17^th Sunday in Ordinary Time-C

I Reading: Genesis 18:20-32: I trust my Lord will not be angry, but give me leave to speak.

II Reading: Colossians 2:12-14: He has brought you to life with him, he has forgiven us all our sins.

Gospel: Luke 11:1-13: Ask, and it will be given to you.

The Great Subject of Prayer, Lk 11:1-13

This passage deals with the great subject of prayer. So we need to study time and again and learn how to pray without ceasing in life. The prayer of a Christian should resemble that of Christ. Jesus himself prayed often. What was Jesus’ prayer like? “Our Father” and He taught his disciples as we read in the gospel. He taught them to pray the way he himself did. The “Our Father” prayer as given by Luke, does not exactly coincide with the one given by Matthew (Mt 6:9-13). Luke gives a shorter form, but the content of both is essentially the same. Let us now examine the content of this wonderful prayer:

a) “Father…”- we are His loving children

b) “May your name be held holy”

c) “Your kingdom come”

The second part of the Our Father is:

a) “Gives us this day our daily bread…!”

b) “Forgive us our sins…for we ourselves forgive..!”

c) “Do not put us to the test…”- Give us the strength to resist temptation when the devil tempts us. Save us from the evil one (Mt 6:13).

Jesus taught us how to pray, how to converse with God our Father: with trust, with gratitude, with joy, just as he himself did.

1. Jesus prayed (v.1)

a. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray

b. John the Baptist had taught his disciples to pray

2. Jesus’ model prayer (v.2-4)

a. Thank God

          1) for being our Father

          2) for heaven

b. Praise His name always and don’t hate His name

c. Pray

          1) for His kingdom

          2) for daily bread

          3) for forgiveness

          4) for deliverance

3. Man’s part in prayer (v.5-10)

a. The illustration: man is to persevere and endure in prayer

b. The point: perseverance and endurance receive what is requested

c. The exhortation

          1) ask- shall be given

          2) seek- shall find

          3) knock- shall be opened

d. The answer assured

4. God’s part in prayer (v.11-13)

a. The illust.: God is not evil, but He is good-He is just like a father

b. The point: God is most willing to give- especially the Holy Spirit to dwell with man’s heart and life

Thought: Jesus Himself prayed to the Father always and asked His power and strength to continue His works and to do the Will of God.

Prayer makes us closer to God and helps us to love people with forgiveness and enables us to take up all kinds of responsibilities; even gives us lots of strength and courage to undergo sufferings or persecutions in life.

Man/woman is a bundle of needs; he/she needs to turn to God at every step, prayer is the way to do so. We must approach God in prayer with respect, with trust and with love.

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