Last week, we celebrated the resurrection of Jesus.  He is alive!  Nothing could keep Him down!  Nothing could trip Him up!  Nothing can stop the Kingdom of God, the will of God, nor the purposes of God!  That means that if you choose to put your faith in Jesus and receive new life, you also are unstoppable! 

How do we make the most of this new life that Jesus gave us?  How do we know if we are living it well or missing out on something that God has for us?

This morning, we’re going to venture through Luke chapter 11 together.  Through a vast dynamic of being questioned, challenged, doubted, and even opposed by others, Jesus teaches so much about how to effectively live a Spirit-filled life.  It begins where every great revival began, where Heaven meets Earth, where potential is unlocked, where Kingdom secrets are revealed, where all that we need to be equipped and empowered by God begins; PRAYER!

Luke 11:1-26

1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:

Matthew 6:9-13 (KJV)

9 …Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.

10 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.

11 Give us this day our daily bread.

12 And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.

13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

Now I don’t believe that Jesus intended for these words to become words that we repeat out of tradition.  It’s not that there is anything wrong with doing that.  However, the more that we say and do things out of tradition, the more that they can begin to lose their intent and motive and meaning. 

If Jesus wanted us to do so, then He would have made sure that Luke and Matthew both clearly heard and recorded His words exactly.  They both record Jesus’ example prayer quite differently.  Rather, this example prayer that Jesus gave us provides key aspects which are important to remember when we pray. 

First, a reminder to us of who God is and what our relationship is with Him.  Far more important than anything that we could ever do for God is who He is (our Father) and who we are (a child of God).

After remembering the priority of our identity, we then intercede that God’s Kingdom and will is accomplished here  on the earth and a reminder that we have a role in that process.  We have been given authority even as Jesus was given authority over all things while walking in our flesh.  We simply must learn how to steward and apply that authority well.

Third, a reminder that He is the provider of all things that we need and of our daily dependence on Him.

Fourth, the critical need for us to be forgiven of our sins and to also forgive others; to maintain healthy relationships both vertically with God and horizontally with others.

Fifth, an awareness of our own weakness and temptation and the evil so prevalent in this world that is always trying to trip us up and keep us down and hold us back.

Finally, a reminder to us that God is the source of all power and all glory forever.

These are keys to a healthy and effective prayer life with God.  What is important and what we can miss in this prayer is that it isn’t so much the words that we pray, but that we live a lifestyle of unceasing prayer that is important.  We are to be in constant communication with God. 

In fact, to prove this point, God’s word teaches us that sometimes the most powerful and effective prayers that we could ever pray are entirely wordless…

Romans 8:25-27

26 …the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the