Luke 11:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

However, those who receive this invaluable and redemptive teaching may sometimes pray according to the provided example, yet do so with a sense of fatigue or laziness. If they do not receive a response after their first or second prayer, they may abandon their supplication, deeming it pointless. To prevent us from falling into this state of mind and suffering such spiritual weakness, He teaches us the importance of steadfastness in prayer. Through the parable, He illustrates that weariness in prayer leads to our own detriment, while perseverance brings us great benefit: it is imperative that we remain committed without succumbing to apathy. This is conveyed when He states that ‘though he will not get up and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his perseverance, he will get up and give him as much as he needs.’ Therefore, let us bring into our lives the truth revealed in this parable. Be diligent in your prayers; approach God, who delights in extending His kindness, with persistence. If the gift of grace appears to be delayed, do not yield to weariness; do not lose hope in the blessings to come; do not abandon the expectation that lies ahead; and do not let negative thoughts take hold, believing ‘I have drawn near many times without receiving anything; I have cried out and been unanswered; I have asked yet have not been granted; for of all I have sought, none has been fulfilled.’ Rather, remember that the Giver, who is the source of all good, understands our needs far better than we do ourselves, assessing what is truly appropriate and beneficial for each individual. At times, you may request what exceeds your current capacity; you seek to receive that for which you may not yet be prepared. The Giver knows the right timing for bestowing His gifts. Just as earthly fathers do not immediately fulfill every request of their children, often delaying their responses not out of unkindness but with the intention of instilling good behavior, so too does our lavish and benevolent Giver withhold answers. He does so only when He knows that granting what is requested will not ultimately serve our best interests. Thus, we must present our prayers to God with understanding and diligence; even if there are delays in our petitions, let us patiently labor alongside those who work in His vineyard, for it is often true that what is obtained effortlessly is typically undervalued, while that which is achieved through diligent effort is a more cherished and enduring treasure.

He pleaded, expressing, "Every night I drench my bed with tears" (Psalm 6:6); he had no fear of waking Him who, as he was aware, is always awake and active.

Let us, keeping in mind what is written, remain steadfast in prayer day and night. We should seek forgiveness for our sins. If David, who was esteemed by God and devoted to his kingdom's needs, praised the Lord seven times each day, attending to both morning and evening sacrifices (see Psalm 119:164; Psalm 54:17; Psalm 140:2), how much more should we do? The more we stumble through the frailty of the flesh and spirit, the more we need to offer supplications and prayers, so that those who are weary on their journey through this present age may partake of the heavenly bread that rejuvenates the human heart.

The Lord instructs us to remain vigilant not just at midnight but at all times. He approaches in the evening, and also at the second and third watches, and knocks at the door; thus, blessed are those servants whom the master finds alert upon His return (Luke 12:37). If you seek the Divine Power to equip and serve you, you must stay ever watchful. There are many snares, and the heavy weight of sleep threatens us; if the soul succumbs, it risks losing its vital strength. Rouse yourself from slumber and knock on the door of Christ, which Paul urges to be opened. He not only prays for himself but also asks for the prayers of the faithful, that the door may be opened for him to share the mysteries of Christ (see Colossians 4:3). This could be the door John witnessed, as he recounts: "After this I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said, 'Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this'" (Revelation 4:1). The door was opened to John and to Paul, enabling him to gather sustenance for us to partake of (see 2 Corinthians 12:2). Paul persistently knocked at the door in and out of season (2 Timothy 4:2), striving that the Gentiles, exhausted from their labors in this world, might be revitalized by the richness of heavenly food.

This passage in the Gospel encourages frequent prayer, praying with the expectation to receive that which is requested, illustrating a way of persuasion; it teaches first through command, then through example. He who makes a promise must instill hope in the promise itself, leading to obedience to the commandments and faith in that which is assured. Recognizing human benevolence, faith earnestly hopes for eternal goodness, provided the petitions in prayer are righteous; otherwise, the prayer may become sinful (see Psalm 108:7). The Apostle was unashamed to invite repeated requests, so it would not seem that he lacked confidence in the Lord’s mercy. He did not become despondent if his initial request was not granted. Thus, the Apostle said, "I pleaded with the Lord three times" (2 Corinthians 12:8), indicating that the Lord sometimes does not grant our requests, believing that what we view as beneficial may actually be unfruitful.

Thus, I shall refrain from spiritualizing these words as unnecessary, considering them merely indicative of a well-founded refusal. A father who is resting with his children justifiably declines to rise at an inconvenient hour, to avoid waking them. It appears to me that the essence of the proposed parable conveys nothing more than the urgent need to make the request and the thorough denial of the desire not to do so, demonstrating that the supplicant was acknowledged due to his perseverance, thereby making the Saviour’s exhortation persuasive.

The ‘Lord's Prayer’ (2-4) and the teaching on persevering in prayer (5-13) were conveyed by Matthew in a compilation of teachings from the Sermon on the Mount (6:9-13; 7:7-11). It seems unlikely that, aside from the instance noted by Luke, Christ had not previously instructed His disciples on this model of authentic Christian prayer during the Sermon on the Mount. It is hard to believe that the disciples would have forgotten such essential teachings and would now be asking their Master to guide them in how to pray. Moreover, there is no indication in the manner of their request that they were unaware of Christ's prior teachings in this area, nor did Christ respond without reminding them of His earlier instruction. Therefore, it is likely that Matthew presents the ‘Lord's Prayer’ in the context of the Sermon on the Mount through a cohesive thought process.

Therefore, I say to you, ‘Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.’ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened.” This illustrates the potency of a believer’s prayer when imbued with the grace and spirit of Jesus Christ. God approaches us, becoming like a faithful friend, to whom we can fervently appeal in order to see our prayers realized. The more He appears to turn a deaf ear to our requests, the more audaciously we should implore Him until He responds. In such moments, a Christian must hold firm in the belief that their prayers will indeed be answered, underpinned by God’s paternal goodness. However, we should not exceed the boundaries of our petitions as outlined by Jesus in His prayer. If someone, in a state of forgetfulness about themselves, requests what is not genuinely beneficial or even what is harmful, God will certainly not respond to that request. He listens only to those prayers that are truly aimed at our highest good—those which not only sustain our current life but ultimately guide us toward eternal life.

"At midnight" refers to a moment when the house is secure, and its inhabitants are in slumber, making an unexpected visit awkward. The phrase "according to his unresisting, rising up will give him" encapsulates the essence of the urgent plea. The element of persistence leads to the fulfillment of the request, demonstrating that prayer should be characterized by constant and relentless devotion.