Text : Luke 11:5-10
The man in the parable has two friends: one who has arrived to visit from a long journey and one who lives next door. The man has nothing to offer his visiting friend and so he goes to his neighbor. The neighbor responds, not because of their friendship, but because of the man’s importunity.
Importunity is only used here in the New Testament; it is a very striking word to describe persistence, and literally “shamelessness.” Thus, because of the man’s inability to offer his visiting friend anything, he shamelessly and persistently asks his neighbor. “As related to prayer, it is illustrated in the case of Abraham’s intercession for Sodom (Genesis 18:23-33); and of the Syro-Phoenician woman (Matthew 15:22-28)” writes Vincent.
Ravenhill speaks to the parable’s point of the empty-handed man having nothing to give his visitor by paralleling Peter’s words to the lame man at the gate called beautiful, “Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk” (Acts 3:6).
He continues: “If today we could rediscover the virtue in that Name, the victory in that Name, the violence in that Name, we could set this world alight for God. Most of us have enough grace to scrape through the day, but we have nothing over. We are conquerors but are not ‘more than conquerors.’ We can fight off the enemy but cannot take any prisoners. Ours is a defense action, not an attacking action” (Ravenhill, 1962, p. 39).
PRAYER FOCUS
Today you may have friends in need, but there is nothing you can personally give: friends who need salvation; friends who need deliverance; friends who need healing. But just as Peter did, you can give them the Name. The Name that is above every Name—the only Name that can bring salvation, deliverance, and healing! Pray over your friends in the Name of Jesus, having faith that the Father will answer, not because of your friendship, but because you ask shamelessly believing.
