persistent praying

so... i take notes at church. laugh if you must, but it helps me focus.

i have piles of notes i have never done anything with. (i wonder if i could decipher them today and remember the message?) because sermons usually bring me such a great sense of peace, i decided this blog may be a good place to post my notes.

this morning's sermon was wonderful; i couldn't write fast enough. it was part of the "if you could ask God one question" series...

how long do i keep on praying when i don't see an answer?

Luke 18- The Story of the Persistent Widow
^1-3Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!'

^4-5"He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.'"

^6-8Then the Master said, "Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won't step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won't he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?"

in life you are always either praying or giving up. persistent prayer does four things:

keeps you focused- (Romans 8:7) prayer reminds us that God is the source of our needs. if our prayers were always answered the moment we asked, two things would happen. one, prayer would become a weapon. we would use it only to get what we wanted. two, God would become a vending machine. when you go to a vending machine, you are only seeking what is inside. we never think of, recognize, or thank the vending machine, the supplier. through persistent prayer, we see and recognize God as our supplier.

Matthew 6:6 when praying we need to remember who we are. so often, especially when praying in public, we intensify and elaborate our requests, we role-play and become someone we're not. when you asked your parents for money, you didn't walk into the room and say, "oh gracious father, i beseech you to impart some money to me." we say, "dad, can i have five bucks?" there is an established relationship there, and that same relationship should exist with your heavenly father.

clarifies my request- when we continue to pray we get to the point where we must decide and determine, "what am i really asking for." we get specific. prayer becomes an actual request, and not a whim...

Romans 8:26 there are times when we don't know how to pray or what to pray. the anger, sadness, confusion, or hurt becomes too great for words. that is when the Holy Spirit can step in and pray on our behalf. continue to pray and ask God to reveal how you should pray.

tests my faith- silver and gold are tested by flames of fire; we are tested by the Lord (Proverbs 17:3) God is never early or late. ask, be specific, and know god will be on time. immediacy doesn't always bring gratification. God is more interested in your character than your comfort... you will be tested.

James 1:3-4 waiting shows maturity. God will delay His response in order to build our muscles of faith.

there was a missionary who knew he was being called to africa, but only had enough money to get to london. after months of waiting, trying to save more, a friend finally suggested that maybe he was to go to london, and then see what God did. he got to london with no money to spare. as he stood around wondering what to do, the holy spirit told him to get in the line to buy a boat ticket. with no money, he nervously stood in line. as he waited and waited, the man ahead of him said he couldn't wait any longer trying to get a refund on his tickets, and he gave them to the missionary.

take the first step... the one you know God wants you to take... and God will reveal the next.

prepares my heart for the answer- Ephisians 3:20 we all think we know what we want and what we need. the truth is, God wants to answer it bigger and better. often our requests are too small. in God's timing, all things are well.

Prayer = Faith= Persistency