Persistently ‘P.U.S.H.’ [v261]

NOVEMBER 2020

It is said that the secret to ‘outstanding’ achievement is a blend of skills and ‘PERSISTENCE’. How persistent are you? Do you ‘PERSIST’ until you succeed?

Representing the U.S., Dave Wottle shocked the world by coming from last place and running down the favorite, Ukraine’s Yevhen Arzhanov, on the final stretch of the 800-meter run at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, Germany, to win the gold medal.

The iconic race is best known for two things: Wottle’s white golf cap and his closing kick, which allowed him to win by three-hundredths of a second after trailing the leaders by 20 meters during the first lap.

Wottle commented that, “It still amazes me how important 1 minute, 45.9 seconds was to me. It was a fleeting moment in time, but it was the culmination of a lot of years of practice and preparation and perseverance, and it’s affected every day of my life since.”

 

‘WHAT’ IS PERSISTENCE?
Webster’s dictionary defines persistence, “To continue especially in spite of opposition or difficulties.” To me, that means that no matter what, one WILL NOT QUIT—EVER! So, I’m thinking that to ‘become’ such a person, one would need to first know WHY people ‘DO’ QUIT.

Well, first off, people that DO NOT persevere, DO NOT WANT ‘IT’ as badly as they think they do. A common symptom of this condition is staying in the ‘education and preparation’ phase without ever taking any real action. (They are usually concerned with step ten before they have even completed step one.)

One reason people get ‘stuck’ in this cycle is that they are not willing to look ‘bad’ or ‘foolish’ in front of others. So, eventually, they find another ‘opportunity’ that seems better (and usually easier), and drop whatever they are currently working on for the new opportunity.

Secondly, they DO NOT REALLY BELIEVE that ‘it’ will work. The opportunity sounds good, but they do not completely ‘buy-in’ to it. They are ‘trying something out’ to see if it works, waiting for the opportunity itself to ‘convince’ them it is real. Lacking confidence in the opportunity makes it very easy to quit the moment there is any kind of setback.

Third, they do not really believe in their OWN ABILITY. A lifetime of believing the lie that they are lacking, less-than, or not enough in some way has convinced many people that they will ultimately fail. This usually begins in childhood and makes quitting very easy. Opportunity failures are seen as ‘personal’ failures.

Finally, they give in to the LOUD OPINIONS of the people they are surrounded by (who have never achieved the success they are seeking). Trying not to be influenced by whom you spend time with is like trying to go swimming without getting wet! Being surrounded by the ‘wrong’ people is the primary reason for quitting.

 

Angela Duckworth, a psychologist and researcher who studies perseverance and self-control, is best known for her research on “grit,” a strength she defines as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. She has found grit to be a common factor among the high-achievers she has studied, and has developed the “Grit Scale,” which is a measure of this construct.

[ FYI: Get your “Grit Scale” score at Duckworth’s website: https://angeladuckworth.com/grit-scale/ ].

 

Duckworth recently wrote a book titled, “GRIT: The Power and Passion of Perseverance.” She says that the ability to persist in something you feel passionate about and persevere when you face obstacles. This kind of passion is not about intense emotions or infatuation, it’s about having direction and ‘COMMITMENT’. When you have this kind of passion, you can stay committed to a task that may be difficult or even boring.

Her research indicates that the ability to be ‘gritty’—to stick with things that are important to you and bounce back from failure—is an essential component of success independent of and beyond what talent and intelligence contribute. Being naturally smart and talented are great, but to truly do well and thrive, we need the ability to persevere. Without grit, talent may be nothing more than unmet potential. It is only with effort that talent becomes a skill that leads to success.

Among the book’s most valuable insights are:
– Why any effort you make ultimately counts twice toward your goal
– How grit can be learned, regardless of I.Q. or circumstances
– How lifelong interest is triggered
– How much of optimal practice is suffering and how much ecstasy
– Which is better for your child—a warm embrace or high standards
– The magic of the Hard Thing Rule

Duckworth defines grit as the “passion and perseverance for long-term and meaningful goals.”

 

THE ‘POWER’ OF PERSISTENCE
Just as Angela Duckworth suggests in her book “Grit,” that the ‘secret’ for any ordinary individual striving to succeed—be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—and have outstanding achievement is not because of ‘talent’ but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”

For me, one person that comes to my mind that imbibes grit is Sir Edmund Hillary (and his native guide Tenzing Norgay), who became the first two people to climb Mount Everest and safely return—after having tried and failed on two previous attempts. It seems to me that Hillary had two obvious character strengths that literally took him to the very ‘top’ of the world: skills and persistence. However, just as Duckworth says, without persistence all his skills would have meant nothing!

Any successful person will tell you that persistence is absolutely essential to climbing any ‘mountain’. The individuals who remain in the ‘foothills’ have never chosen to develop this strength. These people dream of being ‘stars’—wanting to receive fame and fortune—but fame is not a common suitor. Fame only comes after a high ‘price’ has been paid.

The people who march in the foothills refuse to pay that price. Motivational and self-help author Napoleon Hill wrote in his book “Think and Grow Rich” that, “There may be no heroic connotation to the word persistence, but that quality is to the character of the human being what carbon is to steel.”

Many think Hill was right. Persistence is a unique mental strength, a strength which is essential to combat the fierce power of repeated rejections and numerous other obstacles that ‘crop up’, and are all a part of being successful in this fast-moving, ever-changing world we live in today.

There are hundreds of biographies of highly successful men and women who have cut a ‘path’ for others to follow while leaving their mark on the scrolls of history. Every one of these great individuals was persistent, and in most cases, it was the only quality that separated them from everyone else.

Consider professional golfer Ben Hogan. He weighed only 135 pounds, but every ounce was saturated with persistence. Born into a poor family, Hogan began to caddy at a local golf club as a boy to earn extra money for his family. This led to the birth of his dream. Through a great deal of hard work, practice, and persistence, Ben Hogan became one of the world’s greatest golfers in the history of the game.

In 1948, he won the United States Open Championship. His accomplishments earned him world recognition, but he was about to face his ‘mountain’. The next year, Hogan was involved in a head-on collision with a bus in his car. He saw it coming and knew he couldn’t prevent it. His wife was in the front seat of the car with him, and in an attempt to protect her—which he did—he threw himself in front of her. Ben’s body was crushed. The police who came to the scene thought he was dead. There was debris all over the highway, including his golf clubs, which were strewn all over the place.

When they were putting Hogan in the ambulance, Mrs. Hogan asked a police officer if he would please pick up Ben’s golf clubs for her. The officer looked at her and replied, “Lady, he’s not going to need these sticks anymore.” Mrs. Hogan quickly advised the policeman that he obviously did not know who he had just put in the ambulance.

When they got Ben to the hospital he was alive, but not expected to live. The best doctors in the country were flown in to operate on him. It was their opinion that IF he lived, he most certainly would never walk again. That was their opinion, not Ben’s.

Ben Hogan did recover, and he insisted that his golf clubs be put in the corner of his hospital room so he could ‘visualize’ himself playing golf again. He then demanded that an exercise bar be rigged up over his bed. This was in spite of the fact that he could not even move his arms, let alone lift his body.

HOWEVER, one year later, Hogan won the United States Open Championship again. The next year after that, he won three major championships. In all, 54 of his victories followed that near-tragic accident! So, does persistence pay? I’m thinking Ben Hogan would answer with a ‘passionate’ “Yes!”

 

Most motivational speakers say that persistence cannot be replaced by any other quality. Superior skills will not make up for it. A well-rounded formal education cannot replace it. Nor will calculated plans, or a magnetic personality. They say that when you are persistent, you will become a leader in your industry.

Something Calvin Coolidge said illustrates this point perfectly. It has been called “Persistence”:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

 

So, it seems that if one decides what they TRULY WANT and become persistent at it, they will become successful. Again, remember what Napoleon Hill said. “There may be no heroic connotation to the word ‘persistence’, but that quality is to the character of the human being what carbon is to steel.”

 

‘HOW’ DOES ONE ‘BECOME’ PERSISTENT?
So, HOW does one become persistent? Well, that’s a good question. The thing is, persistence is never developed by accident. You ARE NOT born with it and you cannot inherit it. There is no one in the entire world that can develop persistence FOR YOU! Persistence is as ‘interwoven’ with success as the chicken is with the egg.

 

As I said, it’s all about what one REALLY ‘WANTS’, and is prepared to give their ‘life’ for it (persistence). Remember, whatever you are doing is YOUR decision, and persistence will help you get out of the ‘foothills’ and lead you to the very top of your ‘mountain’—and all the way to the ‘summit’.

The thing is, persistence is NOT a ‘chair-lift’. It will not make the climb any easier. You will still ‘attract’ problems, but they will help you develop a ‘granite strong’ (“gritty”) attitude.

Talking about summits, let’s go back and think about Sir Edmund Hillary. He was obviously prepared to GIVE HIS ‘LIFE’ for what he wanted. (Every person who had ever seriously attempted to climb Everest, as far back as our history records go, either failed miserably or experienced a tragic death trying.) Most people, when they think about Sir Edmund Hillary and his expeditions ask, “What kept him going year after year?” Well, He WANTED IT—intensely! That’s what kept him going. That is why he was persistent. He REALLY, REALLY wanted it at a ‘gut level’—which keep him going.

 

Sir Edmund Hillary BECAME a mountain climber. Considered to be an ‘ordinary’ person, he did extraordinary things because he consciously recognized what he wanted, and refused to suppress or dismiss it.

Successful people DON’T let go, even if a failure, rejection, bankruptcy, or death is staring them in the face. The power of their want and the intensity of their persistence causes them to draw on resources they previously were not aware they possessed.

