Jesus Said: Bug God About It

A Prayer Lesson Straight from the Mouth of Jesus — Loud, Persistent, and Full of Faith

There once was a time when Jesus was sitting with His disciples, teaching them about prayer. He wanted them to understand how powerful prayer really is, and how God listens every time we talk to Him. So Jesus told them a story. It wasn’t just any story. It was one with a surprising twist — about someone showing up in the middle of the night, knocking on a friend’s door, and not taking no for an answer.

Jesus said, imagine you go to your friend’s house at midnight. That’s really, really late. Everyone is asleep. It’s dark outside. But you knock on the door anyway because a friend came to visit you and you don’t have any food to give them. So you ask for three loaves of bread. But your friend calls from his bed and says, “Don’t bother me! The door is locked, and we’re all sleeping!”

Now, normally, that would be the end of the story. But Jesus says, if you keep knocking and asking, your friend will eventually get up and give you what you asked for — not just because you're friends, but because you didn’t stop asking. That kind of asking, Jesus said, actually works.

And here’s where it gets amazing. Jesus wasn’t just telling a nice bedtime story. He was giving a command. That means He really wants us to do what He says. When Jesus said, “Ask, and you will receive. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened,” He didn’t say it like a maybe. He said it like a promise. And not just a promise—but an instruction. Jesus is the Son of God. When He tells us how to pray, we should listen like it’s the most important thing ever.

He didn’t say, “Try praying if you feel like it.” He said to keep praying. Keep knocking. Keep asking. That’s not just a tip. That’s a command from the King of Heaven.

Jesus wants us to pray with a heart that doesn’t give up. He wants us to believe that God hears us, even when it feels like He’s quiet. Just like the man in the story, we’re supposed to keep going — not because we’re annoying God, but because He actually likes when we trust Him enough to keep coming back.

God is not like a tired friend who doesn’t want to be bothered. He’s a loving Father who wants to give us good things. Jesus explained it like this: if your dad knows how to give you good gifts, don’t you think God — who is way better than any earthly dad — will give you even greater gifts? Especially the greatest gift of all, the Holy Spirit?

Think about it: if you ask your dad for a piece of fish, would he give you a snake? No way. Or if you ask for an egg, would he give you something scary like a scorpion? Never! And your dad isn’t perfect. But God is. And if even your earthly dad knows how to love you, just imagine how much your perfect heavenly Father wants to bless you.

Jesus wasn’t trying to make prayer sound hard. He was showing how simple and strong it can be. He was saying, “Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Don’t walk away.” He was showing us how to pray like we believe God is really listening — because He is.

When you pray, talk to God like a child talks to a loving dad. Be real. Be honest. If you’re sad, tell Him. If you’re scared, whisper it. If you need something, ask for it out loud. And don’t think you have to be perfect when you pray. God already knows your heart. He wants you to come to Him with trust, even if your words feel small.

Prayer isn’t about saying fancy things. It’s not about getting everything right. It’s about being close to God. Jesus showed us that. And when He told this story, He made it clear that we’re supposed to pray without quitting, because the one who made the stars actually leans in to listen.

So keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Keep praying like you believe He’s going to answer. Because Jesus said so. And when Jesus says something, you can trust it with your whole heart.

“5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: 'Suppose you went to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.'

9 'And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.'

11 'You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.'”