Jump Start # 3453

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,”

  We continue our thoughts about prayer. In Luke 18, Jesus tells two parables about prayer. The first parable, which is commonly called the persistent widow, is about staying with prayer and not giving up. The second story, about the two men in the temple praying, shows the importance of humbleness and heart in our prayers.

Our verse today sets forth the principle that Jesus wants us to carry through in our lives, “at all times they ought to pray.” All times. In good times and in hard times. When it is easy and when it is not. When there is so much to pray about and when the list seems rather short. Even when we look forward to praying and when we don’t feel like praying. Pray when there is health in your body and pray when that health is failing. Pray when you have money in your pocket and pray when you are not sure how you are going to pay the bills. Pray when the kids are doing well and pray when the kids are not doing well. Pray for self. Pray for others.

That “all times,” simply means, all times. In Thessalonians we find, “in everything give thanks.” That’s equally as hard to do as “in all times.” It’s easy to give thanks for blessings. It’s hard to give thanks for trials.

There are some lessons that we ought to learn from praying at all times.

First, as the passage bears out, when we aren’t praying, we lose heart. That expression “lose heart,” means to be discouraged. The problems overwhelm us. We run out of options and open doors. Things look bad and we begin to feel bad. “Have you prayed about it, “ is a great reminder when we worry, doubt and become discouraged. Have we? We have thought about the problem. We have fretted over the problem. We have likely told others about the problem. But have we taken it to the Lord in prayer?

The more we cast it to Heaven, the less we carry ourselves. Problems become lighter when God is carrying them. Losing heart is just a step before giving up. And, people do that. They quit jobs. They quit marriages. They quit church. They quit life. And, the running thread connecting all of those is discouragement. It may be expectations and realty didn’t match. It could be that people let us down by promising things that they did not deliver on. But, losing heart and the failure to pray much too often are felt at the same time.

Second, when one prays, one no longer feels alone nor do they feel that they have to find all the answers. God is there. God helps. God knows. But, when one loses heart, he feels all alone and abandoned. No one understands. No one cares. No one comes. That’s the three verse song of discouragement.

Third, the “at all times” expression reminds us to be thankful when God has helped us. We have prayed. A problem was worked through. The sun shines again in our lives. If not careful, we go on and we fail to thank God. God was there. God helped. We remained close to God. Turning to God in troubles is natural for the disciple of Christ. But, turning to God with that thankful heart because the troubles are over, is harder to do.

At all times, be praying. Be praying at home. Be praying as you travel. Be praying at school. Be praying as you eat. Be praying at work. Be praying in worship. And before long, that “at all times,” takes care of explaining the expression, “Pray without ceasing.” Now, we get it. Now, we understand. We are talking to God often throughout the day. Simple prayers. Deep prayers. Short prayers. Long prayers.

At all times, pray.

Roger

Jump Start # 3102

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.”

  As I write this, I know a young Christian who is awaiting test results that may show he has cancer. I know a mother whose child has died. I know a couple who are heading for a divorce. I know a preacher that is discouraged and would like to quit. I know a family who has a loved one in the hospital and he likely will die there. I know several congregations that are floundering right now. There are numerous congregations that are currently looking for a preacher. Times are tough. Prices are high. Supplies are limited. And, it seems our light is flickering and at times about to go out.

Words escape us. It’s hard to know how to encourage. What do we say in these situations? Sometimes we do nothing and we know that is not right. Sometimes people suffer alone because the church isn’t there. What do we say when the news is bad? What do we do when things are dark?

  Here are a few thoughts:

  First, pray. That’s the direction of our passage. To lose heart, is to become discouraged. Some are already there. You can help by praying for them and with them. Prayer isn’t doing nothing, it’s inviting the greatest help that we know. There is no power like God’s. Pray can drive away the fog of uncertainty and fear. Pray can help our faith grow. “Can I pray for you,” is a great thing to say. Or, better yet, “Tonight, I’m saying your name to Heaven.” That does several things. First, you are bringing God into the situation. Second, it shows that you care enough to say that person’s name to God. Third, you encourage by letting them know you have done that.

