New Testament in a Year
Chapter 11
Prayer
The Lord’s Prayer.[a] 1 One day, Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say:
Father,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come.
3 Give us each day our daily bread.
4 And forgive us our sins,
for we ourselves forgive everyone who is in debt to us.
And do not lead us into temptation.”
The Parable of the Persistent Friend.[b] 5 He also said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says: ‘My friend, lend me three loaves of bread, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey, and I have nothing to offer him,’ 7 and the friend answers from inside: ‘Do not bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up now to give you anything.’ 8 I tell you: even though he will not get up and give it to him because of their friendship, he will get up and give him whatever he needs because of his persistence.
Ask, Seek, Knock. 9 “Therefore, I say to you: ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks will receive, and those who seek will find, and to those who knock the door will be opened.
11 The Parable of the Good Father.“Is there any father among you who would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish, 12 or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? 13 If you, then, despite your evil nature, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
For or against Jesus[c]
14 Jesus and Beelzebul.[d] Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute, and when the demon had gone out, the man who was mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, “He casts out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons.” 16 Others, to test him, demanded a sign from heaven.
17 However, he knew what they were thinking, and he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a house divided against itself will collapse. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand?
“For you say that I cast out demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now, if it is by Beelzebul that I cast out demons, by whom do your own children cast them out? Therefore, they will be your judges. 20 But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come to you.
21 “When a strong man is fully armed and guards his palace, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone who is stronger than he is attacks and overpowers him, he carries off all the weapons upon which the owner relied and distributes the plunder.
23 No Compromise.“Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters.
24 New Offensive from the Evil Spirit.“When an unclean spirit goes out of a person, it wanders through waterless regions seeking a place to rest, and if it finds none it says, ‘I will return to the home from which I departed.’ 25 However, when it returns, it finds that home swept and put in order. 26 Then it goes off and brings back seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they enter and settle there. As a result, the plight of that person is worse than before.”
27 True Blessedness.[e] While he was speaking, a woman in the crowd called out to him and said, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!” 28 Jesus replied, “Blessed, rather, are those who hear the word of God and obey it!”
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