Hubby is my full-time carer, but recently he has been battling daily with arthritis in his hands, feet and back. Do we pray about it? Of course we do! We’ve been praying for ill-health in our lives for years, and we will continue to do so. However, we refuse to let those things stop us, because this life is not all there is — around 3 billion people haven’t heard about Jesus, even once.
Which brings me to today’s theme from Luke 18:1-8. V1:“Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up…” I’ll let you read the rest of these verses for yourself. Suffice to say, this lady was a real pest. She drove the resident judge crazy — yet Jesus chose this illustration as an example of how important it is to keep on persisting. It is His desire to bring justice for ALL. The fact that we are coming up against unfeeling, sometimes hardened people-who-don’t-know-Him-yet shouldn’t stop us. All of us need to put down the bat, and use our words, based on 1 Corinthians 13. Perseverance pushes through because it wants LOVE to win.
We are assured that we’ll be heard when we cry out to God — and we can have faith He will make a way. This lady didn’t just sit home and sulk, or badmouth the judge, she banged on his door until he answered, and he answered because she wouldn’t go away. Jesus called that faith. I’d probably call her a pest – but Jesus did not! I am not suggesting we bail up people physically, or harass them – but I am suggesting that we must engage with our problems. First of all, we speak to the Person who is ultimately in charge – God! Then we speak to the authorities or the people who can help us.
Many times in my life I have met real injustice. Each time I stood up and said ‘that’s wrong.’ Because I did so, rules were changed in favour of someone less fortunate than me. I’m not a lobbyist, or a politician – I’m a blogger, a mother, and a grandmother. I left school at 14… was married at 20. But because of the scriptures, when I met injustice, I knew God was with me, so I stuck with it. I prayed and kept banging on the door demanding for truth to prevail. Sometimes we need to prayerfully, politely, and firmly demand to be heard.
Second thought in Luke 11:5-13. Let’s look at verse 8. “I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.” Again we have the Lord using the same word – persistence. For the second time He is saying:“Pray like this!” He follows on from this parable about stretching friendship, into two verses that are often quoted …Luke 11:9-10. “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Persistence is invaluable with faith. We can’t afford to pray, give up and walk away. We need to put our feet into our prayers, like the pesky lady who went to the judge, and the friend with a visitor who went to his mate’s house at midnight. We don’t have to be violent to be heard. That’s why we pray first. We pray until we are filled with Holy love, then we engage our feet. Over the years we’ve allowed Christianity to become passive not active. So when you want to care for the poor find something to do. If you think a thing is unjust, speak up. Have a prayer meeting, get the Lord’s heart on it, and then go.
Let’s not just assume the Lord is on our side, instead, let’s remember that we are on HIS SIDE and find out what that is! When hubby and I go out to share the gospel and give away bibles etc., we meet all kinds of people, with all kinds of faith. We don’t talk at them – we demonstrate the love of God toward them. If we are not sure what that looks like then we listen and then act on James 3:17:“But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.”
We don’t give up, instead we go after wisdom. We all need to show other people God’s love on purpose. Make a plan to demonstrate His love in action. When you can, pray for people in person. Keep your life clean, make sure you actively forgive those who despitefully use you. And find a way to feed the poor, heal the sick, raise the dead. If our faith is inactive it can easily seem like our faith isn’t big enough for this kind of stuff. We have to persist. It’s great to pray and give, but going grows your faith.
Bang on the Lord’s door, Jesus our Friend, He’ll open the door because He loves us. He sticks closer than a brother. We are always going to need fresh bread from the bible, for everyone we are going to meet today. Chew on the Word, for a bit and then go and live out what it says.“But how are people to call upon Him Whom they have not believed [in Whom they have no faith, on Whom they have no reliance]? And how are they to believe in Him [adhere to, trust in, and rely upon Him] of Whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without a preacher?” Romans 10:14.
You and I are the Lord’s hands and feet, so wherever we are we need to: “preach the Gospel at all times and if necessary use words.” His Love will fill us as we physically reach out to others, because we are doing what Jesus loves to do. Bye 🙏.
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