  Second, stop with all the questions. Our curiosity gets the best of us. We want to know details, details, details. But so much of that is none of our business and it doesn’t help the situation. Some folks fear coming to services after a tragedy because they know they will be bombarded with so many personal questions. Often there is nothing that we can do with the information other than tell someone else. Being nosey can lead to gossip, which will hurt the family rather than help them.

  And, believe me, we can be nosey. I’ve heard it. I’ve stood beside a casket with a widow next to me and have heard people say, “Wow, how much is this funeral going to set you back?” Really? “Did he have any final words?” If he did, is it any of your business? “Will you stay in your house?” “Do you think you’ll get married again?” “Did he have any life insurance?” Unless you have cash in your hand that you intend to give the person, don’t ask those questions. It is better to say nothing that to say something dumb and something that will hurt. And, much too often, we feel obligated to answer all of those personal questions. I prep families for such things and tell them to pat their hand and say, “Thank you for coming.”

  Third, your presence makes a difference. Be there. Go. Bring food. Prepare to sit in silence. Prepare to make yourself useful. Have you noticed how many times Jesus went. People needed Him and he went. He never said, “See Me in My office tomorrow morning.” Now did people come with names and addresses of sick people and Jesus healed them from a desk chair in a corporate office? He was among the people. He allowed them to question Him, touch Him, and invite Him.

  Nothing beats face to face. It’s always the best. Texts are nice. Emails are important. But face to face, nothing beats that. Nothing. It takes more time to be face to face. It’s often inconvenient on our time and schedule to do face to face, but it’s always worth it.

Encouragement—that means to build up. It means to make better. It means to strengthen. One shouldn’t see us coming and then turn the lights out and hope we go away. Encouragement is pouring your heart into a heart that has been bruised and is empty. Encouragement is to remind someone that they do not journey through this tragedy alone. Encouragement is to make someone better. Encouragement is not about us but always about the other person.

  I expect the reason why most drop out of fellowship is not because of what is taught and definitely not because the way Jesus treated them, but sadly, the way we have treated them. Ignored. Left on their own. Shooting our own wounded has been the custom of far too many places. God calls upon us to be encouragers. That happens through connections. This is driven by love.

  Troublesome times are upon us in many ways. It’s time for some real encouragement.

  Roger

Jump Start # 1890

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.”

I’ve been thinking about prayer lately. I have a lesson that I am to preach about prayer coming up soon in Texas. So, thoughts about prayer have been swirling around in my head. Pray at all times is what this passage says. One of the apostles wrote, “Pray without ceasing.”

At it’s core, prayer is talking to God. It’s a one way conversation with God. God speaks today through His word. Understanding prayer means to understand who you are talking to. That will invite reverence, honor, praise and thanksgiving into this conversation with God. He is God. He’s not my buddy. He’s not the same as I am. I may tease and joke with a friend, I need to remember who it is that I am praying to.

Prayer is something that all of us can do. Not everyone can lead singing. Not everyone understands music or can carry a tune. But we all can pray. Not everyone can stand before an audience and preach. But everyone can pray. Children can pray as well as senior citizens. The handicapped can pray as well as those who are not handicapped. The blind, the deaf, the invalid, they all can pray. We all can pray.

Prayer is something that you can do anywhere. You can’t always open up a Bible and read. Some places that won’t work. Don’t try that while driving. You can’t read your Bible during an MRI test. I’ve been to some prisons where visitors were not allowed to bring in Bibles. Prayer still got in. You can pray in a crowd or by yourself. You can pray and no one knows that you are praying.

Prayer doesn’t have to be long. At the end of Nehemiah, the prayer is, “Remember me, O my God, for good.” The prayer that Jesus taught the disciples is short. Some call it the ‘Lord’s prayer.’ More accurately, it would be ‘The Model Prayer.’ Prayer doesn’t have to use big words. Some prayers may be nothing more than, “Help me.” Or, it might be, “Forgive me.” Or, even, “Thank You.”

