Good morning Saints.
Luke 18:1-8 Ever get tired of praying for something...we all do. We ask ourselves, "is God even listening"?; "Will He ever answer"? The answer in today's reading is a resounding "YES". We have the promise of Luke 11:9, "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you." Then Jesus adds to the lesson on how to pray, "always pray and never give up" (Luke 18:1). Why? Because we have a merciful Father who desires to give His children justice, and He will do so quickly (18:8). But remember, His quickly is different then our quickly - His timing is perfect. A simple lesson is being taught - persistence in prayer. Keep praying until you get an answer. God will answer, even as the judge did in this parable. The persistence of the widow is what released the answer. Oh friends, let us not give up because we have not received. Let us keep pressing into our merciful Father, who is faithful and just, and whose timing is perfect. Persistent prayer keeps us in communion with the Father. Persistent prayer changes our heart to make sure our motives are right in asking. Persistent prayer creates in us a a dependence, and a desperation for deliverance and intervention from an all powerful God who knows exactly how and when to give us our request. The wording of verse 1 is best translated "at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart". Friends, we have to guard against discouragement. Persistence should not cause us to "lose heart" but to increase our faith. Whatever we sow we reap. As the seed that is planted is destined to produce a harvest, so our prayers, when sown, are destined to bring results. Wait for it! Remain faith filled in prayer and petition, and your request will come (see Matthew 21:21-22).
Luke 18:9-14 The next teaching on prayer immediately follows - pray with the right heart. We can approach God in pride, expecting an answer because we are so good and deserving. Or, we can approach God in humility, humbled that an almighty, powerful, majestic God would even want to entertain our request in the first place. Two promises come to the humble of heart: the sinner receives mercy and is justified (vs 13-14); and the humble one is exalted (lifted up, honored, dignified). Let us never become the religious proud. Rather, let us cultivate a continuous dependence on a loving, merciful Father who knows exactly what we need, and when to give it to us.
If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! (Matt. 7:11)
Be blessed!
Mike
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