He listens to and hears us.” 1John 5:14 Today’s Date:
61
62