Prayer always fits. There are some occasions that it’s best not to speak, but you can pray. Sometimes when you don’t know what to do for someone, the best thing is to say, “Can I pray for you?” If you are scared, it’s great to pray. If you are worried, pray. If you are unsure what to do, pray. If things are going well, pray. If things are not going well, pray. Pray when alone. Pray in a crowd. Pray before you eat. Pray before you sleep. The more we pray the less we would open the door to temptation. We pray publicly in church and privately at home. We can pray at work. We can pray at school. The administration may not allow public prayers in school, but you can still pray. There is an old saying, “As long as there are tests in school, there will always be prayers.”

Prayer invites Heaven into your world and your life. Prayer opens up the best help possible. When all hope seems lost, God can do things. Prayer makes you realize that you are never alone. The One that loves you the most and wants the best for you, can help you.

Prayer should not be viewed as rubbing the magic lantern and waiting for a genie to pop out to grant our every wish. Prayer is talking to the Almighty God. It is not so much getting what I want, but doing what He wills. Prayer helps us to keep ourselves in line with God and on the right perspective about things. We tend to lean to the selfish side of things. We get our feelings hurt. We feel left out. We get thinking too much about ourselves. Prayer reminds us of God. It reminds us of that He has a plan for us and it is His glory that we must be after.

The more one prays and the more one reads the Bible, the closer they become to God and the greater their faith grows. Some only pray when there are problems. How would you like to hear from your grown kids only when they need something or there is a problem that they want you to fix. That would get old after a while. We’d feel like they are using us. How do you think God feels? Do you do the same to Him? Like that old spare tire in your trunk, you only use it when you have a flat. Other wise, you never think about it. Prayer shouldn’t be like that. It should be a regular part of our lives. How long do you think a husband and wife can go without talking to each other before things start feeling strained? How about you and God?

It is interesting to look at Paul’s prison prayers. These are found in Ephesians, Colossians and Thessalonians. His prayers are not for his freedom. His prayers are spiritually based. He wanted the brethren to know the Lord. He wanted them to grow in faith. His prayers excelled in spiritual depth.

I have found among Christians that most of us do not like how we pray. We admit that we don’t pray enough. We know that we don’t pray very long. Some will say that they tend to say the same things over and over. To put it frankly, most of us believe our prayer life stinks! We know that we can and ought to do better. And then the beloved preacher gives a whole lesson on prayer! The guilt mounts.

Take that little line from our verse today, “at all times they ought to pray.” This was said to keep the disciples from being discouraged. Instead of being blue, pray. Instead of being down, pray. At all times. Pray now. Pray as you read. Pray before you speak. Thank the Lord for today, it is a gift. Ask the Lord to help you be a light for Him today. Pray for safety as you drive. Pray for courage as you encounter tough meetings today. Pray for those that you know are struggling. Look around the office or the plant. Pray for those who are not Christians. Pray for your family today. Pray that your heart will be more thankful today.

Pray has a way of pulling us out of the ditch of life. It lifts our spirits and it helps us spiritually. Pray often. Pray without ceasing. Pray at all times.

That old hymn, ‘Did you think to pray,’ sums up where we so often are. No, I forgot. No, I didn’t. Think to pray. Think about God. Think.

Now, one more thing remains. PRAY. Say a prayer to the Lord.

I hope this helps!

Roger

Jump Start # 1842

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.”

Just pray about it, that seems to be the thought of Jesus. Pray rather than lose heart. Pray instead of getting discouraged. Prayer is better than worry.

There are three thoughts here:

First, the losing heart. It is an expression for discouragement. When our heart is not in something, we don’t feel like doing it. We go through the motions because we have to.

• It’s hard to get up and go to work when our heart is not in it. When we dread work, work becomes work. It’s hard. It’s hard when we don’t like the people we work with, or we hate what we do, or, we are just bored with what we do. The week is long when we have lost our hearts about our jobs.

• When a person’s heart is no longer in their marriage, they will exist but not thrive as God wants. The bills will be paid, and the house will be cleaned, but the emotion, love and desire to be home is missing. It won’t take much of this for one or both to start thinking about leaving.

