Jump Start # 1597

Luke 18:7 “now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?”

  Luke 18 gives us two parables about the subject of prayer. The second parable is about the two men who went to the Temple to pray. One didn’t pray. He bragged. He didn’t really thank God. He tooted his horn about how great he was. He expected to get a sticker on his paper that day. The other man begged for God’s mercy. Jesus used this parable to stress our attitude and humbleness in prayer. Don’t tell God what you’ve done. He already knows. Don’t brag to God. You can’t impress God with what you do.

The first parable is about persistence. Keep praying. Jesus used the story of a widow who was being oppressed. She went to a judge for help. The judge was not a kind man. He was the wrong person to be in the legal business. He wasn’t a people person. He didn’t fear man or God. Sounds arrogant, to me. She wore him out with her constant pleading for help. This is where our verse is found. Jesus promises that God will bring justice for His people who cry to Him day and night.

There are several interesting thoughts there.

First, “the day and night” concept tells us that God may not move on our first prayer. Why not? That’s up to God. We can’t figure God out nor guess His moves. Persistence is the theme of this parable. Don’t pray one time and be done with it. Keep praying. Keep praying. Keep praying. In the setting of this passage, it was justice that was desired. There might be other things that fit in there as well. Praying for better health. Praying for the prodigal to come home. Praying for a mate to turn closer to God. Prayer isn’t a check list. We do not pray just once and that’s it. If something is important to us, then we will pray and pray and pray.

Second, “the day and night” concept implies patience on our part. A hymn we sing is, “In His time.” It’s not, “In OUR time.” His time. His time and our time often are not the same time. We want things now. We have a hard time waiting. If the check out line is long at the store, we sigh. If we are stuck in construction traffic, we sigh. Waiting on kids. Waiting on the mail. Waiting and waiting and waiting. Patience is more than waiting. Often, we must wait, but it tears us up on the inside. We complain. We turn sour. Patience is waiting under control. It’s not get all bothered by the wait. Disney had a song long ago, “Whistle while you work.” Sing a hymn while you wait.

If something is important enough to you, then you will pray and keep praying. You’ll pray until you see the answer. If you don’t see it, then you will keep praying.

Third, there is a promise that God will “bring justice for His people.” Believe. It will happen. God is not the magical Jeanie in bottle that grants us our wishes. He is the Lord of Heaven and earth. More than getting what we want, prayer is about getting God’s will in our lives. We are inviting God into our world. This is why Jesus would say, “Not My will, but Thy will be done.” It’s the will of God that we are after. Some prayers fail because they are not according to God’s will. God is not going to violate His word nor suspend what He has set in order just to make you happy. God’s will is for the salvation of us. God wants us to be a holy people. God wants us to worship Him, obey Him and be conformed to Jesus. If that comes about by saying “No,” to what you ask, then His will has been accomplished. God is not the Heavenly grandparent who is determined to spoil the grandkids by giving them things that they really do not need. That’s not Biblical.

If making you wait awhile on your prayer leads you to trusting Him more, then that has been a good thing. It’s hard for us to see that at the moment. If saying “No,” leads us to being more spiritual and more righteous, then that has been a good thing. If it takes adversity to mold us and shape us to His desire, then God may keep the dark clouds around. It is His will that He is after. He is wanting you to be a believer, a follower and a disciple. Praying for a new car, a bigger house, a new boyfriend, a promotion may thrill us, but those may be the very things that take us away from Him. They may feed our greed. They may take our mind off of Him.

Have you ever asked, “Just what is it that God wants from me?” The answer to that question is going to help you see how and why God answers your prayers. Praying for wisdom so you can help others come back  to God is awesome. Praying for wisdom so you will be looked up to in church, is vain.

God wants you leaving footprints that lead to Heaven. God wants a heart that is humble, trusting, loving and obedient. God wants you to be like Jesus in your own world. Imagine Jesus in your meetings today? Imagine Jesus taking a walk in the neighborhood today? Imagine Jesus walking in the front door of your house today? Things would certainly be different. You are not Jesus. You will never be Jesus. But you can be like Jesus. You can have the same spirit, attitude, mind and heart. That’s what God wants.

So praying for daddy to get well is important, but not nearly as important as praying that this sickness will lead to daddy getting closer to the Lord. That’s what God wants. That’s where our prayers need to be. So often we just pray for health. We want daddy well. We are ok with daddy living ungodly and selfish, as long as we still have him. If the deterioration of daddy’s health leads to his salvation, even though he dies, isn’t that a better in the long run? Have you noticed how many prayers in church are about physical health but so few are about spiritual health. Maybe we ought to be praying for a heart that develops the character of Jesus. Maybe we ought to be praying for the things that lead to salvation more than we do.

Night and day—the prayers kept going up to Heaven. Night and day– they longed for God’s help. It came. Jesus promised that it would. It is then, that another prayer needs to arise. A prayer of thankfulness for God helping us.

