5 And he said unto them, 'Who of you shall have a friend, and shall go on unto him at midnight, and may say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 seeing a friend of mine came out of the way unto me, and I have not what I shall set before him, 7 and he from within answering may say, Do not give me trouble, already the door hath been shut, and my children with me are in the bed, I am not able, having risen, to give to thee. 8 'I say to you, even if he will not give to him, having risen, because of his being his friend, yet because of his importunity, having risen, he will give him as many as he doth need; 9 and I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you; 10 for every one who is asking doth receive; and he who is seeking doth find; and to him who is knocking it shall be opened. 11 'And of which of you—the father—if the son shall ask a loaf, a stone will he present to him? and if a fish, will he instead of a fish, a serpent present to him? 12 and if he may ask an egg, will he present to him a scorpion? 13 If, then, ye, being evil, have known good gifts to be giving to your children, how much more shall the Father who is from heaven give the Holy Spirit to those asking Him!'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 11:5-13
Commentary on Luke 11:5-13
(Read Luke 11:5-13)
Christ encourages fervency and constancy in prayer. We must come for what we need, as a man does to his neighbour or friend, who is kind to him. We must come for bread; for that which is needful. If God does not answer our prayers speedily, yet he will in due time, if we continue to pray. Observe what to pray for; we must ask for the Holy Spirit, not only as necessary in order to our praying well, but as all spiritual blessings are included in that one. For by the influences of the Holy Spirit we are brought to know God and ourselves, to repent, believe in, and love Christ, and so are made comfortable in this world, and meet for happiness in the next. All these blessings our heavenly Father is more ready to bestow on every one that asks for them, than an indulgent parent is to give food to a hungry child. And this is the advantage of the prayer of faith, that it quiets and establishes the heart in God.