2020-01-24
Good Morning Dear Ones,
I’ve been commanded to write about persistence in prayer. This is to be done, as I continue to present supporting Scriptures for the book of Colossians and delve further into the vertical relationship between man and God, as well as the horizontal relationships between man and other humans. As a part of the teaching the Lord Jesus gives us about prayer, He tells the story found in LK 11: 5-10. Jesus sets up a hypothetical situation where one neighbor has surprise company and no food to serve. He goes to his next- door neighbor, asking for bread, and that neighbor refuses his offer, because he and his family have already gone to bed for the night. The first neighbor persists in asking for the loan of food, and his next-door neighbor finally gives in to his request. The lesson Christ teaches here is: vv. 9b-10, “Ask, and you will receive; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For those who ask will receive; those who seek will find; and the door will be opened to anyone who knocks.”
Now, we must see how this lesson applies to our lives. Our Lord is telling us that we must persist in prayer. Associated with this notion is that of having every prayer answered that is within the Lord’s will. How are we to know this? When one has studied the Scriptures carefully over time, he is shown what the Lord’s will is. That way, he knows before praying for something that the Lord is likely to answer with persistence in prayer, granting what is requested. Certainly, this knowledge of God’s will and persistence in prayer is not always given the answer, “yes.” We can’t know the fate of another person, nor should we usurp God’s right to decide it. I’ve gotten the news that my first cousin who suffers from lung cancer is sleeping about 15 hours a day. I persisted in the prayer that he would beat this horrific disease, but it appears that God is calling him home anyway. This is God’s right to do! There have been other times in my life when I persisted in prayer, and the answer was “maybe later.” Does this mean persisting in prayer is a waste of time? Certainly not! We may understand that God’s answers to prayer are always in our best eternal interests and at the time and way to maximize His messages to us. He really does want us to gain eternal life.
When she was alive, my own mother and I struggled to get along with each other. The behavior that caused this difficulty was that she had a habit of nagging, and I didn’t receive her nagging well. I realized that she didn’t have much self-confidence or self-esteem. The latter was at the bottom of this problem behavior. There were times when she would wear me down with her nagging, continuing to nag even when I was already giving her what she wanted. Our Lord, in LK 18: 1-8, tells His disciples the Parable of the Widow and the Judge. There was a judge, who never had reverence for God or respect for other people. The other involved in this story was a widow, who kept coming to the judge and pleading for her rights. The judge thought that, “if this widow persists with me, I’m likely to break down and give her what she wants. She is giving me so much trouble.” Christ thinks, “Won’t I find such faith on earth that when I come, I will judge in favor of My people?” The lesson here is that we should persist in prayer and never become discouraged.
JAS 4: 2-3 has yet another lesson from the Lord’s wisdom through His half-brother, James. The example above about my difficulty with my mother has to do with her motives. She worked with my father in his medical practice as his billing assistant. That left the housework and cooking to me, as the only other girl in the family. She didn’t want to spend the money to hire a housekeeper/cook. When I neglected to finish all assigned to me, while still getting top grades in high school, she nagged me about it. The lesson here goes to having questionable motives. Because I didn’t believe in God at the time, I didn’t ask Him for relief from this situation. We must learn to persist in praying for things in God’s will. God wants us to turn to Him and to rely on Him to do what is right for us. JER 29: 11-13, [God speaking], “I alone know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to bring disaster, plans to give you the future for which you hope. Then, you will call to Me. You will come and pray to Me, and I will answer. You will seek Me, and you will find Me, because you will seek Me with all your heart.” What a loving Lord we have!
PRAYER: O Lord, when we think of You, it is like the soft, sweet tones of the music of harps, bells, and well-trained human voices, beckoning us to Your throne room. We follow that music all the way with reverence and awe, bowing to You. We have learned the lessons in today’s devotion about having good motives, knowing your will through study of Your word, and having persistence in praying for such things. Your will is that we get to know Your teaching, fall deeply in love with Your Son, Jesus, and that we come ever closer to You and others through You. You have taught us what approach we should take with other people and how to befriend them. You have forged friendships in our lives that uplift and edify us. Some of them last for as long as we are on earth and maybe beyond. Your desire is that we gain eternal life with You, and that we live the life You have designed for us. No human can match the love You have for us. We seek You out with all our hearts and know that You are listening to our prayers, especially those which are persistent. As we pray today, we once again ask You to be with us always, always opening the greatness of Your wisdom to us. Give us the inner peace and true happiness that those with genuine faith in Jesus Christ have. We offer You praise and thanks, in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: The Holy Spirit commands me to write about what it means to pray in the name of Jesus Christ next week. My most persistent prayer offered to the Lord is that He should continue to find ways to make me His instrument in the ministry He has given me. I also offer Him thanks and praise for not only the people I serve but for the wonderful and many friendships He has given me. Recently, my husband and I had a conversation about people who are introverted to the extent that they won’t reach out to others. I have a close friend, who is a widow. It would have been easy for her to stay at home and refuse to get involved with other people after her husband died. She’s been alone for a long time, as her children are grown and no longer are living in her home. He husband died over 23 years ago. However, my friend chose to get involved at a church, helping with ministries like Vacation Bible School and Women of the Word. She had owned her own business and uses her leadership and administrative talents for the benefit of that congregation. She is also studying the Bible with me and goes out to concerts and other special events in our area. Moreover, she is very close with her family and sees them often, babysitting her young grandchildren and visiting with their parents. In the summer, my friend swims in our neighborhood pool, and she has friendships with our mutual neighbors. This is a lady with a very rich and full life. In this writer’s opinion, that sure beats refusing to reach out to others and the loneliness that brings! Our Lord must be pleased with my friend’s life choices! Praise and thanks be to him!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2019. All Rights Reserved.
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