• Getting down to the church house is hard when our hearts are not there. When we must force ourselves to assemble. We can manage to mumble a few words, but there is a huge disconnect between our world and what is going on spiritually. We tend to see faults more when our hearts are not in it. We complain more than we thank. We feel burdened more than blessed when our hearts are not in it.

Losing heart—discouraged– not wanting to do things. It’s easy to get that way. The world tends to beat up those who are trying to follow God. We become weary. There is also the strain of doing so much. Demands at home. Demands at work. Demands at church. Stretched so thin, we just lose heart.

Have you noticed the eyes of someone who is discouraged? Their spirit seems to drag them down. They look and seem sad. They are tired. The world seems to be heavier than they can handle. There is a clinical depression in which a person may need medication to help him. But here, Jesus tells the multitudes to turn to prayer and not lose heart. Not losing heart seems to be a choice. It seems to be something that they were able to do something about. It wasn’t beyond them. They didn’t need extra help other than God through prayer.

God doesn’t want us to be discouraged. Satan does. Satan knows that discouraged people quit. They quit their jobs. They quit the team. They quit the marriage. They quit God. Eventually, they quit life. Satan will throw all kinds of bad news, fears and worries our way. He wants us to focus on those things. He wants us to be so overwhelmed that we lose heart. Give up, is what Satan screams. There is no hope, is his message. But here stands Jesus saying, “Do not lose heart.”

Second, Jesus tells the crowd to prayer. The counter to losing heart is prayer. Our problems are big. They are bigger than we are. They are enough to cause us to lose heart. However, God is bigger than the problems. God is bigger than we are. We may not see a solution, but God can. We may feel that our boat is sinking, but God can help. God can send help.

Don’t be overwhelmed by the day, Pray! What does a person pray about? Pray for strength to keep going. Pray about what is making you lose heart. Pray for better solutions. Pray for help. Pray that you will keep walking with God and that through this you will glorify God.

The value of prayer is that you are inviting God into your world. You are calling upon Him to help you. The spies of Israel were helped by Rahab. Paul was helped by brethren who allowed him to escape in a basket over the city wall. Titus was a form of help to a discouraged apostle. The Thessalonians who were upset and saddened by the loss of loved ones were comforted by God’s word. All of these are times and ways God has helped His people.

Prayer admits that we need help. Prayer invites greater insight, greater power, and greater hope than we can ever have among ourselves. Don’t give up, pray. Don’t get discouraged, pray.

Thirdly, the Lord says, “at all times pray.” Prayer always fits. Pray before the meeting at work. If others won’t pray with you, then you say a prayer silently. Pray before you eat. Pray before you make a decision. Pray before you travel. Pray after things, to thank the Lord. Pray before and after the surgery. Pray before and after the wedding. Pray often. Pray everywhere. Pray at all times.

Pray has a way of reminding us who we are and what we are supposed to do. We tend to forget. Pray has a way of getting our order back in order. Priorities get scrambled up and sometimes the important things are left off the list. Prayer helps with that. Prayer helps us to be spiritual. Being spiritual keeps our eyes on things above. Being spiritual helps us make the right choices. Being spiritual reminds us of our walk with the Lord.

At all times pray.

Not just good advice, essential for one who is walking with the Lord. Without prayer, you’ll likely lose heart. But with prayer, you’ll keep marching on to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion.

Roger

Jump Start # 1595

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.”

  What a great statement that is found in our verse today. Pray at all times and do not lose heart. The expression, “lose heart,” is found throughout the Bible. It means to throw in the towel. It means to be overcome with discouragement. It is the feeling one has when the problems in life seem to be winning. It’s when we feel overwhelmed and when we doubt if we can continue on.

There are many folks who feel this way. Work has a way of making us lose heart. It seems that people are working longer and harder than ever before. The execs at many places want you to believe that “work is your life.” What a sad commentary on life, if that were the case. Long hours, stressful conditions, co-workers who do not want to work, the public who is demanding, and you are a long way from retirement. That is enough to lose heart.

For others, it’s the marriage that is making them lose heart. It seems that you and your mate are moving different directions. It seems that less time is being spent together. The problems of work have filtered into the marriage and now there are problems at home. She wants a bigger house. He wants more time with his buddies. There are more arguments than there used to be. For the first time, doubts have arisen about the future of this marriage. You are losing heart.

