Jesus Teaches About Prayer: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 11:1-13

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it.

Copyright Notice: All lessons and printables on this website are protected by copyright. You are welcome to download and print them for free for personal use, small groups, or Bible classes. You may share a link to this page, but please do not sell these materials or copy this content to other websites.

Luke 11:1-13 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 11:1-13 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

When you need help, who do you usually ask first?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will learn how Jesus teaches people to pray. He also tells a story about asking for help and how God loves to give good things to his children.

Vocabulary Lists for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

bother: (verb) To make someone feel annoyed or worried.
continue: (verb) To keep doing something.
forgive: (verb) To stop being angry at someone for a wrong they did.
holy: (adjective) Being pure and set apart for God.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
loaves of bread: (phrase) Large pieces of bread that were baked in one piece and can be cut into slices.
receive: (verb) To get something that is given to you.
scorpion: (noun) A small animal with a tail that has a painful sting.
sin: (noun) Doing things that are against the rules of God.
tempt: (verb) To try to make someone do something wrong.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

already: (adverb) Before now or before a certain time.
bother: (verb) To make someone feel annoyed or worried.
continue: (verb) To keep doing something.
done wrong: (phrase) To have committed a sin against God or another person.
enough: (adjective) As much as you need.
forgive: (verb) To stop being angry at someone for a wrong they did.
friendship: (noun) The feeling of being friends with someone.
heavenly: (adjective) Coming from heaven.
holy: (adjective) Being pure and set apart for God.
Holy Spirit: (noun) One of the three persons of God who comes to live inside his people.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
knock: (verb) To hit a door with your hand so someone opens it.
loaves of bread: (phrase) Large pieces of bread that were baked in one piece and can be cut into slices.
prayer: (noun) The words we say when we talk to God.
receive: (verb) To get something that is given to you.
scorpion: (noun) A small animal with a tail that has a painful sting.
search: (verb) To look carefully for something.
sin: (noun) Doing things that are against the rules of God.
surely: (adverb) Without any doubt.
tempt: (verb) To try to make someone do something wrong.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

already: (adverb) Before now or before a certain time.
always: (adverb) Every time or at all times.
bed: (noun) A place to sleep.
bother: (verb) To make someone feel annoyed or worried.
bread: (noun) A common food made from flour and water.
continue: (verb) To keep doing something.
done wrong: (phrase) To have committed a sin against God or another person.
door: (noun) The part of a building that you open to go inside.
egg: (noun) A round object from a bird used for food.
enough: (adjective) As much as you need.
even: (adverb) Used to show that something is surprising.
Father: (noun) A name for God.
find: (verb) To see or get something you were looking for.
finish: (verb) To reach the end of a task.
fish: (noun) An animal that lives and breathes in water.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
forgive: (verb) To stop being angry at someone for a wrong they did.
friend: (noun) A person you know and like.
friendship: (noun) The feeling of being friends with someone.
get up: (phrase) To stand up after sitting or lying down.
go away: (phrase) To leave a person or a place.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
heavenly: (adjective) Coming from heaven.
holy: (adjective) Being pure and set apart for God.
Holy Spirit: (noun) One of the three persons of God who comes to live inside his people.
inside: (preposition) In the inner part of something like a house.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
John the Baptizer: (noun) A man sent by God to tell people that Jesus was coming.
just: (adverb) Only or simply.
kept: (verb) To have held onto something or to have continued to have it.
kingdom: (noun) A country or an area that is ruled by a king.
knock: (verb) To hit a door with your hand so someone opens it.
know: (verb) To have information about something in your mind.
late: (adjective) Happening after the usual time.
let: (verb) To allow something to happen.
loaves of bread: (phrase) Large pieces of bread that were baked in one piece and can be cut into slices.
lock: (verb) To close something with a key so it cannot be opened.
look: (verb) To search for something or someone.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
make: (verb) To cause a feeling or a change.
maybe: (adverb) Used to say that something is possible.
mine: (pronoun) Belonging to me.
need: (verb) To require something because it is important.
of course: (phrase) A phrase used to say that something is obviously true.
open: (verb) To move something so that people can go through.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
prayer: (noun) The words we say when we talk to God.
receive: (verb) To get something that is given to you.
scorpion: (noun) A small animal with a tail that has a painful sting.
search: (verb) To look carefully for something.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
sin: (noun) Doing things that are against the rules of God.
snake: (noun) A long animal with no legs that crawls on the ground.
suppose: (verb) To think that something is true.
surely: (adverb) Without any doubt.
taught: (verb) To have helped someone learn something.
tell: (verb) To give information to someone by speaking.
tempt: (verb) To try to make someone do something wrong.
town: (noun) A place where many people live that is smaller than a city.
visit: (verb) To go to see a person or a place.
went: (verb) To have moved to another place.
whoever: (pronoun) Any person who does something.

Summary of the Passage

This passage teaches about prayer. Jesus was praying, and one of his followers asked him to teach them how to pray. Jesus gave them simple words to use when talking to God. He taught them to call God their Father. He also told them to pray that God’s kingdom would come. This means asking for God to rule the world with love and peace. He said to ask for daily food, to forgive others, and for help to stay away from sin and bad things.

Then Jesus told a story about a man who needed help late at night. The man went to a friend’s house to ask for food. At first, the friend did not want to get up. But the man did not stop asking! Because the man continued to ask, the friend finally got up to help him. Jesus told this story to show that we should keep praying and not give up.

Jesus told them to ask, seek, and knock. He said that people who ask will receive. Those who look will find. Those who knock will have the door opened for them. Jesus said that human fathers give good gifts to their children. If a son asks for a fish, a father would not give him a snake. If a son asks for an egg, a father would not give him a scorpion. Jesus said that God is the best Father. He loves to give good things to those who ask him, especially the Holy Spirit.

This passage teaches us that God is a good Father who listens to prayer. It reminds us to pray often, trust God, and ask for what we need.

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

Jesus Teaches About Prayer
1 One time Jesus was out praying, and when he finished, one of his followers said to him,
“John taught his followers how to pray.
Lord, teach us how to pray too.”
2 Jesus said to the followers,
“This is how you should pray:
‘Father, we pray that your name will always be kept holy.
We pray that your kingdom will come.
3 Give us the food we need for each day.
4 Forgive our sins, just as we forgive everyone who has done wrong to us.
And don’t let us be tempted.’”
Ask God for What You Need
5-6 Then Jesus said to them,
“Suppose one of you went to your friend’s house very late at night and said to him,
‘A friend of mine has come into town to visit me.
But I have nothing for him to eat.
Please give me three loaves of bread.’
7 Your friend inside the house answers,
‘Go away!
Don’t bother me!
The door is already locked.
My children and I are in bed.
I cannot get up and give you the bread now.’
8 I tell you, maybe friendship is not enough to make him get up to give you the bread.
But he will surely get up to give you what you need if you continue to ask.
9 So I tell you, continue to ask, and God will give to you.
Continue to search, and you will find.
Continue to knock, and the door will open for you.
10 Yes, whoever continues to ask will receive.
Whoever continues to look will find.
And whoever continues to knock will have the door opened for them.
11 Do any of you have a son?
What would you do if your son asked you for a fish?
Would any father give him a snake?
12 Or, if he asked for an egg, would you give him a scorpion?
Of course not!
13 Even you who are bad know how to give good things to your children.
So surely your heavenly Father knows how to give the Holy Spirit to the people who ask him.”
Luke 11:1-13 (ERV)