Notes of Faith November 15, 2025
Living a Great-Full Life: How Great Is Answered Prayer
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:16
We have all found ourselves standing outside the door (literal or figurative) of a person from whom we need help. Our hand is raised to knock but remains frozen in the air. Why? Perhaps we don’t feel worthy or fear getting “No” for an answer. If we fear asking a fellow human for help, how much more likely are we to fear asking God?
And yet we are encouraged to ask with boldness. How is it possible that we, in spite of our unworthiness, are encouraged to enter God’s presence in prayer? It is only because of Christ whose blood has cleansed us from our sin and made us worthy to stand in God’s presence. To fear asking God for help is to diminish the greatness of what Christ has done for us. Consider how an earthly parent would feel if his or her child feared asking for help. How much more does God welcome us to lay our needs before Him!
Avail yourself today of the privilege of prayer. It is surely the greatest of our earthly blessings.
Anxiety and prayer are more opposed to each other than fire and water.
J. A. Bengel
Luke 11:1-13
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."
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.
3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
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."
A Friend Comes at Midnight
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; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him'; 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'? 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.
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. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 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? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 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!"
The Holy Spirit is given to those who belong to God. The Holy Spirit leads, guides, directs, empowers, a believer and follower of Jesus to live a godly life, if that person yields to the Spirit and not the desires of their life before faith in Jesus, their flesh. Our heavenly Father wants us to walk in the Spirit! What would make more sense than to ask our Father to help us in this greatest of need…to walk in the Spirit and not the flesh! Ask, and you will receive. Many have not because they ask not…James 4:2
Pastor Dale