Luke 11:1-13
Luke is talking to a pagan, a gentile, who’s God’s were capricious and fickle, who’s worshipers were forced to try to guess what would make this pantheon of God’s happy and or gods forbid, would anger them.
Matthew 6:9-13 is speaking to Jews whose God was so awesome and mighty and holy and righteous one must not even utter His name.
Jesus instructional prayer as explained to each recipient is designed to help the one who prays to see God, in a new way, for who He is, certainly a glorious God, but also, a good God. Jesus did this so that they would know that the God who they pray to is a loving Father, an “Abba”, a Daddy, who cares deeply for his children and their affairs.
Jesus wants us to see the Father that He knows… (John 17)
So first Jesus wants us to see that - God is good? Yes. And we need to recognize that anxiety robs us of seeing that God and His goodness.
What concerns do you bring this morning? Take a moment and dwell on them. Write them down. Some are legitimate concerns, some, on the other hand, are unreasonable and irrational.
Anxiety happens when even legitimate concerns become bigger than God. in fact, I would suggest, that the enemy has designed anxiety in such a way as to make us believe that that which assails us IS bigger than God… so big in fact, that our concern can be swollen to such a point that it squeezes God right out of our minds and in turn shrinks Him in our hearts to such an extent that we begin to feel as though God does not even care...
This is where truth comes in.
Anxiety is designed to dwarf God. To eclipse Him. To draw our mind away from the truth of God being God and focus it on the “truth“ of this fear- that this fear is so big, that God Himself can’t do anything about it! A “truth” that makes the (actual) truth of God being God, and good, a lie.
It is here now that we must take captive every thought and make it obedient to Christ (2Cor 10:4-5). In other words, as Peter put it, we are to “...set Christ apart as Lord in our hearts.”.
How do we do this? Well, first, we have to remove that anxious thought that we have allowed to reign in our minds off the throne and place Jesus back His rightful place. (and repeat)
Then, having seen the difference between the reign of terror that is anxiety and the peace God who now reigns with love, we can boldly and confidently “give the reason for our hope when we were asked...” and even do so “...with gentleness and respect.” (1Peter3; Philippians 4:4)
Because for us, in our humanity, putting Jesus on the throne almost always means removing something else from the throne in our heart
Taking captive every thought is the process of anxiety being removed from our minds by the truth - by taking each and every thought captive, compare it to the truth of Jesus and who we are in Jesus and who Jesus is to be for us, and subjecting that thought to that truth - and thus demolishing it!
Anxiety is always the god of our fears, supplanting the God of our salvation.
Why is it important for us to understand Matthew and Luke’s audience? Because for each one of us, there are moments when God appears to be capricious and fickle, aloof and uncaring; angry and unapproachable or so mighty and righteous, so holy and big, that He cannot possibly care about me and the things that trouble me. But Jesus says that this is just not true!
The changing of mind and heart.
Romans 12:2 “transformed by the renewing of your mind…” Life and its circumstances can be overwhelming in such a way as to distract us from what is true - robbing us of the peace we have as God’s children and replacing that peace with fearful and anxious thoughts.
The truth is: God is near…
“...the Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything… prayer and petition with thanksgiving…” Phil 4:6 God does not want us anxious and distracted, but at peace with Him - in and through everything - trusting the truth that He is “for us”! (“...if God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31)
Anxiety: a restriction of the mind, a constrictor of the heart, and a distractor of prayer.
Anxiety: excess, or even irrational, worry and fear is the process of our minds “blowing things out of proportion”, to distort what is true.
Lies are the fuel for anxiety
The more we think about and entertain the lie the tighter the squeeze - and the tighter the squeeze, the more we doubt the our Father loves us, is with us, or near, and that He actually “...works all things for the good of those who love Him…”. (Rom 8:28)
“...know my anxious thoughts…” Psalm 139:23 These lies often begin as everyday thoughts and concerns in our minds, but once entertained and engaged, these thoughts and concerns begin to swell, taking up more and more space, until finally they overwhelm and distort the truth, and begin to cause us to doubt what is true, then the Truth, then the One who is Truth and Truth giver, and then, because everything is now out of proportion - these fears and anxieties make the truth out to be a lie. At this point, if we think about God at all… we think “Where is God!? God can’t possibly be for me!”