For others, it’s aging parents. It’s time to think about assisted living. It’s time to have the dreaded conversation about driving. No one is happy about the current situation and there doesn’t seem to be a good solution. It’s depressing and discouraging.

Some can lose heart spiritually. They tire of the same ole’ same ole’ down at the church house. A fresh breath hasn’t blown through the place in decades. The place looks old and it feels old. Too many go because of routine rather than faith. You begin having your own doubts. You are losing interest and heart.

In the context of our passage, Jesus has just told the disciples about the coming destruction of Jerusalem. The picture isn’t pretty. Jesus said, “Where the body is, there the vultures will be gathered.” That’s a prediction of death. That’s a scene of a battlefield that is littered with dead bodies. This is not a happy verse. This is not one for the greeting cards. This causes fear to rise within us. Would the disciples be involved in that battle? Would it be their bodies that the vultures are picking at? How could they be safe? How could they escape? The answer is our verse. Pray at all times and do not lose heart. Pray and do not give up. Pray and do not stop believing. Pray and do not lose faith.

The darker the situation the harder one needs to pray. There are times that we cannot see through the long, dark valley of death. There are noises that scare us. There are shadows that frighten us. The future is unknown. This is how some are feeling this morning about the upcoming presidential election. My state, Indiana, voted yesterday. It was enough of a victory for Trump that Cruz folded his campaign. This morning, many are crying, “What do we do? I don’t like any of the choices?” The answer is simple. Pray at all times and do not lose heart. Long before there was a Trump, Bernie or a Hillary, God was upon the throne. He’s still there. Before there was a United States, God was upon the throne. When our forefathers made the decision to leave Europe and come to this new land, many were running from persecution and religious oppression. God was upon the throne. When the Caesar’s marched, God was upon the throne. When Alexander thought he was the god of the world, God was upon the throne. All the way back to the Egyptians and the crying Israelites, God was upon the throne.

Pray and do not lose heart. That’s the answer. God can open doors that seem to be closed tight. God can move things that seem impossible to move. God can help when there seems to be no help. Pray. Pray hard. Pray often. Fill Heaven with your words. Flood the gates of the eternal with your pleas. Ask God. Ask God often. God can do things when man cannot. When man gives up, God hasn’t. Pray. Pray. Pray.

Ask God to open hearts. Ask God to help you show others. Ask God to bring people to their senses. Ask God. Ask God. Ask God.

If we don’t, we will lose heart. Our hope and our faith is in God. God can do things. God can shut the mouths of lions. God can open the eyes of a prodigal. God can help you. To lose heart is to give up on God. To lose heart is to doubt. To lose heart is to allow your faith to die. Don’t lose heart.

God’s plans and God’s answers may not be what you expect. We often have a solution in mind. Our Plan A may not be God’s. He may have another answer. It may not be what we expected nor the way we wanted it to be. Understand He is God. He sees things you cannot see. He knows things that you will never know.

Trust Him. Believe in Him. Turn it over to Him. Don’t tell God what He needs to do. Allow God to be God. Allow God to do as He wills.

Have you see people without heart? They are hopeless. They leave the funeral home with a blank look on their faces. They don’t know what to believe nor what to do. They are hopeless. Some turn to drugs and alcohol to numb the emptiness inside of them. Poor choices. Those things never take away the problem. They only add to the woes. Hopeless people fill the world. They live for today looking for a few shiny trinklets of pleasure that Satan dangles in front of them. No purpose. No plans. No future. No hope. No heart. No God.

Do not lose heart. Keep praying. Pray thankfully in the sunshine of life. Pray earnestly in the midnight of life. Prayers keep faith alive. Prayers are built around faith, trust and hope.

Pray at all times. Pray every time. Pray every where. Pray often. Pray for others. Pray for those who will never pray for themselves. Pray for politicians. Pray for CEO’s. Pray for preachers. Pray for marriages. Pray. Pray. Pray.

Vultures may come. God’s people will be praying.

Roger