_Jesus and his disciples go into a retired place to pray. Jesus
teaches Lazarus how to pray. The model prayer. The value of
importunate prayer. Parable of the importunate housewife._
Now, in the evening Jesus, Peter, James and John, with Lazarus, went
out beyond the village gates to pray. And Lazarus said, Teach me to
pray.
2 And Jesus said, The prayer I taught the twelve to pray while we were
up in Galilee is one acceptable to God; and when you pray just say,
3 Our Father-God who art in heaven; holy is thy name; thy kingdom
come; thy will be done on earth as it is done in heaven;
4 Give us this day our needed bread;
5 Help us forget the debts that other people owe to us, that all our
debts may be discharged;
6 And shield us from the tempter’s snares that are too great for us to
bear;
7 And when they come give us the strength to overcome.
8 And Jesus said, The answer to your prayer may not appear in fulness
in a little time.
9 Be not discouraged; pray again and then again, for God will hear.
10 And then he spoke a parable; he said, A housewife was alone at
night and, lo, some guests arrived, and they were hungry, having had
no food for all the day.
11 The housewife had no bread, and so at midnight she went forth and
called a friend and said, Loan me three loaves of bread, for guests
have come, and I have naught for them to eat.
12 The friend replied, Why do you trouble me at midnight hour? My door
is shut; my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise to give you
bread; tomorrow you can be supplied.
13 The housewife asked again, and then again, and then because she
plead, and would not be refused, the friend arose and gave her bread.
14 Behold, I say to you, Ask firmly and you shall receive; seek
trustingly and you shall find; knock earnestly, the door will open up.
15 All things are yours, and when you ask, not as a begging man would
ask, but as a child, you shall be satisfied.
16 A son may ask his father for a loaf of bread; the father will not
give to him a stone;
17 Or he may ask him for a fish; he will not give a crab; or he may
ask him for an egg; the father will not give a pebble from the brook.
18 Behold, if men of flesh know how to give abundantly to children of
the flesh, will not your heavenly Father give abundantly to you when
you shall pray?