God calls to come before him in prayer
Persistence Pays Off
Over the last week I was reading through the book of Luke. The Lord nudged me about the necessity of persistent prayer, especially as I read Luke 18:1-8. The parable of the widow who would not give up is a wonderful story. It is a reminder for us not lose heart in prayer.
“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?””
Luke 18:1-8 ESV
God’s Goodness & Mercy
I love this story of God’s goodness and mercy. A few things stand out to me as I look this passage over.
- We are prone to lose heart in prayer.
- Jesus’ encouragement is to be humble and to not give up.
- Keep coming before the Lord. He is working in us, and changing us as we come before him.
- God is a loving and just God. He hears our prayers, and he will answer.
- Jesus argues from the lesser to the greater. If an unjust judge will answer the widow’s plea, how much more will the loving and merciful God hear our cry as we come before him.
- Of course the answer may not always look like we’d like, but he does respond in a way that brings glory to himself and is ultimately good for us.
- Do you believe that God wants to give you good gifts? James 1:17 also confirms that he does.
This passage lifts me up. I realize that my prayers, our prayers are not in vain. God is at work even when it seems like it’s not so.
The Sunset at Imperial Beach
Thank You for Your Prayers
Thank you dear friend for joining us in prayer. These last two years have been among the toughest that our family has ever faced. We see God doing some amazing things, yet it’s not been easy. I believe your prayers sustain us as we continue on this journey. Do not lose heart, keep knocking on the door. Keep coming before our loving and just Lord!
In His Grip, Dave
Beyond Borders 