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Parable of the midnight visitor

A parable about persistence in asking.
Contributed by Richard Gunther
Story also available on our translated websites: Spanish, Portuguese, German
1
One day, Jesus was teaching His disciples about prayer. He told them this story to encourage them not be afraid to ask God to supply what they needed. – Slide 1
2
‘Imagine a friend of yours arrives very late at night to stay for a while. You invite him in but you have no food to give him. What should you do? It is midnight and everyone is asleep. But you decide to go to one of the nearby houses. – Slide 2
3
Once outside your neighbour’s house you shout loudly, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit and I’ve nothing to give him to eat. Can I borrow three loaves of bread please? – Slide 3
4
Now you would expect the man inside the house to reply, ‘Please don’t ask me to get up. The door is locked for the night and we are all in bed. I just can’t help you this time.’ – Slide 4
5
‘But I’ll tell you this,’ Jesus explained, ‘though he won’t do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough … – Slide 5
6
‘… he will get up and give you everything you want, just because of your persistence.’ – Slide 6
7
‘And so it is with prayer. Keep on asking and you will keep on getting. Keep on looking and you will keep on finding. Knock and the door will be opened. – Slide 7
8
‘Everyone who asks, receives; all who seek, find; and the door is opened to everyone who knocks.’ – Slide 8
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Slide 9