For further study on persistence in prayer read the article at http://www.jenniferrash.com/?tag=persistent-prayer

Persistence in prayer

Parables About Prayer

Luke 18:1 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart

My word for this year is persistence.  I am sure I will be learning a lot of lessons this year about what this means to me as a Christian. Persistence in our prayers moves God to act.  “When we work, we work.  But when we pray, God works Michael Catt The Power of Persistence

The first story I thought of is in Luke 18:1-10.  It is the story of the unjust judge and the persistent widow.  Getting a good handle on that parable was hard for me in the first place. But, in my life there are many times when I have quit, given up and let it go.  The Lord knows I need to learn to be constant and finish the things He asks me to do. This year will be a test!

Do you ever feel your prayers never reach higher than the ceiling?

Do you find you get weary in well doing?

Are you ready to quit, give up on people?

I confess I do!
I struggle with keeping on.

My mother work at the local sewing factory for many years.  She had a piece of cardboard cut out with the words “Lord, keep me keeping on!”
All those days of staring at her machine with chaos surrounding her, she knew the only way she could make it was if the Lord was with her, helping her “keeping on.”

Persistent- the determination to forge ahead in the most difficult circumstances.

For what are you praying? Is your prayer selfish? Mine have a tendency to be about me, my family and my friends.  Learning the true nature of prayer will be an adventure.  There is so much we don’t know about how to pray.  How can we be persistent in our prayer?
Luke 18:6

6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

God will avenge the evil in the world; especially he will bring justice for his elect (Luke 18:6-8)
Regardless of our situations, God will answer our prayer.  He will avenge the evil in the world, especially for His children.

We stand firm on that promise!

Bible verse for answered prayer
1 Peter 3:12 – “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” 3. 1 John 5:15 – “And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”
https://www.openbible.info/topics/god_answering_prayers
What then should we be continually praying?  Persistently praying!  We are to never give in or get weary in praying!

1. Pray: Matthew 6:10  “Your kingdom come, Your will be done!”
2. Pray for lost to be drawn to salvation.
3. Pray for evil to be restrained.
4. 2 Thessalonians 3: “Pray for us,(Christians as we minister) that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable and wicked men; for not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.”

There will be other lessons to follow this year about persistence I am sure.

Today’s Prayer

For today though, May we each encourage one another with the knowledge that Jesus return could be any day.   With the possibility that His return is soon, there is much work to be done.  Prayers of the saints move God to act on their behalf. We all have friends, neighbors, acquaintance, love ones we know need to have a personal relationship with Jesus.  Prayer is the work of all Christians.  You may not feel you have any gifts or talents to use for the kingdom but there is NO child of God that cannot talk to the Father and pray for others and His will to be done on earth as it is in heaven.

 

https://youtu.be/ERptPA3ZChc

When God’s People Pray  Wayne Watson

Treading in His love,

Freda Reynolds January 14,2019