 

Napoleon Hill explained this very well. Hill said at first the idea—the ‘want’—has to be coaxed, nursed, and enticed just to remain alive, but gradually the idea will take on a power of its own and sweep aside all opposition. It will then coax, nurse and drive you. He went on to explain that ideas tend to have more power than the physical brains that gave birth to them. Ideas have a ‘power’ to live on long after the physical brain that’s created them has turned to dust [ i.e.Steve Jobs and his “iPhone” – More details:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/leaving-a-legacy-v242/ ].

 

So, have you decided what you want? Is your ‘want’ REALLY that strong? Most successful people say that it is almost a waste of time attempting to develop persistence if they want is not there. The problems of life will defeat you. HOWEVER, when the dream is big enough, the problems CAN be beaten!

 

Now, in the first ‘section’ I mentioned WHY people DO QUIT. So, the following are some suggestions of how anyone can become “UNSTOPPABLY PERSISTENT.”
Tom Krol is a very successful real estate investor, notable career coach, and one of the most successful self-help and motivational speakers in history—with multiple successful million-dollar businesses to his credit, and listed on the “Inc, 5000.” The following are his suggestions to become ‘successful’:

– Before bed, write down the most important thing you have to do the next day
– Spend the first part of you day with God
– Read something every day
– Write at least one sentence in your journal every day
– Tithe 10% of all money you earn to God
– Eliminate all jealousy from your mind
– Root for other’s success
– Adopt an attitude of “progress, not perfection”
– Adopt a strategy of “Massive imperfect action”
– Pray for your enemies
– Do not speak or listen to rumors
– Have a 90-day written goal
– Do not put energy into anything not congruent with your goals
– Get out of your own way and find someone who is where you want to be, and follow their lead
– Treat every person you encounter with the same respect and love would treat a family member

Tom says that making a radical shift in your outcome is the result of making a radical shift in your perspective. The successful seek the condition, while the unsuccessful seek the symptoms. So, he says, focus first on ‘WHO’ you have to be, then on ‘WHAT’ you have to do.

 

Continuing to give you some suggestions on how to be ‘unstoppably persistent’, Ken Coleman, “America’s Career Coach,” says that his top five daily habits for personal and professional growth are:

– Learn something every day
– Find ways to practice what you’ve been learning and hone your craft
– Look for ways to connect with people who are doing what you want to do, or who are already excelling in an area where you want to improve
– Serve someone. Zig Ziglar says that, “You can have everything in life you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” (not manipulatively!)
– Take some time at the end of the day to reflect on what you did, even if it feels like you only took one small step forward. Those small steps lead to big victories!

Ken also mentions—as does Tom Krol—that journaling can be a no-pressure way to reflect on your day and be able to reflect on and analyze your thoughts and ideas on the future. Many studies have found that journaling boosts your mental health by helping you cope with anxiety, stress, and depression.

Not a ‘journaler’ right now? Well, try writing down just one sentence about your day, keeping track of goals you accomplished, or storing all of your completed to-do lists in one place.

[ FYI: There are many good journaling ‘tools’ available to help you with this. I have used the “Performance Planner” by Zig Ziglar:
https://www.ziglar.com/product/the-new-performance-planner-upgraded-and-updated/ ].

 

Ken also mentions to not forget about the “art of gratitude”: To jot down at least three things you’re grateful for each day. It can really help you stay motivated and keep everything in perspective.

 

Since Ken Coleman mentioned Zig Ziglar—one of the most popular and successful motivational speakers in recent times—here’s what he reads every morning before starting his day:

“I, Zig Ziglar [ you can put your name in here ], am a person of integrity, with a good attitude and specific goals.

– I have a high energy level, am enthusiastic, and take pride in my appearance
and in what I do.
– I have a sense of humor, lots of faith, wisdom, and the vision, empathy and
courage to use my talents electively.
– I have character, and am knowledgeable. My convictions are strong and I have
a healthy self-image, a passion for what is right, and a solid hope for the
future.
– I am an honest, sincere, and hard-working person.
– I am tough, but fair and sensitive.
– I am disciplined, motivated, and focused.
– I am a good listener and patient, but take decisive action.
– I am bold and confident, yet humble.
– I am an encourager, a good finder, and a forgiving person.
– I am a student, a teacher, and a self-starter.
– I am obedient, loyal, responsible and dependable.
– I have a servant’s heart, am ambitious and a team-player.
– I am intelligent, competent, persistent and creative.
– I am health-conscious, “balanced” and “clean.”
– I am flexible, punctual and thrifty.
– I am an honorable person who is truly grateful for the opportunity life has
given me.

These are the qualities of the winner I was born to be and I fully intend to
develop these marvelous qualities with which I have been entrusted. [Tonight I
am going to sleep wonderfully well. I will dream powerful, positive dreams. I will
awaken energized and refreshed, and tomorrow is going to be MAGNIFICENT!”]”

 

[ FYI: Zig Ziglar pulled together a list of seven steps associated with goal setting (or goal achievement). They are: Identification, Benefits, Obstacles, Skills, People, Plan, and Timelines. Details:
https://curvefinder.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Goal-Setting-Canvas-1.pdf ].

 

Ultimately persistence needs to become a ‘way of life’, but one must start by developing the mental strength by first WANTING something so ‘badly’ that it becomes a ‘fire in your ‘belly’.

You must literally ‘fall in love’ with your idea. The very idea of not persisting would be ‘unthinkable’, and anyone who even attempted to take your dream away from you or stop you or even slow you down should be considered as an ‘obstacle’.

Now, of course, difficulties, obstacles, and ‘mountains’ WILL definitely appear—on a regular basis—but because of your persistence you will be able to defeat them (or change them) to get you in the direction of your goal (which, when changed, usually is MUCH better that what you planned originally).

 

“P.U.S.H.”
Webster’s dictionary defines “push” as, “exerting force on someone or something, typically with one’s hands, in order to move them away from oneself or the origin of the force.”

Well, in my ‘world’ of advertising and marketing, the term “push” is used to describe an intensive marketing campaign to achieve greater sales. “Push” marketing is focused on ‘loading up’ the channel, advertising heavily, and trying to ‘convince’ the customer to buy (“Push” marketing is also used in the ‘texting’ world and called “notifications”). [ Yes, there is also a “pull” strategy for marketing, where the customer comes to believe the product you have is the one they ‘have’ to buy – i.e. Apple ].

 

Now, relating to my topic of “persistence,” there’s a very popular acronym that is used, “P.U.S.H.,” which stands for:

P – Persist
U – Until
S – Something
H – Happens

 

As I’ve mentioned, persistence is probably the single most common quality of all high achievers. They just simply refuse to give up. They say that the longer you ‘hang in there’ the greater the chance that something will happen in your favor.

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill is famous for saying, “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” He also is credited for saying, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.”

 

A real-life example of this is the book “Chicken Soup for the Soul,” written by Jack Canfield. He was rejected by 144 publishers during a 14 month period of time, before the 145th publisher said they would publish it, but estimated that they would probably only print a maximum of 20,000 copies. When Jack said his goal was to sell 1.5M in the following 1.5 years, they all laughed out loud at him.

Well, the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series—with over 250 titles now—has sold more than 500 million copies worldwide, has been translated into 43 languages, and published in over 100 countries. Retail sales of Chicken Soup for the Soul-branded products exceed $100 million per year just in the U.S. and Canada, and total worldwide retail sales have exceeded $2 billion! What if Jack had given up after the 50th “No”? The 100th “No”?

Another example is the very popular fiction author, John Creasy, who is celebrated for his crime thrillers. One of the most prolific writers of all time—producing over 620 books under 28 different pseudonyms during his 40-year career—he had received 743 “rejections slips” to publish his work in just the first two years of his writing! Today, his total books sales are over 100 million copies across 29 languages in over 100 countries! I’m thinking that it was really good that Creasy didn’t get ‘dissuaded’ by all those rejections!

Now, of course, not every author will be as successful as these two, but it does seem to give some ‘credence’ to perseverance.

 

Another reasonably popular version of “P.U.S.H.” changes the first word to “Pray”:

P – Pray
U – Until
S – Something
H – Happens

 

This ‘Christianized’ version is focused on what the Apostle Paul said was REALLY IMPORTANT for the believer to do: PRAY WITHOUT CEASING (1 Thessalonians 5:16)—constant ‘communication’ with the God of the Bible.

Paul was probably thinking about a parable that Jesus told when he was writing to the Thessalonians. It’s referred to the “Parable of the Persistent Widow.”

The parable is part of a series of illustrative lessons Jesus used to teach His disciples about prayer. This lesson was meant to show the disciples that, “they should always pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1).

It’s about a widow and a judge in an unnamed town, and the judge has no compassion for the people under his jurisdiction. Back then, in the Jewish community, a judge was expected to be impartial, to judge righteously, and to recognize that judgment ultimately belongs to God (Deuteronomy 1:16-17). Thus, based on those ‘job descriptions’, the judge in this story was unqualified for the job. Most of the time justice was not being served.

A needy widow then comes before the judge to plead her case. According to Jewish law, widows deserved special protection under the justice system (Deuteronomy 10:18; 24:17-21; James 1:27). However, this unjust judge ignores her and couldn’t have cared less about her worries. Nevertheless, she refuses to give up, and returns repeatedly.

Even though, time after time, he turns her away, instead of becoming discouraged and accepting this treatment, the widow kept coming back—over and over again—to stand before this ‘hard-as-nails’ official.

In that society, widows were especially vulnerable, in that there were not many vocational opportunities for women. Life insurance was non-existent. She was dependent on whatever her husband had left her. But now some scoundrel had probably cheated her out of what little she had to live on.

