Study Desk

Jesus' Teaching on Prayer^(a)(b)

One day Jesus was praying^(c) in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, "Lord,^(d) teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples."

He said to them, "When you pray, say: "‘Father,^[a] hallowed be your name, your kingdom^(e) come.^[b]

Give us each day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.^[c](f) And lead us not into temptation.^[d]'"^(g)

Then Jesus said to them, "Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;

a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.'

And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.'

I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity^[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.^(h)

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you;⁽ⁱ⁾ seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

"Which of you fathers, if your son asks for^[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead?

Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!"

Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed.^(l)

But some of them said, "By Beelzebul,^(m) the prince of demons, he is driving out demons."⁽ⁿ⁾

Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven.^(o)

Jesus knew their thoughts^(p) and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.

If Satan^(q) is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul.

Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges.

But if I drive out demons by the finger of God,^(r) then the kingdom of God^(s) has come upon you.

"When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe.

But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder.

"Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.^(t)

"When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.'

When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order.

Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first."^(u)

As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, "Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you."^(v)

He replied, "Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God^(w) and obey it."^(x)