Luke 11:1-10, 12-28

One day, as Jesus was in prayer, one of his disciples came over to him as he finished and said, “Would you teach us a model prayer that we can pray, just as John did for his disciples?” So Jesus taught them this prayer: “Our heavenly Father, may the glory of your name be the center on which our life turns. May your Holy Spirit come upon us and cleanse us. Manifest your kingdom on earth. And give us our needed bread for the coming day. Forgive our sins as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us. And rescue us every time we face tribulations.” Then Jesus gave this illustration: “Imagine what would happen if you were to go to one of your friends in the middle of the night, pound on his door, and shout, ‘Please! Do you have some food you can spare? A friend just arrived at my house unexpectedly and I have nothing to serve him.’ But your friend says, ‘Why are you bothering me? The door is locked and my family and I are all in bed. Do you expect me to get up and give you our food?’ I tell you—because of your shameless persistence, even though it’s the middle of the night, your friend will get up out of his bed and give you all that you need. So it is with your prayers. Ask and you’ll receive. Seek and you’ll discover. Knock on heaven’s door, and it will one day open for you. Every persistent person will receive what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he needs. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.

Do you know of any father who would give his daughter a spider when she had asked for an egg? Of course not! If imperfect parents know how to lovingly take care of their children and give them what they need, how much more will the perfect heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit’s fullness when his children ask him.” One day a crowd gathered around Jesus, and among them was a man who was mute. Jesus drove out of the man the spirit that made him unable to speak. When the demon left him, the mute man’s tongue was loosed and immediately he was able to speak. The stunned crowd saw it all and marveled in amazement over this miracle! But there were some in the crowd who protested, saying, “He casts out demons by the power of Satan, the demon king.” Others were skeptical and tried to persuade Jesus to perform a spectacular display of power to prove that he was the Messiah. Jesus, well aware of their every thought, said to them, “Every kingdom that is split against itself is doomed to fail and will eventually collapse. If it is true that Satan casts out his own demons through me, how could his kingdom remain intact? If Satan gives me the power to cast out his demons, who is it that gives your exorcists their power? Let them become your judges! Go, ask them, and they will tell you. But if I am casting out demons by God’s mighty power, God’s kingdom is now released upon you—but you still reject it! “When a strong man, with many weapons, guards his palace, his possessions are safe. But when one stronger than he comes to attack and overpower him, the stronger one will empty the arsenal in which he trusted. The conqueror will ransack his kingdom and distribute all the spoils of victory. Whoever is not on my side is against me, and whoever does not gather the spoils with me will be forever scattered. “When a demon is cast out of a person, it goes to wander in a waterless realm, searching for rest. But finding no place to rest, it says, ‘I will go back and reoccupy the body I left.’ When it returns, it finds the person like a house swept clean and made tidy, but empty. Then it goes and enlists seven demons more evil than itself, and they all enter and possess the person, leaving that one in a much worse state than before.” While he was saying all this, a woman shouted from the crowd, “God bless the one who gave you birth and nursed you as a child!” “Yes,” said Jesus, “but God will bless all who listen to the word of God and carefully obey everything they hear.”