So she comes to the judge and asks for justice. He takes one look at her and figures, she’s not going to give me much of a bribe, and I’ve got many others who can reward me more handsomely if I take their cases. So he refuses to give her any help. He tells his bailiff to escort her out of the courtroom and he thinks, “That’s the last I’ll see of her.”

Wrong! In my imagination, He no sooner leaves the courtroom to go home for lunch, than this woman follows him all the way to his house. When he comes out after lunch to go back to work, she is there waiting for him. He walks right by her without even looking at her.

Every morning she is ‘parked’ at the door of the courthouse, waiting for him to show up. Every day he tells her to get lost, but she keeps coming back. He can’t get rid of her! She’s beginning to dominate his life. He begins to hate going to work because he’s going to be confronted by this nagging woman! She was annoying him to the point that he says—literally in the Greek—“she is going to give me a black eye.” He didn’t mean that she was literally hitting him, but rather that he felt emotionally ‘beat up’ by her non-stop nagging.

He had been known as a stubborn man over the years, but he finally realized that he had met his match. This widow was just as ‘stubborn’ as he was. He just wanted her to go away, but she refused.

She refused to ‘let go’, because she ‘WANTED’ something REALLY BADLY. She refused to be put off or become discouraged. She refused to give up. She ignored his every attempt at intimidation.

Eventually, the judge said to himself, “I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!” [ Luke 18:4-5 ]. FINALLY, the widow gets the justice she was seeking.

 

Now, Jesus says that there is a lesson to be learned from this situation about persevering in prayer when God seems to delay the answer, and the answer to the problem of delays is to have a proper view of God and a proper view of ourselves.

We would be greatly mistaken if we thought that Jesus was teaching that God is like this self-centered, callous judge. That would run counter to the entire biblical revelation of the character of God as a loving and tender Father in relation to His ‘children’. Jesus uses this ‘fictionalized’ example as an argument “from the lesser to the greater”—taking things to absurd lengths. If this widow could get justice from this hardened, crusty, uncaring old judge, doesn’t it follow that the loving, tender, gracious Heavenly Father will hear and answer His own children—whom He has ‘chosen’—when they cry out to Him for relief? How much MORE will a loving and holy Father give what is right to His children?

Jesus’ point is made through ‘contrasts’ rather than parallels. The first contrast is between the widow and the disciples. In Jesus’ historical context, a widow was one of the most vulnerable and poor members of society, and a disciple of Jesus has the love and protection of God Himself.

The second contrast is between the crooked judge and the Father. The judge will only help because he becomes wearied by all the nagging, and God the Father is attentive, generous, and always concerned for us (Luke 18:7-8).

The third contrast is between the court and the ‘Throne of Grace’. An ancient Middle Eastern court was a tent where the judge sat surrounded by assistants. It was often the case that a person would need to pay a bribe to even get their case heard. This is not the case for the believer. Their prayers go directly to God—for ‘free’!

 

The parable of the persistent widow is similar to another lesson in Jesus’ teachings on prayer, the “Parable of the Persistent Neighbor” (Luke 11:5-10).

Immediately after teaching the disciples to pray the “Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus told the story of the neighbor who was in need of bread for a visitor. The disciples had just asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1), so He taught them how to be persistent in prayer.

The characters in the story are a villager—who is in bed with his family at midnight—and a neighbor with a need. Hospitality was a strictly observed custom in the Middle East, and a man caught without bread for a visitor would be in a shameful and desperately needy position. Only such a need would drive a man to his neighbor’s house at midnight. Only such a need would drive the man to this level of persistence.

The Greek word translated here can mean “boldness” as well as “persistence”—implying impudence and audacity. This is what Jesus is saying should be the believer’s attitude as we approach the ‘Throne of Grace’—a confident boldness that persists in pursuing God until He grants them mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16).

Now, let me put in a word of caution here. Never is a believer to approach God with ‘impertinence’ or a demanding, disrespectful attitude. That God allows them to approach Him at all is an indication of His mercy and graciousness toward sinners. But, He is their “Abba Father” (Romans 8:15), His ‘children’. They come before Him as a child comes before their earthly father—in confidence that their father loves them and wants the best for them. SO, if this man would give his neighbor what he wanted not out of friendship, but just because of his shameless boldness, how much MORE will God, who loves us perfectly, give us when we come into His presence?

Putting it all together, we see that we are to be persistent in asking for God to work in our lives and answer our prayers, having confidence that He will do so according to His perfect will and timing.

 

Now, while both parables teach the importance of persistence in prayer, the story of the widow and the judge adds the message of continued ‘FAITHFULNESS’ in prayer. A genuine disciple must learn to never give up on prayer, and it is based on absolute trust and faith in God. They can fully count on God to answer when, where, and how He chooses. God just expects them to be persistent until the ‘answers’ come. Disciples of Jesus are people of ‘PERSISTENT’ FAITH.

 

Then, at the end of the parable of the persistent widow and unjust judge, Jesus then presents a final ‘quiz’ on the matter. He asks, “But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?” [ Luke 18:8 ]. Ouch! Will YOU be among God’s people still praying at Christ’s Second Coming, “Your Kingdom come, Your will be done”? (Matthew 6:10). [ More about the coming “Kingdom of God” at the end of this post ].

Faithful, never-ceasing, persistent prayer is the permanent ‘calling’ of every true disciple of Jesus, dedicated to living for the Kingdom of God. Like the persistent widow, we are needy, dependent sinners who trust in our gracious, loving, and merciful Father alone to supply what we need.

 

‘ASK, SEEK, KNOCK’
In Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7), He describes the truly righteous life. At the end of the Sermon, He was talking about continual prayer and said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” [ Matthew 7:7 ].

In the Greek, each of these verbs is an ‘imperative’ in the present tense, denoting an emphatic command. The Greek word for “ask” is “aiteite,” which means to beg or petition. The word for “seek” is “zeteite,” which means to search for or desire. “Krouete” is the word translated as “knock,” and literally means to strike against something. These are ‘action’ words that carry with them the idea of heightened immediacy!

However, two words of caution should be given here. The first is against thinking that we can badger, pester, or harangue God into answering our prayers if we just “keep at it.” God IS loving and wants to give good ‘gifts’ to His ‘children’ (Luke 11:13), however, only when the time is right and it will be ‘good’ for them.

The second caution may seem counterintuitive but one’s persistence may actually ‘paralyze’ them. In the Middle East, this kind of persistence is thought of as almost rude and inappropriate. Therefore, one may be prone to quickly dismiss their discomfort over such persistence and not take time to ‘wrestle’ with the possibility that Jesus just might be teaching them something that would ‘shake up’ how they usually pray!

 

Again, Jesus is NOT saying that believers always get what they ask for, but IS saying that the more time a believer spends in ‘communion’ with God, the more they will know what to ask for IN ‘ACCORDANCE’ with GOD’S WILL.

Earlier in the “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus said that one should, “seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33). Seeking God’s Kingdom means putting God’s plan before our own, and seeking God’s righteousness means setting a priority on personal holiness and desiring to be sanctified.

Jesus then uses a metaphor for the action a desire produces. If a person needs something from someone behind a door, the most natural thing to do is knock—and keep knocking until the door is opened and the desire is met (like the persistent neighbor). In the same way, a believer should pray in faith for God’s provision and be persistent in prayer (the persistent widow).

Ask, seek, knock. Notice the three different human ‘senses’ being considered here. Asking is verbal, and believers need to use their ‘mouths’ to petition God for their needs and desires. Believers are then to seek with their ‘minds’—being more than just asking—it is a setting of priorities and a focusing of the ‘heart’. To knock then, involves physical movement, one in which the believer takes ‘action’.

Although asking and seeking are of great importance, they would be incomplete without knocking. The Apostle John said that believers ought not to love by expressing words alone, but with actions, too (1 John 3:18). In the same way, it is good to pray and seek God, but if one does not also act in ways that are pleasing to Him, it is all for naught. It’s no accident that Jesus said believers should love God with “all their heart, soul, strength, and mind” (Luke 10:27).

 

Thankfully, the ‘ask’, ‘seek’, ‘knock’ commands are followed by promises: “Everyone who asks ‘RECEIVES’, and the one who seeks ‘FINDS’, and to the one who knocks, the door will be ‘OPENED’” (Matthew 7:8). God delights in the prayer of faith from the believer, and He PROMISES to give them what they ‘NEED’!

 

‘CONDITIONS’ FOR ANSWERED PRAYER
Well, I’m thinking that most people (or all) would like prayer with no ‘conditions’. They wish that God would be a celestial ‘genie’ who, when summoned by prayer, would grant any request they make.

These people find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. HOWEVER, the biblical fact is that prayer DOES HAVE ‘conditions’.

It is true that Jesus said, “If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer” (Matthew 21:22), but, even in that statement, there is one condition to prayer: faith. As we examine the Bible, we find that there are other conditions to prayer, as well. The following are some biblical instructions concerning ‘conditions’ for prayer:

– Pray to the HEAVENLY ‘FATHER’ (Matthew 6:9): This condition to prayer might seem obvious, but it’s important. We don’t pray to false gods, to ourselves, to angels, to Buddha, or to the Virgin Mary. We pray to the God of the Bible, who revealed Himself in Jesus Christ, and whose Spirit ‘indwells’ us. Coming to Him as our “Father” implies that we are first His children—made so by faith in Christ (John 1:12).

– Pray for ‘GOOD’ THINGS (Matthew 7:11): We don’t always understand or recognize what is good, but God knows, and He is eager to give His children what is best for them. Paul prayed three times to be healed of an affliction, and each time God said, “No.” Why would a loving God refuse to heal Paul? Because God had something better for him, namely, a life lived by grace. Paul stopped praying for healing and began to rejoice in his weakness (2 Corinthians 12:7-10).

