A Friend for Intercession Ministry

I. Luke 11: 5-13 A story about us who have a ministry and a FRIEND to turn to
A. We have a FRIEND that we could go to at midnight and seek a need (vs 5)
1. John 15: 14-15 – Jesus is this FRIEND
2. James 2: 23 – Abraham believed and was called a friend of God
3. Exodus 33: 11 – Moses & God, face to face, as friend
4. 1 John 3: 13-18 – laid down His life for us
B. Then there is the friend that comes to us unexpectedly (vs 6)
1. Arrival of this friend is Not expected or would have had bread to feed
2. This friend is on a journey; thus we are neither the origin nor destination of this journey
3. We are not on this friend’s journey
4. Our paths cross for an interval of time, a divine appointment if you like.
5. This friend did not ask for bread; we ascertained we need to provide bread which we do NOT have
C. So, not being able to provide (vs 6), we must know we can go to FRIEND, even at midnight (vs 5)
1. We ask for 3 loaves (vs 5)
2. Response is not what we expected, or even desired (vs 6)
3. Our persistence causes FRIEND to respond (vs 8)
4. FRIEND rises and gives as much as need (more than 3 loaves asked) (vs 8)
II. Verse 9-10 Ask-Seek-Knock = ASK
A. Often thought of as 3 examples of the point (and this is not wrong), this is actually sequential steps for intercession for a friend before our FRIEND
B. When done in the right order, we have the word ASK…our of order we get sak or ska or kas or ksa…which is meaningless. This illustrates the importance of the order of the sequence
C. We Ask – and then must receive
D. What we receive we use to Seek – and we find
E. Use what we find to Knock – and things open to us
F. This gives us the persistence to have our FRIEND rise and open the door and provide

III. We earthly, self-serving, distracted, controlling fathers give correspondingly to requests of our children
A. We don’t respond with useless (stone) or dangerous (serpent/scorpion) gifts to requested needs that our children ask for
B. Our heavenly Father, to whom we can get to through Jesus, responds to our requests with the Holy Spirit

IV. As revealed in Luke 11: 1, this is all part of Jesus’ response to the disciples’ request to be taught how to pray.

V. Do we understand that we have a FRIEND that we can go before unexpectedly to seek on behalf of a traveling friend and that we can Ask and Seek and Knock until we have our FRIEND respond to minister to a friend.
If we don’t understand this, we need to Ask, Seek, Knock for more of the Holy Spirit.

VI. These journeying friends that come across our lives for a season, we seek our FRIEND on their behalf. These friends are not here to add to our list, our congregation, our following, our roadies or groupies. They need intercession ministry.

VII. We worship with shouts of Joy! Not unlike the Hebrews when trumpets sounded for Jubilee; or when walls of Jericho were to come down; or when the Ark of the Covenant was brought into Jerusalem; or when the foundation was laid for the rebuilding the temple in days of Ezra.
A. Ruah (#7321) Hebrew to vocally and physically make war cry of confidence, shouts of joy, triumphant or religious impulse. Noun form for these shouts is Teruah.
B. Instructed in Psalms to shout with joy or to have shouts of joy
1. Psalm 81: 1 shout joyfully to the God of Jacob
2. Psalm 95: 1-2 sing for Joy and shout Joyfully to Lord God
3. Psalm 98: 4, 6 Shout Joyfully to God, to our King with trumpets
4. Psalm 100: 1 shout joyfully
C. When we recall what God has done and meant to us, should we not shout joyfully, be overcome by shouts of joy…for we have a FRIEND closer than a brother, a FRIEND that will answer our cries.