The Need of Prayer

Luke 11:9

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.

It is critical to see the dialogue before this verse to be able to understand what Jesus was teaching. Jesus said there was a man who had a friend come to visit him, but because he had no bread to give, he went to another friend at midnight to ask for bread. Though this man knocked on the door, the friend who had the bread did not want to open the door because his family was asleep. However, this man continued to knock and ask for bread until he was given bread. Jesus said that he was given bread, not because he was a friend, but because of the importunity he caused to the one he asked for bread.

Right after Jesus told this illustration, He said, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Before Jesus told us to ask, He told us there must be a need. Prayer is about getting our needs met, but those needs won’t be met until we pray. Let me share several needs of prayer.

First, prayer needs for you to recognize your inability. This friend could not give bread because he had no bread. One of the great reasons many do not get their prayers answered is because they feel they have everything under control. There will be no urgency in your prayer if you feel you can answer the need yourself. It is when you recognize your inability that you will realize that you need God. God will often not answer the prayer of the one who is trying to patronize Him in prayer. Only an arrogant believer patronizes God in prayer when they truly believe they can get their own needs met without Him. Your prayer life will never see fruit until you realize your inability to supply the need and God as the only One who can supply it.

Second, prayer needs a need; if there is no need, there is no need for prayer. However, every need in life is a need that only God can supply. God will bring every person to the point where they realize they don't have what it takes to get the need met. God wants you to need Him, so He sends needs your way so you will come to Him in prayer to ask for that need. In other words, God wants to be your Father who will supply the need for His child if you will just ask Him in prayer. Until you see that you can't supply your need and that only God can supply it is when you will begin to truly pray until you get the need met.

Third, prayer needs you to pray for it to work. Only the prayer that is not prayed is the prayer that cannot be answered. You must pray if you want God to answer your prayers. Every need God allows in your life can be met if you will simply go to God in prayer. How can God answer your prayers if you are not praying? The biggest problem I see with believers is they say they are praying, but they are trying to work out their problems on their own, which means they are leaving God out. If you truly believe in the power of prayer, you will not only pray, but you will continue to obey God by faith and do all that He commands you to do.

What is your need today? Your biggest need is for you to see your need needs God to answer it, and it needs you to pray to God so He will answer it. My friend, God cannot answer the prayer that is not asked because it has yet to become a prayer. Ask, and you have God’s Word backing you that He will answer your need.