– Pray for ‘NEEDFUL’ THINGS (Philippians 4:19): Placing a priority on God’s Kingdom is one of the conditions of prayer (Matthew 6:33). The promise is that God will supply all our needs, not all our wants. There is a ‘BIG’ difference.

– Pray from a RIGHTEOUS ‘HEART’ (James 5:16): The Bible speaks of having a clean conscience as a condition to answered prayer (Hebrews 10:22). It is important that we keep our sins confessed to the Lord. “If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear” [ Psalm 66:18 ].

– Pray from a GRATEFUL ‘HEART’ (Philippians 4:6): Part of prayer is an attitude of thanksgiving.

– Pray according to THE ‘WILL’ of God (1 John 5:14): An important condition to prayer is that it is prayed within the will of God. Jesus prayed this way all the time, even in Gethsemane: “Not my will, but yours be done” (Luke 22:42). We can pray all we want, with great sincerity and faith, for ABC, but, if God’s will is XYZ, we pray amiss.

– Pray in the ‘AUTHORITY’ of Jesus Christ (John 16:24): Jesus is the reason we are able to approach the ‘Throne of Grace’ (Hebrews 10:19-22), and He is our mediator (1 Timothy 2:5). A condition of prayer is that we pray ‘IN’ His name.

– Pray ‘PERSISTENTLY’ (Luke 18:1): In fact, pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). One of the conditions to effective prayer is that we don’t give up.

– Pray ‘UNSELFISHLY’ (James 4:3): Our motives are of utmost importance.

– Pray IN ‘FAITH’ (James 1:6): Without faith, it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6), who alone can do the impossible (Luke 1:37). Without faith, why pray?

 

Joshua’s prayer for the sun to stand still, as AUDACIOUS as that request was, MET ALL of these conditions of prayer (Joshua 10:12-14). Elijah’s prayer for rain to be withheld—and his later prayer that rain would fall—MET ALL of these conditions (James 5:17-18). Jesus’ prayer as He stood before the tomb of Lazarus MET ALL of these conditions (John 11:41). They all prayed to God, ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, for good and necessary things, in faith.

The examples of Joshua, Elijah, and Jesus teach us that, when our prayers line up with God’s sovereign will, wonderful things WILL HAPPEN! There’s no need to be abashed by ‘mountains’, for they can ‘move’ (Mark 11:23). The struggle we face is in getting our prayers to ‘line up’ with God’s will, and having OUR DESIRES ‘MATCH’ HIS DESIRES. Congruency between God’s will and our own is ‘THE’ GOAL. We want exactly what He wants; nothing more, nothing less—and we don’t want anything that He doesn’t want.

Godly, effective prayer has conditions, and God invites us to pray ‘BIG’, audacious prayers!

 

Now, in addition to the previous ‘conditions’, God WILL NOT answer a prayer that is ‘UNBIBLICAL’. It will be a colossal ‘waste’ of your time, and an exercise in futility!

That may sound like a ‘no-brainer’, but some Christians sometimes get ‘bit’ by their feelings or an emotional ‘bug’. An example might be that there is no love at all in a certain marriage, but the man says that he ‘feels’ loved by his secretary, and has an affair with her. He then prays to God not to be so ‘puritanical’—that He would change His viewpoint about this ‘relationship’—since he is receiving the love he ‘needs’ from the secretary, and his wife is not giving him any.

Now, that would be a USELESS and ridiculous prayer to persist in! God will NEVER change His view of adultery (just remember, it’s SO important, it’s a Commandment!). Yes, it would be just as ridiculous, no matter the situation you are in, to pray for God to change His view on coveting, lying, stealing, and murder (another four of the 10 Commandments).

 

So, all this to say that THE ‘underlying’, foundational, governing principle for all prayer is that the believer must always pray ACCORDING TO THE ‘WILL’ OF GOD (as noted in the “Ask, Seek, Knock” section).

Well, you might say that sometimes God’s will is not clear, and there isn’t a chapter and verse that addresses exactly what one is specifically praying about. Well, welcome to the real life of a believer! Even though it might be a bit ‘inefficient’ (as I think this is), it is usually a trial-and-error kind of thing where God ‘leads’ the believer in the way He wants them to go—so they will learn to trust Him more (Proverbs 3:5-6; Proverbs 16:9; Psalm 23:1-6; Psalm 32:8; Psalm 119:105; Matthew 7:7-11; John 10:27; John 14:26; John 16:13).

 

Most prayers are ‘relative’, particularly when they relate to one’s own life. If there is a ‘pain’ in one’s life, that is usually the impetus for their persistent prayers—they want it to go away!

The Apostle Paul is a great example of this. In his second letter to the Corinthians, he was stuck with something so bad that he called it a “thorn in the flesh”: “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness’” [ 2 Corinthians 12:7-9a ].

The Bible doesn’t say exactly what Paul’s ‘issue’ was. It might have been a physical ailment or it could have been an actual person. Whatever it was, it was ‘intense’, since the ‘great’ Apostle Paul—considered to be the ‘premier’ Christian ever—prayed three times to have it taken away by God. However, after persisting in prayer, Paul stopped praying about this because he saw a ‘greater’ opportunity to GLORIFY God ‘through’ his ailment [ FYI: God did say that Paul was going to have to “suffer for His name,” because of how he persecuted the Church before he became a believer (Acts 9:16) ]. God needed a humble apostle, not a prideful one (which he may have been becoming with all the ‘insight’ Paul was ‘receiving’ from God).

 

Now, it was the Apostle Paul that said, “pray continually” and “don’t lose heart,” but sometimes it becomes clear that God’s greater glory is manifested in the world if the thing one is praying for is NOT answered the way one initially—and possibly ‘reactively’—wanted it to be answered. One sometimes needs to be a bit more ‘flexible’—maybe even a bit more ‘humble’—in their prayers, because of a possibly ‘limited’ perspective (“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” – James 4:6c). Sometimes God’s will is to ‘refine’ their prayer—change it up a bit—by rearranging or substituting things in one’s prayer ‘list’.

There is a ‘freedom’ that God allowed which the Apostle Paul felt when he stopped praying for his ‘thorn’. It was probably the Holy Spirit that ‘said’, “I’ve got this for you,” and gave Paul a sense that it was time to ‘move on’ to something more important.

If one is ‘connected’ to the Holy Spirit on a daily basis, one can have the confidence that, since He is interceding for the believer to the Father—and possibly receiving new ‘marching orders’ for the believer—then the Holy Spirit just might also ‘change up’ one’s prayer list, or give them more ‘clarity’ for the one that they have. I’m thinking that all ‘true’ believers would want to be ‘corrected’ and put on the right ‘path’. (At least I can honestly say I would. I want to be ‘efficient’ with my prayers!) The thing is, God promises that, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose” [ Romans 8:28 ].

Now, also remember that Jesus prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” At this point, He stopped praying and left it up to God to do what He wanted—Jesus fully ‘trusted’ that God would do the BEST thing.

 

So, we need to do the same. Pray persistently with the presumption that we know what’s best, until God ‘tells’ us otherwise! Believers need to recognize that there is something called the “retributive principle,” which is understood at a deeper level that it may not be just you or the people ‘around’ you that will be affected by your prayers and the answers to your prayers, but it might be the next generation on the other side of the planet, or even thousands of years later people learning from your life (like we are learning from the Book of Job today).

 

THE ‘POWER’ OF PERSISTENT PRAYER
Prayer can sometimes become a mighty, powerful ‘thrust’ on the part of the people of God to change events. ‘Group’ prayer can be even MORE ‘powerful’ in putting something right which is impending and threatening at the moment. It may not remove it entirely, but it can sometimes change the time schedule.

The Apostle Peter had just been arrested by Herod Agrippa “because he saw that it pleased the Jews,” and he intended to execute him. However, the week-long “Feast of Unleavened Bread” had just started (the time when the Jews celebrate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt), so Agrippa decides to wait until the holiday is over (Acts 12:3-12).

So, the ‘Church’ started praying—fervently and unceasingly. The Greek word used here is “ektenos,” which is a medical term that describes the stretching of a muscle to its limits (here the idea is that their “prayer muscles” were being stretched to their limit!). The word also combines the idea of perseverance (“without letting up”).

So, just in the ‘nick of time’ (just before Agrippa was to give the order to fetch Peter from the prison cell), an angel wakes Peter up and says, “Get up quickly” (“anistemi” in the Greek, which is a command in aorist imperative that signifies the utmost urgency).

Immediately, Peter’s chains “fell off” his hands (however, they only did so when Peter obeyed the command). [ Hmmm… “Trust and obey, for there is no other way, to be happy in Jesus, than to trust and obey.” ] Obedience brings blessing and, in this case, it was freedom from a fate of certain death!

Now, Peter thought he was seeing a vision, but when he arrived at the house of Mary (the mother of John Mark), he realized that God had rescued him. So, he knocked on the door, where MANY were still gathered praying for Peter’s release.

A servant girl named Rhoda came to answer the door, but when she recognized Peter’s voice, she ran back to tell everyone. They said to her, “You are out of your mind” [ Acts 12:15a ]. (Hmmm… Wasn’t this what they were praying so fervently for?)

So, when some of them did finally go to the door, they realized that IT WAS Peter “and they were amazed” [ Acts 12:16b ]. It was the ‘FERVENT’ prayer of the Church that led to Peter’s release!

