How to Pray
Luke 11, verse 1. Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.” Luke 11, verse 2. So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as it is in heaven. Luke 11, verse 3. Give us day by day our daily bread. Luke 11, verse 4. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.” Luke 11, verse 5. And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; Luke 11, verse 6. for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; Luke 11, verse 7. and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? Luke 11, verse 8. I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. Luke 11, verse 9. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Luke 11, verse 10. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Luke 11, verse 11. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Luke 11, verse 12. Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? Luke 11, verse 13. If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
Jesus and the Devil
Luke 11, verse 14. And He was casting out a demon, and it was mute. So it was, when the demon had gone out, that the mute spoke; and the multitudes marveled. Luke 11, verse 15. But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebub, the ruler of the demons.”
Spiritual Power, Spiritual War
Luke 11, verse 16. Others, testing Him, sought from Him a sign from heaven. Luke 11, verse 17. But He, knowing their thoughts, said to them: “Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation, and a house divided against a house falls. Luke 11, verse 18. If Satan also is divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? Because you say I cast out demons by Beelzebub. Luke 11, verse 19. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. Luke 11, verse 20. But if I cast out demons with the finger of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. Luke 11, verse 21. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are in peace. Luke 11, verse 22. But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted, and divides his spoils. Luke 11, verse 23. He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters. Luke 11, verse 24. “When an unclean spirit goes out of a man, he goes through dry places, seeking rest; and finding none, he says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ Luke 11, verse 25. And when he comes, he finds it swept and put in order. Luke 11, verse 26. Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first.” Luke 11, verse 27. And it happened, as He spoke these things, that a certain woman from the crowd raised her voice and said to Him, “Blessed is the womb that bore You, and the breasts which nursed You!” Luke 11, verse 28. But He said, “More than that, blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!”
Spiritual Perception: A Sign
Luke 11, verse 29. And while the crowds were thickly gathered together, He began to say, “This is an evil generation. It seeks a sign, and no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. Luke 11, verse 30. For as Jonah became a sign to the Ninevites, so also the Son of Man will be to this generation. Luke 11, verse 31. The queen of the South will rise up in the judgment with the men of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon; and indeed a greater than Solomon is here. Luke 11, verse 32. The men of Nineveh will rise up in the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and indeed a greater than Jonah is here.
Spiritual Perception: A Light to See By
Luke 11, verse 33. “No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lampstand, that those who come in may see the light. Luke 11, verse 34. The lamp of the body is the eye. Therefore, when your eye is good, your whole body also is full of light. But when your eye is bad, your body also is full of darkness. Luke 11, verse 35. Therefore take heed that the light which is in you is not darkness. Luke 11, verse 36. If then your whole body is full of light, having no part dark, the whole body will be full of light, as when the bright shining of a lamp gives you light.”
The Pride of the Pharisees
Luke 11, verse 37. And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat. Luke 11, verse 38. When the Pharisee saw it, he marveled that He had not first washed before dinner. Luke 11, verse 39. Then the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees make the outside of the cup and dish clean, but your inward part is full of greed and wickedness. Luke 11, verse 40. Foolish ones! Did not He who made the outside make the inside also? Luke 11, verse 41. But rather give alms of such things as you have; then indeed all things are clean to you. Luke 11, verse 42. “But woe to you Pharisees! For you tithe mint and rue and all manner of herbs, and pass by justice and the love of God. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. Luke 11, verse 43. Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the best seats in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplaces. Luke 11, verse 44. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like graves which are not seen, and the men who walk over them are not aware of them. ” Luke 11, verse 45. Then one of the lawyers answered and said to Him, “Teacher, by saying these things You reproach us also.” Luke 11, verse 46. And He said, “Woe to you also, lawyers! For you load men with burdens hard to bear, and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Luke 11, verse 47. Woe to you! For you build the tombs of the prophets, and your fathers killed them. Luke 11, verse 48. In fact, you bear witness that you approve the deeds of your fathers; for they indeed killed them, and you build their tombs. Luke 11, verse 49. Therefore the wisdom of God also said, ‘I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they will kill and persecute,’ Luke 11, verse 50. that the blood of all the prophets which was shed from the foundation of the world may be required of this generation, Luke 11, verse 51. from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zechariah who perished between the altar and the temple. Yes, I say to you, it shall be required of this generation. Luke 11, verse 52. “Woe to you lawyers! For you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter in yourselves, and those who were entering in you hindered.” Luke 11, verse 53. And as He said these things to them, the scribes and the Pharisees began to assail Him vehemently, and to cross-examine Him about many things, Luke 11, verse 54. lying in wait for Him, and seeking to catch Him in something He might say, that they might accuse Him.