So, in our desperation, we call out in hopes that maybe God will answer… but, if we have not dealt with the lies, even our Father’s response, the gift that God gives us in response to our calling out (because He DOES answer - because He always does) doesn’t look like what it (actually) is. (bread vs. stone)
“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true… think about such things” Phil 4:8
The truth is, God knows where we are, what we’re in, and exactly what we need and when we need it.
What we need, isn’t always what we thought we needed...
He knows what we need before we ask - the question is, can we see the answer for what it is, as God’s loving response to and intention for what we need… not necessarily, what we thought we needed? (James 1:1-18)
Write out what you see… “what do you see here? (In the verse)
If prayer is about nothing else, it’s about submission - our submitting ourselves, our will, our lives - and our mind’s thinking - to God. With every request…
Trust, as much as you can, and entrust what you can.
Grow in trust, entrust, some more, and entrust as we grow in trust
As we learn to trust God and His Truth - about Him and His love for us - we will be more and more able to trust that He ALWAYS has our best in mind - and gives us what is good and best - always. He.loves.us. He loves us. He loves us. God loves us. And as we grow more in trust, we will grow to entrust more.
Changing our mind
The transformation of the attitude of our mind is by the renewing of our mind - what you know to be true: comparing our thoughts to the Truth (2Cor 10:3-5)
● Reminded of the truth
● Remember the truth
● Read the truth
● Recite the truth
● Repeat the truth
● Ruminate on the truth
Heart - change and transformation of the heart - as the mind is being transformed (by truth) itchanges, anxiety is stilled - things are put back in proper proportion. And, as the mind clears, the heart begins to relax, as the heart relaxes, peace and clarity descend on both mind and heart (Rom 12:2; Phil 4:7).
Having our minds and hearts at peace, in turn, changes our prayers and our prayer’s perspective - as we now begin to desire God’s will and purposes in this thing. This is because our perspective and prayers are (now) being aligned with the Truth, the word, Jesus - able to say “your will to be done”.
It is here we begin to discern the truth (Rom 12:2), and this, with and by the Spirit of Truth - Who will always remind us of (the) Truth - Jesus - and the wonderful and true truth of who we are in Him and to Him. (John 15:26; 16:13-15; 4:23-24; 14:17; 1John 4:6; 5-6).
Now, we can see the Truth for the truth that it is: TRUE! God IS near, He DOES love me... I am, we are, His children, He is our God and Father, and He IS for us! (Ezekiel 37:27; Jer 31:33; 2Cor 6:16; Heb 8:10; John 14:23; Rev 21:3,7) I do matter to Him, this moment matters to Him… (Psalm 9:9; 18:3; 23; 28:2; 34; 39:12)
Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Philippians 4:7 “...the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
So when we are anxious, angry, complaining - and we continue to entertain those conditions - our mind becomes more and more confused and chaotic, this condition of our mind, if not dealt with by (submitting to the) transforming power of Truth, makes in us, an increasingly constricted heart.
But, the Spirit, whether we know it or not, faithfully intercedes by reminding us of our Father… Coming to our senses, we remember the Truth, most importantly, about our Father… (Luke 15:17)
Luke 15:17 ““When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!”
Remembering, reading, reciting, repeating, and ruminating on truth we, our minds and hearts, are properly, restored. (Psalm 1:2; 16:7; 63; 77; 86; 119)
Through the discipline of submitting our minds and hearts to Truth our…
● Mind is transformed, diverted from anxiety to proper thought - perspective and proportion
● Heart is rerouted, from distorted desires to proper desire and intent
● Prayer goes from distracted, frustrating and selfish to compassionate, gracious and blessing.
○ What is “blessing”?
■ To speak well of… wanting favor, favoring what is best (in God's eyes - including for self - which might mean pain and sacrifice)
■ Wanting, preferring what is best for others - to con (to honor with) what is beneficial - which might mean your apparent loss - (prior (or) flesh) perceived loss - which in God’s (actual) blessing (want and prefer what is truly Good) loss = gain, no = yes, give = get, suffering = joy
● Now, exhibiting (the) self-control or self-discipline of the Spirit in us, our anxiety quelled, we are able to pray… (2Tim 1:7; 1Peter 4:7)
When we pray… here’s Jesus’ instructions in both Matthew and Luke (twice!!)
● Trusting to ask
● Persistence in the asking
● Patience in the waiting
● Wisdom to see
● Grateful for the answer
● Joyful in the receiving
● Generous with God and others with the blessing we have received
And remember to check your motives at the door… James 4:1-3