 

Theologian Dr. Jack L. Arnold commented on this passage of Scripture by saying, “God waited until the last moment to intervene. God delayed to teach the saints the lesson of persevering prayer and to teach Peter to rest in the Lord. We must never mistake a delay in answered prayer for a denial of our prayer.” Theologian G. Campbell Morgan also commented, “That force of earnest, halting prayer was mightier than Herod, and mightier than hell.”

This was similar to Joshua’s famous victory over the Amalekites in Rephidim. It was won by God’s power released through intercession, but not by Joshua’s intercession (because he was focused on fighting not on praying). It was Moses’ intercession, aided by Aaron and Hur, that moved the ‘hand’ of God and gave Joshua the victory for his tiresome intercession (Exodus17:8-14).

It seems to me that the angel ‘fetched’ Peter out of prison, but it was the prayer of the ‘Church’ that fetched the angel!

 

These early Christians prayed for Peter to be released from prison and then were “astonished” when God answered them (Acts 12:16). Sadly, today’s Christians respond that way too—but they shouldn’t be surprised when God answers their prayers. Remember, His power is great and His resources are endless.

“Forgive us, Lord, when we’re surprised
By answers to our prayer;
Increase our faith and teach us how
To trust Your loving care.”
[ Sper ]

 

Though there may be more, here are three observations I see in the supernatural liberation of the Apostle Peter:

First, God is most glorified when we are most helpless and totally dependent on Him. If Peter had engineered his own escape, he would have been praised for his ingenuity and daring exploits. But what could he say about his part in this escape? He wasn’t even thinking about escaping—he was sleeping! Peter had nothing in himself that he could boast about! However, he did ‘boast’ in God: “The Lord led me out of prison” (Acts 12:17).

Peter’s deliverance is a ‘picture’ of how God saves sinners. Before God saves us, we are like Peter, sleeping in the darkness, insensitive to our sin, and not able to ‘see’ the light of the glory of the Gospel of Jesus. Our sins chained us so that we could not escape, even ‘if’ we had wanted to (though none of us want to by ourselves – John 3:19-21). We were under God’s sentence of death (Romans 6:23). While we were in this desperate and helpless condition, God broke in with the light of His glory, woke us out of our spiritual slumber’, and caused our ‘chains’ to fall off so that we could willingly and joyfully follow Him out of this prison of death. Since our salvation was totally from the Lord in His great mercy, He gets all the glory. We can only praise Him because He saved us, and we had nothing to do with it!

FYI: This video presents the Good News of salvation using verses from the Book of Romans. It’s referred to as the “Romans Road”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9wSOwMYAhA ].

 

Secondly, God often waits until the “eleventh hour” to deliver us, so that we will be motivated to pray unceasingly.

It was the very night before Herod was planning to execute him that we see the church gathered in this all-night prayer meeting, praying fervently (Acts 12:5). In the Greek, “fervently” is an athletic term that pictures an athlete straining every muscle as he puts everything into a race. (Luke 22:44 uses the same word to describe Jesus’ fervent prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane). There is nothing like an eleventh-hour crisis to get the believer praying! (God often delays the answers to our problems or crises so that we will recognize how much we REALLY do need Him.)

If we only could see it, we are always on the ‘brink’ of disaster and death, because our adversary, the Devil, is “prowling about as a roaring lion, seeking to devour us” (1 Peter 5:8). So, AT ALL TIMES, believers should be a praying people!

 

Finally, God is not limited by the prayers of His people, but He has decided to work through the prayers of His ‘children’ to teach them to DEPEND TOTALLY on Him.

Prayer is definitely a mystery, and God can work even if our prayers fall short (“He is able to do far more than I can ask or even think” – Ephesians 3:20). His answers do not depend on any merit in our prayers, but only because of His sovereign grace and mercy.

Now, although God is almighty, He doesn’t prevent the untimely deaths of some of His choicest servants (James was put to death by Herod Agrippa just before Peter was arrested). However—and here’s one of those ‘mysteries’—since God IS almighty, He can easily deliver us from humanly impossible situations, as He did with the Apostle Peter.

 

Pastor Chuck Swindoll quipped about this passage of Scripture saying, “Poor Peter, miraculously released from prison and having escaped certain death, couldn’t wait to see his friends, but he was left standing out in the cold—literally—knocking repeatedly at the front door. He had supernaturally walked out of a high-security prison but couldn’t get past the gate of his friend’s house. He had casually walked past the king’s guards to escape execution, but he couldn’t get a little servant girl to let him in to join the prayer meeting held on his behalf.”

Pastor Swindoll gives two applications of this story:

“First, ask God for what you want—and be bold! Too often we temper our requests—even good, godly requests like the healing of a friend or the restoration of a failing marriage—perhaps to protect ourselves from disappointment, or to pray responsibly, or to avoid presuming upon God, or to pray within the bounds of what we imagine the Lord’s will might be: “Lord, if it be Your will, restore this failing marriage.” “If it be Your will…?” Really? Pray boldly for what is good. Don’t hold back. Don’t qualify your requests. God’s sovereignty isn’t threatened and His goodness isn’t compromised if you plead earnestly—supplicate shamelessly—for good to prevail. He may not choose to alter the circumstances. He may allow a Stephen to suffer unjustly. He may allow a wicked authority to deprive the church of a godly leader. Nevertheless, He will honor your earnest desires, if not in the manner you hope, then in some unexpected way you cannot foresee.

Second, trust the sovereignty and goodness of God to prevail. The people in the home of Mary gathered to pray for Peter. We don’t know the content of their prayers, but some must have asked God for a miraculous release, just like the earlier release. Clearly, however, no one really expected to see Peter alive again, or they wouldn’t have been so dubious when he knocked. Still, they trusted God.”

 

We can’t always expect God to always to do as we ask or to give us exactly what we want. (In my own prayers, I stopped ‘telling’ God how to fulfill my requests a long time ago.) Even so, we can be sure He will always do what is right and will always act in the long-term best interests of everyone involved. No matter how your circumstances turn out after earnest prayer, assure yourself with these words and repeat them as often as necessary: “The Lord is right in all His ways” (Deuteronomy 32:4; Daniel 4:37 ff.).

Theologian F.F. Bruce relates the story of Sundar Singh, a Tibetan Christian who was likewise freed miraculously from a prison, like the Apostle Peter was.

“For preaching of the Gospel, he was thrown into a well, and a cover set over it and securely locked. He would be left in the well until he died, and he could see the bones and rotting corpses of those who had already perished in there. On the third night of his imprisonment, he heard someone unlocking the cover of the well and removing it. A voice told him to take hold of the rope that was being lowered. Sundar was grateful that the rope had a loop he could put his foot in, because he had injured his arm in the fall down into the well. He was raised up, the cover was replaced and locked. But, when he looked to thank his rescuer he could find no one. When morning came, he went back to the same place he was arrested and started preaching again. News of the preaching came to the official who had him arrested, and Sundar was brought before him again. When the official said someone must have gotten the key and released him, they searched for the key, and found it on the official’s own belt! God is still ‘writing’ the Book of Acts!”

 

Just like the ‘group’ that was praying for the Apostle Peter, I am reminded of how a ‘single’ believer’s prayers are important to those they are not near. By talking to God about a friend or loved one’s needs, they have a unique opportunity to make a difference in their lives—even though they can’t be with them in person. What an amazing ‘privilege’ that God trust someone else’s situation to the believer. If you are that person, be faithful in your responsibility!

So, no matter what the circumstances of our friends or family members who are away from us, prayer is always an effective way the believer can support them and be of help. It worked for the people who prayed for Peter (Acts 12), and it can work for you, too!

“No greater help and care is given
To others in their need
Than when we bear them up in prayer
And for them intercede.”
[ Dennis J. DeHaan ]

 

MOVING ‘MOUNTAINS’
Can our prayers really move ‘physical’ mountains? Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” [ Mark 11:23-24 ].

Was Jesus really saying that if we have enough faith and pray hard enough that we can see mountains ‘literally’ moved, or is there another meaning intended here?

Well, Jesus is actually responding to the disciples in this way because they were asking questions in amazement over the fig tree’s death. The night before Jesus had cursed the fig tree because it bore no fruit. The next day, the disciples saw the tree and that it had died. They were greatly amazed—even after all they had experienced walking with Jesus and what they had seen Him do. So, Jesus begins to use ‘hyperbole’ to make a significant point about their faith. He is wanting them, like us, to understand and believe that God CAN do the impossible! (Mark 10:27; 14:36).

Now, there is no record of Jesus ever moving a mountain nor the apostles moving a mountain (and there no record of ANY Christian ever moving a mountain as described in the verse). What we DO have a record of, however, is that “moving mountains” was an expression used by Rabbis at that time. It was used to refer to something that was a VERY difficult or and ‘INSURMOUNTABLE’ task.

 

St. Augustine wrote, “What is faith, unless it is to believe what you do not see?” We may not see a physical mountain being moved, but that’s not the point. The point is that ‘power’ IS available to us BY FAITH through prayer in a God that nothing is impossible for. Jesus taught His disciples that the key to prayer is not faith in faith, but faith in God. God is the ‘object’ of our faith. We overcome by faith in God, not in our own abilities. Faith is never any greater than its object.

[ FYI: For more details about examining the ‘object’ of faith, read this portion of “The Search for Meaning”: http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q3_d3_1of10.html ].

 

Just think about it. How could a believer say, “I have faith to believe God for my salvation” if they don’t have enough faith to believe that God cares about the opportunities and obstacles they face while they are on earth? Puritan minister Thomas Adams wrote, “It is the office of faith to believe what we do not see, and it shall be the reward of faith to see what we do believe.”

