This week's Scripture passage is Luke 11.

(Click here for a PDF of this week's study.)

We have a special Prayer Night this week on Friday February 26, from 7:00-8:00pm. Our focus will be the importance of being united in and devoted to prayer, particularly in the advancement of the Gospel in El Paso, our region and the world.  We will be focusing on prayers of the early church out of the Book of Acts. You can join in-person or on Zoom. For more information, click here.

Luke 11:1-13 - After His disciples ask for instruction on how to pray, Jesus teaches what we know as The Lord's Prayer. It is one of the most important prayers in the Bible. In v.5-13, Jesus also teaches on persevering in prayer and the Father's heart and desire to answer our prayers. See Matthew 6:9-13 for an expanded account of the Lord's Prayer.

Jesus' example of how to pray teach a priority or order for our prayers of:

• 1st  - Adoration - Worship of God, our Father
• 2nd - The Spread of the Gospel - God's Kingdom and Will being accomplished on earth
• 3rd - Petition - Our daily needs
• 4th - Confession - Forgiveness in both our relationship with God and one another
• 5th - Dependence on God - For protection and deliverance from evil and sin
• 6th - Closing in Worship of God, once again

Luke 11:14-26 -  Jesus casts out a demon and then answers His critics and accusers with wise teaching on the nature and dynamic of spiritual warfare.

Luke 11: 27-28 -  Jesus teaches that those who hear and keep His word are more blessed than even His mother.

Luke 11:29-54 - Jesus encounters the Pharisees and lawyers as they continue to test and try to trap Him. He warns of the judgment that will come to that generation to which He came if they reject Him. He claims to be greater than either Jonah and Solomon.

Questions for Reflection and Discussion:

1. In our prayers, do we spend as much time in worship of God and prayer for His work on the earth as we do in asking for help in our personal life?  What can we learn about God's priorities from the order of The Lord's Prayer? Why should we worship Him and pray for the Lord's interests first, before we ask for our own needs? How does this help the selfish condition of all of our hearts?

2. Are we confessing our sins regularly? See 1 John 1:6-10

3. Are we keeping our hearts free from unforgiveness, resentment, and bitterness in our personal relationships? See Matthew 6:14-15, Hebrews 12:14-15

4. Are we depending on God to lead us away from temptation and to deliver us from evil...or are we trying to resist the enemy in our own strength?  

5. Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" (v.28)  Are we doing both consistently?

6. In v.33-36, Jesus teaches on 'the eye being the lamp of the body'. What can we do to keep our 'eye' healthy? What are we allowing into our lives that brings darkness?