✝️🔎TOPIC: PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER
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✝️📖TEXT: Luke 11:1-13(NKJV)
1. Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, [that] one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
2. So He said to them, “When you pray, say: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as [it is] in heaven.
3. Give us day by day our daily bread.
4. And forgive us our sins, For we also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one.”
5. And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;
6. ‘for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
7. “and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?
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.
9. ” 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.
10. “For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
11. “If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if [he asks] for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?
12. “Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?
13. “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”
✝️📜STUDY:
Persistence is the quality that allows one to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people ( Merriam Webster Dictionary ). In this passage, we should keep in mind that Jesus was talking here directly to the Apostles. He was giving them instructions on the issues of prayers that would be applicable to their lives and ministries. Jesus was giving examples of what should be contained in our prayers (vv. 2-4). More importantly, using a parable, He taught the disciples that our heavenly Father is a willing listener if only we will be persistent in our requests to Him (v.8).
The lesson of persistence is what we need today in the place of prayer. One thing is to pray, another thing is our persistence in prayer. Even when you know that your request might seem difficult to be granted, but your continuous perseverance in prayer might bring down the hand of God to grant your request (vv. 6-8). Therefore, keep asking, seeking and knocking till your joy will be full.
✝️🙏PRAYER:
Heavenly Father, teach me never to relent in the place of Prayer, in the Name of Jesus Christ. Amen!