To have mountain-moving faith, we must focus on God, not on the mountain. British Anglican theologian J. C. P. Cockerton said, “Faith does not grow by being pulled up by the roots time and again to see how it is getting on. Faith grows when we look steadily towards God for the supply of all our needs and concentrate on him. There is little point in becoming engrossed with our faith as if that were the thing we believed in!” Jesus didn’t tell us to try to ‘work up’ one’s faith. He told us to focus on the One who IS the ‘source’ of one’s faith—God the Father. Once our focus is set, then “whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be lifted up and thrown into the sea/ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him’” [ Mark 11:23 ].

 

Jesus continues by saying, “Therefore, I tell you, all the things you pray and ask for, believe that you have received them, and you will have them” [ Mark 11:24 ]. This is faith’s ‘confession’ and God’s command to trust Him. Many believers pray with a ‘hope so’ attitude rather than a ‘know so’ attitude. Bible teacher Ron Dunn said: “I consider the problem, but I don’t take the problem into consideration.” The problem is NOT our priority. Having FAITH in God is our priority. The ‘mountain’ is not the issue, God is the issue.

 

If the believer is honest, they will admit that a lot of their praying is filled with ‘DOUBT’. They hesitate to ask, for fear that they might fail—or worse, for fear that God might not answer. The thing is, one must understand that they not asking on the basis of THEIR authority but upon GOD’s authority. “And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to his will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him” [ 1 John 5:14-15 ].

One reason we don’t believe God with mountain-moving faith is that we are often too logical (I’m guilty as charged). We can’t easily move from the five senses to the unseen. We have been conditioned all our lives to see, feel, touch, smell, and taste. So, by nature, we need to see it to believe it. BUT, that’s not faith! Just as you never advance in school until you pass the tests, you can’t advance in the ‘school’ of prayer until you are willing for your faith to be tested.

Jesus calls the believer to exercise their faith—to ‘stretch’ it. It seems that the bigger one’s understanding of God, the bigger their faith. Baptist pastor Vance Havner was fond of saying, “Nothing is more disastrous than to study faith, analyze faith, make noble resolves of faith, but never actually to make the leap of faith.”

 

So, whatever your ‘mountain’, take it to God by faith and believe Him as you never have before! Jesus is not telling you to try to move literal mountains. He is telling you to believe God when facing difficulties and impossibilities.

 

Now, there is a ‘CONDITION’ that must be met for our mountain-moving prayers of faith to even be ‘heard’. Jesus continues: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses” [ Mark 11:25 ].

Pastor Charles Spurgeon wrote, “You are nothing better than deceitful hypocrites if you harbor in your minds a single unforgiving thought. You can t be saved unless you are forgiving; if we do not choose to forgive, we choose to be damned.”

So, let’s get right to the point here. If you, as a believer, are not getting answers your prayers, you need to check your heart for any UNFORGIVENESS! The sin of unforgiveness thwarts your prayers. God will shut His ‘ears’ to your cry. “He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered” [ Proverbs 21:13 ].

Is there anyone you can’t or won’t forgive? If so, you are limiting what God can do in you, through you, and for you because of your unforgiveness. SADLY, some people would honestly rather miss a blessing than get right with God!

The word “forgive” here is present tense in the Greek. It means to BE ‘ALWAYS’ FORGIVING. It’s a ‘LIFESTYLE’, not just something you do at some annual ‘retreat’. It means to remit and send away that which could get in your heart and ‘pull’ you down. You cannot separate prayer and forgiveness. No forgiveness, no ‘power’!

 

Pastor John Bisagno, in his book “The Secret of Positive Praying,” tells the story of an old television show in the 1950s where one of the main characters complained that his friend was always slapping him on the back, but he was getting tired of it. He decided to get even by strapping a piece of dynamite to his back. He said, “The next time this friend slapped him on the back, he was going to blow his hand off!”

Bisagno continues saying, “ln holding a grudge of unforgiveness against someone else, we don’t do anything but blow ourselves up with our own inability to receive forgiveness. That dynamite blows both ways, and that unforgiveness flows both ways as well. So when we judge others, we must remember that we’re not God. Let God judge. Forgive, and we will be forgiven.”

 

Anything that builds a ‘wall’ between you and someone else is, in essence, building a wall between you and God! Some people think they only have to forgive if the other person is truly sorry about what they’ve done and has sought their forgiveness, apologized, and/or has begged and groveled before them. The thing is, that IS NOT the spirit of forgiveness—that’s the spirit of ‘holding a grudge’.

If Jesus could hang on the Cross and say, “Father forgive them,” who are you and I to hold a grudge against anyone, about anything? When we learn to forgive, we will no longer use past hurts against the person who committed them. We will move forward and not talk about it any longer. We need to forgive to the same extent and with the same spirit that God forgave us! (Colossians 3:13).

Puritan theologian John Owen said, “Our forgiving of others will not procure forgiveness for ourselves, but our not forgiving others proves that we ourselves are not forgiven.” When you pray, have faith… but don’t forget to forgive if you are expecting anything from God.

Jesus spoke about this during His “Sermon on the Mount: “So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” [ Mark 5:23-24 ].

 

That is definitely a ‘challenge’! To take that step of reconciliation towards someone we hate, or who has done us great harm, is very costly. It takes courage. But without that, the gift of forgiveness which we are asking of God can often be what Bonhoeffer famously described as “cheap grace.” But if you have the courage to take that first step, to put out your hand in peace to the other, wonderful things can happen!

 

We may not have literal ‘altars’ on which we offer sacrifices anymore, but the concept behind this verse holds true. We should never let our conflict with a brother to come between us and God.

So when Jesus says to be reconciled to your brother, what does reconciliation mean? It is a simple case of hugging and making up? Well, not exactly. The Greek word translated as “reconcile” refers to changing your mind, changing the other’s mind, or rekindling a friendship. This may be as simple as apologizing, but it also may require a difficult conversation in which one or both parties are confronted with what they did wrong. This kind of soul-searching and forgiveness is what Jesus has in view here.

However, it’s also important to note what Jesus doesn’t say. Referring to the other party as your “brother” indicates that this is a damaged relationship with another believer. In other words, this is even MORE heinous, since it is conflict in the ‘body’ of Christ. This doesn’t require believers to never have civil disagreements and never be embroiled in severe conflict with anyone. It just means we need not avoid conflict at all costs even when it’s justified, just know how to handle being at odds with another believer.

We must pour our hearts out on the ‘altar’ and set our hearts to seeking God. We must be students of the Scripture to know how to pray biblically, not using God as an ecclesiastical Santa Claus or thinking of Him as a bellhop who jumps when we ring the ‘bell’. The way to victory is through confession of need, through a broken and contrite spirit, and through ‘tears’. When God sees that, He meets us at the altar. Then He opens ‘doors’ (answered prayers) that were previously impossible to open.

 

All this to say that Jesus IS NOT saying that this is a ‘blank check’ for any prayer request. He IS saying that the power of faith can turn the impossible into reality for anyone willing to take the risk of true, believing prayer. Asking God for the impossible is not something to be taken lightly, but neither is it out of the question for the true believer to ask.

 

Jesus is then saying that if you believe God, then the things which are ‘humanly’ impossible, CAN become possible. So, the question is never if God CAN, but whether or not God WILL! God can do ALL things, but God WILL NOT do everything that He can do.

There is no doubt about God’s ability. So, the question is never CAN GOD, it is WILL GOD? This is what Jesus was trying to convey to the disciples. It was as if they still had a doubt about the ability of God and were amazed that Jesus could kill a tree with just a word.

Answered prayer is contingent on whether or not the thing being asked for is in God’s perfect ‘WILL’ or not.

 

God’s ability to dislodge mountains was figurative language asserting his power to do the impossible. Mark highlights this conviction elsewhere by reminding the reader that, “all things are possible with God” (10:27; 14:36).

The believer is invited to pray in the confidence that all things remain possible for God, and NO request is ever too great. No need is beyond the reach of God’s ability. Remember, the outcome of prayer is dependent on God’s ability not ours, and He, as the Creator, can ‘restart’ whatever has stopped, terminate whatever has begun, or redirect anything in progress.

Pray for miracles, believing that your petitions have been heard, but some answers arrive sooner than others—some in our lifetimes, others at the end of the ‘age’. God “is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20).

 

British Protestant missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, said, “The prayer power has never been tried to its full capacity… if we want to see mighty wonders of divine power and grace wrought in the place of weakness, failure and disappointment, let us answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things which thou knows not.”

 

THE ‘COMMITMENT’ OF PERSISTENT PRAYER
One of the greatest obstacles to perseverance in prayer was evident in the apostles themselves. Jesus said of them, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). To persevere in prayer takes commitment, discipline, and self-sacrifice.

When we are serious about prayer, our intimacy with the Lord begins to grow. The more we listen and speak with God, the better we get to know Him. As that happens, we start to view the world from a ‘divine’ perspective. The things that matter to God will become our concerns as well, and our prayers will increasingly reflect His interests. Over time, the discipline of prayer should begin to have a purifying effect upon us.

 

Jesus knew the weakness of our flesh and that we all are prone to lose heart. In light of that, He graciously gave His disciples and us the parable of the persistent widow “to show that at all times they [and we] ought to pray and not lose heart.”

So, when the Apostle Paul tells us to pray without ceasing, the word he used was also used of “repeated military assaults.” The army would attack, withdraw, and then regroup. Then they would attack again and again until they achieved victory. That is how the believer is to pray.

This word was also used to describe a ‘hacking’ cough. A person with a hacking cough doesn’t usually cough without coming up for a breath. Rather, they cough frequently and repeatedly—and that’s how the Apostle Paul was telling the believer how they should pray.

