Luke 11:1-28

One time Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his followers said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray as John taught his followers.” Jesus said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, may your name always be kept holy. May your kingdom come. Give us the food we need for each day. Forgive us for our sins, because we forgive everyone who has done wrong to us. And do not cause us to be tempted.’ ” Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you went to your friend’s house at midnight and said to him, ‘Friend, loan me three loaves of bread. A friend of mine has come into town to visit me, but I have nothing for him to eat.’ Your friend inside the house answers, ‘Don’t bother me! The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, if friendship is not enough to make him get up to give you the bread, your boldness will make him get up and give you whatever you need. So I tell you, ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who asks will receive. The one who searches will find. And everyone who knocks will have the door opened. If your children ask for a fish, which of you would give them a snake instead? Or, if your children ask for an egg, would you give them a scorpion? Even though you are bad, you know how to give good things to your children. How much more your heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” One time Jesus was sending out a demon who could not talk. When the demon came out, the man who had been unable to speak, then spoke. The people were amazed. But some of them said, “Jesus uses the power of Beelzebul, the ruler of demons, to force demons out of people.” Other people, wanting to test Jesus, asked him to give them a sign from heaven. But knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom that is divided against itself will be destroyed. And a family that is divided against itself will not continue. So if Satan is divided against himself, his kingdom will not continue. You say that I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons. But if I use the power of Beelzebul to force out demons, what power do your people use to force demons out? So they will be your judges. But if I use the power of God to force out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you. “When a strong person with many weapons guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger comes and defeats him, the stronger one will take away the weapons the first man trusted and will give away the possessions. “Anyone who is not with me is against me, and anyone who does not work with me is working against me. “When an evil spirit comes out of a person, it travels through dry places, looking for a place to rest. But when it finds no place, it says, ‘I will go back to the house I left.’ And when it comes back, it finds that house swept clean and made neat. Then the evil spirit goes out and brings seven other spirits more evil than it is, and they go in and live there. So the person has even more trouble than before.” As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out to Jesus, “Blessed is the mother who gave birth to you and nursed you.” But Jesus said, “No, blessed are those who hear the teaching of God and obey it.”