Night and day—don’t quit. Don’t stop. Prayer isn’t “one and done.” It’s more than just reading off a check list. It’s talking to the Living God.

Roger

Jump Start # 1596

Luke 22:32 “But I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail; and you, when once you have turned again, strengthen your brothers.”

  The subject of prayer is a complex and powerful resource in our spiritual walk with the Lord. Strong Christians are praying Christians. They may not be free from trouble, but they pray during that trouble. They may not know the next step, but they are praying for help in making the right decision in the next step. There is a statement in Romans 8:26 that sums up how most of us feel about prayer. There the text says, “…for we do not know how to pray as we should.” Boy, that’s the truth! We don’t pray as often as we should. We don’t pray through troubles as we should. We allow fear and worry to take over rather than praying.

Paul asked the Thessalonians, “Pray for us.” One of the best things you can do is pray for others. Everyone needs prayers. A person could take the church directory, and starting at the front, flip through every page and say a prayer about every family. We all need prayers.

Our verse today shows the Lord praying for Peter. He had told Peter that Satan wanted permission to sift him like wheat. That statement indicates that Satan did not have free run to do whatever he wanted. Like in the book of Job, Satan had to get permission from God to do things. He is not God’s equal. He is not running wild, out of control. He is bound. He is limited. He must get permission.

Sifting like wheat seems violent. It gives me the impression of walking off a roller coaster. Your head and stomach are spinning in opposite directions and you are feeling a bit woozy. Shaken. Peter would be shaken  not by tough Roman soldiers who pointed swords at his neck, but by the voice of a servant girl who claimed you are one of them. Peter couldn’t shake that charge. He denied it. Before he realized it, he had denied the Lord three times. That was his shaking. That was the intense fire he was going through.

In our verse, Jesus is telling Peter what is going to happen before it happens. He tells Peter that He will be praying for him. He will be praying that his faith does not fail. He prays that he again will strengthen his brothers.

Three thoughts come from this passage.

First, Jesus prayed for Peter. He knew Peter was going to deny Him, yet He prayed. We need to pray for others. We need to pray for our preachers and our shepherds that they will courageously and faithfully continue to do what is right and Biblical. Pleasing people doesn’t always please the Lord. What the crowd wants isn’t always what the crowd needs. Some like their ears ticked. Some like a pat on the back. Some what to feel good. What we often need is to be challenged, moved and brought closer to the Lord.

We need to pray for our college kids who are away from home. Schools are wrapping up now and we need to pray for their spiritual safety. Many have sat through semesters of liberal propaganda that is unproven and untrue and more concerning, unbiblical. We need to pray that their faith does not fail. Many have see things that they have never witnessed before. Sheltered in their nice safe homes, they were kept safe. Now, after a year in college dorms they have witnessed every rule in the Bible being violated. They have seen the consequences of drunkenness and fornication. They have seen stupid behavior and careless pranks that have hurt, injured and ruined others. They are coming home. We pray that their faith has not failed. We pray that they still long for Heaven and have a deep desire to please and walk with the Lord. Pray for them.

Second, Jesus was praying for Peter’s spiritual wellbeing. He prayed that Peter’s faith would not fail. Greater than the recovery from a surgery is the recovery of the soul. We must pray for that. We must pray for people to be strong spiritually. The body won’t last, but the soul does. Praying for jobs, health, and safe travels are all good but not as good as praying for the soul. Jesus prayed for Peter’s faith. The Lord didn’t put a safety net around Peter. The Lord didn’t arrange it so Peter wouldn’t be harmed. It was up to Peter. The Lord was praying, but Peter had to make the choices.

Third, the Lord told Peter that He was praying for him. This is important. There are many who pray for others, but they never know that. It is comforting and humbling to know that others are taking your name to Heaven’s gate. That’s encouraging. It tells us that others are thinking about us. It tells us that others think we are worth praying for. It helps a person make the right choices when he knows that others are counting on him.

So, pray for others. Pray often for others. Let them know that you are praying for them. Peter was going to let the Lord down. But he would return. The Lord would use him again. The Lord prayed that he would strengthen his brothers. The Lord didn’t give up on Peter. The Lord didn’t write Peter off. The Lord gave Peter a second chance. The Lord was praying.

I wonder if the Lord prays for us? If He does, I wonder what He would be praying about us? The Lord counts upon us as He did others. The Lord needs you to help your family, encourage other believers, and to share the gospel message with others.

“I’ll be praying for you…” what a great statement that is. When someone asks you, “Will you pray for me?” and you agree, be sure that you do that. The Lord prayed for Peter. Who are you going to be praying for today?

Praying for others is just one way that we show that we love. We pray because we care. We pray because we want the best for them.

I’ll be praying for you… what a thought!

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