 

Our ultimate reliance on Christ for success in spiritual warfare is underscored by the participial phrase used in Ephesians 6:18 (“praying at all times in the Spirit”) which covers everything that comes before it. In so doing, it indicates that we don the armor of God and we clothe ourselves—by consistent, persistent prayer.

Praying at all times is nothing less than taking every opportunity to acknowledge our weakness and our need for the Lord’s mighty help against Satan. Prayerful dependence must be the consistent attitude of our hearts, both in difficult times that make us quick to run to God and when prosperous seasons tempt us to forget our need for Him. John Calvin writes, “Paul therefore desires us to allow no opportunity to pass—on no occasion to neglect prayer; so that praying always is the same thing as praying both in prosperity and in adversity.”

 

THE U.S. Marine Corps Book of Strategy states, “positions are seldom lost because they have been destroyed, but almost invariably because the leader has decided in his own mind that the position cannot be held.” The Christian life is a war. If we don’t understand this, we will live defeated lives. Daily we are involved in a battle, a spiritual conflict. The church is not a cruise ship; it’s a battleship. Too many believers are in a spiritual ditch by default because they’ve never prepared themselves for the long road of discipleship.

Pastor John MacArthur writes that spiritual warfare is “a war of universal proportions pitting God and His truth against Satan and his lies. It’s a battle of wills between God and Satan. It’s a cosmic conflict that involves God and the highest creature He ever made and it filters down to every human being. Satan and his army of demons are fighting Christ, His holy angels, the nation of Israel and believers. The battle lines are clearly drawn.”

But it’s not just any war.

The Marine manual also states, “All actions in war take place in an atmosphere of uncertainty—the fog of war. Uncertainty pervades battle in the form of unknowns about the enemy, about the environment, and even about the friendly situation. While we try to reduce these unknowns by gathering information, we must realize we cannot eliminate them. The very nature of war makes absolute certainty impossible.”

While the statement above may be time from a human perspective on war, it is not time about spiritual warfare. We are not ignorant of Satan’s devices. He is crafty, subtle, and persistent. He is seeking whom he may ‘devour’. But we have been equipped by the Spirit and through the Word to be overcomers. We have not been left alone to figure out the strategies of the enemy. We have been given clear instructions on how to prepare.

Basically, we have been called to war on the floor. The battle is on our knees. Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18)—not to Satan or demons or governments or circumstances. All authority—ultimate authority—is God’s. Yet most of our prayers in times of battle sound like we have already given up!

 

If that is something you are experiencing, then you need to ‘put on’ the “full armor of God” so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. (Ephesians 6:10-19)

[ FYI: For more details about the “armor of God,” read this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/ready-for-battle-v235/ ].

 

The believer can’t wield a powerful, effective ‘sword’ or stand firm without their ‘armor’. One of the old hymns, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus,” says, “Put on the Gospel armor, Each piece put on with prayer.” The following lists each ‘piece’ of armor:

– Pray as you put on “truth like a ‘belt’ around your waist”
– Pray as you put on “righteousness like a ‘breastplate’ on your chest”
– Pray as your “‘shoes’ with readiness for the gospel of peace”
– Pay as you “take up the ‘shield’ of faith”
– Pray as you put on “the ‘helmet’ of salvation”
– Pray as you use “the ‘sword’ of the Spirit, which is God’s Word”

 

The believer doesn’t wrestle against flesh and blood but against rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms (Ephesians 6:12).

As the believer persists in prayer, they ‘war’ against the powers of darkness. It is through persistent asking, seeking, and knocking that they will overcome the ‘works’ of the Devil. They are to persist in prayer because there is a spiritual battle in the heavenly places, and the powers of darkness want to rob us of God’s blessing.

 

The challenge for the American Christian today is to break away from the busyness of life and enter into this spiritual battle through persistent prayer

[ FYI: For more details on how to ‘unbusy’ your life, view these previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” posts:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/mar-05-v73/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/apr-05-v74/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/jun-07-v100/ ].

 

Pastor E. M. Bounds wrote, “Other duties become pressing and absorbing and crowd out prayer. ’Choked to death’ would be the coroner’s verdict in many cases of dead praying if an inquest could be secured on this dire, spiritual calamity.” We are powerless because we are prayerless! It’s not that we don’t have the right ‘equipment’, it is that we fail to appropriate it!

Pastor and theologian James Philip writes, “If we are right people, then we will pray always, and if we are not, we cannot and we will not; even if we were on our knees all day long, we would not pray as God means us to pray. It is not how we pray, and what we pray, but what we are when we pray, that is decisive. Our life is our prayer. And if our life is not right neither will our prayer be right, how ever earnestly we may stir ourselves in prayer.”

In these “last days,” people seem to be too busy to spend time with God. Just like the Parable of the Persistent Widow emphasized, when someone is in great need and desperate (having gone to the ‘cupboards’ and found them empty), then you need to seek the resources of our Heavenly Father through a concerted and ‘COMMITTED’ prayer effort. (BUT, don’t wait until then!)

 

GEORGE MÜELLER
If you ask most bible teachers or theologians who they think ‘epitomized’ being committed to persistent prayer and totally committed to having God provide for his needs, most would answer “George Müeller.” Most would also say that he was one of the greatest pastor/missionaries who have ever lived.

However, what many people don’t realize is that Müeller lived a very sinful life until he was twenty years old. Even though he was in training for the ministry in his native Germany, he continued in his rebellious, ungodly ways. The only reason he was studying to be a pastor was that ministers, in that time and place, were employees of the state, and the ministry was considered a safe, steady job.

In his twentieth year, however, while at Halle University, Müeller attended a small-group meeting of some genuine, ‘on-fire’ believers, and he ‘gave his life’ to God that night. In the days and weeks that followed, he prayed, asking God, “What do you want me to do? Do You still want me to be a minister?” He believed that God ‘spoke’ to his heart saying, “I want you to be a missionary.”

But, Müeller’s father, who was paying for his studies, was opposed to the idea. He said, “You need to keep training to be a minister, so you’ll have a regular income.”

MüeIIer went back to God and prayed about what course he should take. After weeks of waiting on God, he believed he had his answer: “Don’t depend on your father for support. I [God] will provide for you.”

 

So Müeller stopped taking money from his father, though he had two years of university left and no money for tuition. He prayed for God’s provision, and almost immediately he was offered a position teaching German to several visiting American professors. This work made him enough money to finish school.

Müeller volunteered for missionary work in several places, but each time his plans fell through. So again he prayed—this time for a full year. Finally, he said that God ‘told’’ him, “You have waited long enough. Now go.”

Leaving his native Germany, Müeller traveled to London to work with a missionary society there, but then he felt God’s ‘leading’ to travel to another English town. Approaching the door of the only church in the town, he asked to see the pastor.

“Our pastor resigned last week,” the church officers told him.
“I’ve been training as a missionary…” Müeller began.
“You’re hired,” they told him.

However, after a few months, he was dismayed to learn that the church supported itself principally by renting pews to wealthy members, so they could always be assured of good seats. Müeller stopped that practice and refused to take a salary, choosing instead to depend on prayer and free-will offerings.

As a result of his leadership and good teaching, people began to give the way God had instructed, and the offerings increased. The same thing happened when he moved to the town of Bristol to pastor a church there.

Then God put it on Müeller’s ‘heart’ to open an orphanage.

As always, Müeller spent time praying about this possibility, seeking God’s direction. He never mentioned his desire or his needs from the pulpit, and he never sent out any fund-raising letters. He simply prayed. Seemingly out of the blue, someone came up to him and said, “Pastor, I would like to give you the money to start an orphanage”—and they did!

They started one orphanage, and then another. Over the course of Müeller’s sixty-plus years as a missionary/pastor, he started more orphanages than any missionary or missions organization since. Müeller always emphasized that missions giving should only consist of monies over and above a persons regular tithe—and God proved Himself faithful in that, too. In fact, the missions account of his church brought in 7.5 million dollars—and this in the 1800s!

[ FYI: $1K in 1800 is the equivalent of $20K today (20X). So, 7.5M then would be about $150M today. In comparison, the A-rated homeless shelter “Grace Centers of Hope” in the Detroit Metro area, which accommodates 150-200 people and serves over 100K meals/year, has an annual revenue of $7M ].

 

Müeller portrayed an extraordinary life of faith. His name evokes stories of orphans whose needs were provided for in the nick of time. Just as the food and milk had run out, a basket of food was left on the doorstep. Just as the orphanage bills had to be paid, someone wrote a check to allay impending disaster. Usually, the money was like manna in the wilderness, a provision for the day, no more, no less.

While we maintain a warm admiration for the man and a kind of envy for his faith, thinking of him as one writer has said, as “the man who got things from God,” the memory of his story is too often focused on the answers to prayer he experienced, without being aware of the lifelong hardships he knew, hardships that made his faith an even greater testimony. Also, the extraordinary foundation of his faith in, tenacity for, and knowledge of God, can be lost to the penchant for the legendary, dramatic stories.

Müeller believed, however, that the trying of his faith made it stronger, and certainly his writing is a testimony to that fact: “I prefer by far this life of almost constant trial.” “If I am only able to roll all my cares upon my Heavenly Father, and thus become increasingly acquainted with Him. God answered that prayer well. The way did not get easier, the money did not start rolling in; until the end of his life, God chose to supply help on a week-by-week, often a hair-raisingly day-by-day basis. Prayer was the central ingredient in the existence of these orphanages.”

Müeller never sent specific details to donors. He prayed consistently, agonizing, sincerely and faithfully—and God answered in a colorful and other unpredictable array of ways, sometimes maddeningly later rather than sooner, but always just ‘in time’. The reward was, of course, the refreshment of knowing these answers had had nothing to do with anything but God’s intervention. How often does the average Christian know that? We are so prone to “want to answer our own prayers.”

Müeller stated that, “If you believe indeed in the Lord Jesus for the salvation of your soul, if you walk uprightly and do not regard iniquity in your heart, if you continue to wait patiently, and believingly upon God, then answers will surely be given to your prayers.”

 

Nearing the end of his life, Müeller commented on how God supplied his “daily bread”: “I will now look out for the way in which the Lord will deliver us this day again; for He will surely deliver, Many Saturdays, when we were in need, He helped us, and so He will do this day also.”

[ FYI: If you would like some ‘daily bread’, consider getting this FREE daily devotional, called “Our Daily Bread”: https://odb.org/ (You can receive it either by mail, email, on their app, on their website, or on their Facebook Page) ].

 

Müeller spent the rest of his long and fruitful life leading churches and orphanages, preaching both in England and abroad, and praying! He was famous for never doing anything that wasn’t rooted in prayer. One story, in particular, illustrates both his faithfulness and the amazing power of prayer.

In 1844, when Müeller was thirty-nine years old, he ‘COMMITTED’ himself to pray for the conversion of five men he knew. According to his journals, he prayed “every day without a single intermission, whether sick or in health, on land or at sea” After eighteen months, one of those men accepted Christ.

Müeller thanked God and kept praying. Five years later the next man was converted, and six years after that, the third man gave his life to Christ.

Müeller kept praying for the final two, but they remained unconverted. When he died at age ninety-three, he had been praying for both of them more than 52 years, seemingly without result. BUT, at his funeral, one of those men said, “Yes” to Jesus, and a short time afterward, the fifth man was converted, too!

 

Can you imagine how many times George Müeller must have felt like giving up during those 50+ years of praying for the salvation of his two friends? BUT, he was committed, and we must also be committed if we expect to see answered to prayer—even if it is after we go to Heaven!

 

In his book, “Answers to Prayer,” Müeller added these five ‘commitments’ for prevailing prayer as an appendix:

1 – ENTIRE DEPENDENCE upon the merits and mediation of the Lord Jesus Christ, as the only ground of any claim for blessing. (See John 14:13-14; 15:16, etc.)

2 – Separation from all known sin. If we regard iniquity in our hearts, the Lord will not hear us, for it would be sanctioning sin. (Psalm 66:18)

3 – Faith in God’s word of Promise as confirmed by His oath. Not to believe Him is to make Him both a liar and a perjurer. (Hebrews 11:6; 6:13-20)

4 – Asking in accordance with His will. Our motives must be Godly: we must not seek any gift of God to consume it upon our lusts. (1 John 5:14; James 4:3)

5 – Importunity in supplication. There must be waiting on God and waiting for God, as the husbandman has long patience to wait for the harvest. (James 5:7).

 

‘PATIENCE’ IN PRAYER
Godly patience involves more than enduring the passing of time. It also means waiting on God in times of deep trouble. It carries an attitude of faith that God is in control, so we can bring our anxieties to Him. Most biblical terms in reference to patience indicate that it is an attribute with ‘shoes’ on—actively working and persevering toward a God-honoring end. The patient believer works while they wait.

 

The British politician William Wilberforce, demonstrated the hardworking, enduring work of patience. Standing only five feet tall, his acquaintances considered him to be unremarkable in appearance—homely according to some. Yet a statue of this man stands tall in the English “Hall of Fame,” the Westminster Abbey.

The brief inscription on the pedestal below reads, “He removed from England the guilt of the African slave trade, and prepared the way for the abolition of slavery in every Colony of the Empire.”

William Wilberforce gained the respect of even his foes for his unrelenting fight against slavery, child labor, and animal abuse. Shortly after beginning his political career as a member of the English House of Commons, he was encouraged by John Newton (a former slave-ship captain and writer of the song “Amazing Grace”) to fight for the end of the slave trade in Great Britain. However, success did not come quickly—but Wilberforce was not a man to give up easily. It would take him 19 long years to reach that goal.

Ending the slave trade in the motherland was not enough for him. He continued to push for legislation that would abolish slavery throughout the British Empire. This was not to happen for another 37 years—the edict passing its final vote just three days before he died! If a monument has ever been raised to honor the virtue of enduring patience, certainly Wilberforce’s grave marker is one!

 

Wilberforce was an ‘exemplary’ example of the virtue of patience which has been described as having two ‘legs’—endurance and perseverance. These aspects reflect two important realities about patience. Patience will, in some instances, stand still with a firm resolve to hold on to the truth.

Such patient endurance also marked the life of the Apostle Paul. He was imprisoned numerous times (see Acts 16), and in those times he could do little but wait in faith for God to act.

Yet, like Wilberforce, the Apostle Paul also had that other ‘leg’ of patience, that of perseverance. Perseverance is patience ‘on the move’. It marks those who actively continue in a work they are convinced that God is ‘calling’ them to do. It’s faithfully going on with life, trusting that if you do your work honestly well, and with a good attitude and gentle spirit, you are indeed serving God.

A prime biblical example of such patience is Joseph (Genesis 37-50). After being sold into slavery by his cruel and conspiring brothers, he was transported to Egypt, where he suffered, like Shakespeare’s Hamlet, “the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.”

In the end, Joseph’s faith and hope in God were stronger than ever. He did not resolve to seek vengeance. He didn’t deny his faith in Jehovah and resign himself to a miserable fate and bitter end. Although he must have experienced deep and dark seasons of the soul, he did not end up in despair. Instead, over and over he offered his life to God. Through a series of terrible reversals, he trusted his heavenly Father even in the service of pagan rulers and governments. God blessed Joseph for his faith and patience in ways he never could have imagined!

Think of it. One young man’s practice of patient perseverance, in seemingly impossible circumstances, some 3,000 years ago, ultimately blessed you and me! (God’s promise to Abraham to make of him a great nation that would bless the nations of the world). His hope is now our hope. [ Joseph is ultimately honored in the hall of faith found in Hebrews 11, a list of the saints of God who persevered and endured with patience just about every trial imaginable—because they had hope ].

 

English writer Edward Bulwer-Lytton, a 19th-century novelist said, “There is one form of hope which is never unwise, and which certainly does not diminish with the increase of knowledge. In that form it changes its name, and we call it patience.” So, patience is not a desperate waiting in doubt, but a hopeful waiting in confidence.

 

The Apostle Paul tells us that God highly regards patience: “…rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:9-16).

The great Reformer John Calvin said that, “My struggles are not greater against my vices, which are very great and numerous, than against my impatience; and my efforts are not wholly useless. I have not, however, been able yet to conquer that ferocious animal.”

 

At its heart, impatience is one of the chief traits of self-centeredness—and self-centeredness is a mark of immaturity.

We are not surprised that children want what they want when they want it, but we expect grown-ups to have matured to the point where they’re willing to wait, and to give of their time to meet the needs of others.

Unfortunately, we live in a society that all too often doesn’t know how to wait! Our generation has become the “I Want It Now” generation. We’ve become so accustomed to immediate self-gratification that we have lost our appreciation for the gift of patience.

Fifteenth-century English bishop Jeremy Taylor noted, “Impatience turns an ague [a chill] into a fever, a fever to the plague, fear into despair, anger into rage, loss into madness, and sorrow into frenzy.” [ 2020 with COVID-19, civil unrest, and election concerns? ].

 

One particular saying coming to my mind right now is, “Don’t sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.” If impatience does anything, it often gives up what is lasting and significant for that which is fleeting and relatively meaningless.

English scientist-philosopher Francis Bacon recognized the extreme danger of impatience. He said, “Whoever is out of patience is out of the possession of his soul.” Being a follower of Jesus, Bacon was no doubt recalling His words to His disciples about the last days: “You will be delivered up even by parents and brothers and relatives and friends, and some of you they will put to death. You will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But not a hair of your head will perish. By your endurance you will gain your lives” [ Luke 21:16-19 ].

 

Because patience is such a valued attribute for the believer, it is found throughout the Scriptures. Sometimes we see it in failures and loss created by human impatience. But most commonly we find it marked by its rewards. Consider the following:

– Patience leads to earthly benefits (Job 42:10)
– Patience provides us a better end than the present (Ecclesiastes 7:8)
– Patience allows us to bear fruit from seeds of faith (Luke 8:15)
– Patience wins the approval of God (Psalm 40:1; 1 Peter 2:20)
– Patience makes us a good example for others (2 Thessalonians 1:4)
– Patience perfects our character (James 1:4)
– Patience provides health for our souls (Luke 21:19)
– Patience gives us hope (Romans 15:4)
– Patience provides us with God’s power (Colossians 1:10-11)

 

All this to say, patience enables us to inherit God’s promises: “We desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” [ Hebrews 6:11-12 ].

 

Seeking God with a patient attitude thinks that, “No matter how long it takes. I will be patient and persevere.”

This is a ‘godly hunger’. The process usually takes time, and there are usually no shortcuts. God responds to those “who seek Him with their whole heart.” The Bible says, “You must be diligent so as to realize the full assurance of hope, so that you will receive the promise” [ Hebrews 6:11 ] (for salvation). Growing faith is hard work, for the Bible goes on to say, “Don’t be sluggish but be imitators of those who through faith and patience have inherited the promises” [ Hebrews 6:12 ].

This is ‘desperate’ praying. You must persevere until you get to a place where you are “fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised” (Romans 4:21), for He is able also to perform!

 

One of the greatest ‘dangers’ with delay to prayer is the thinking that it may not be God’s will. The temptation is to think that it may not be God’s will to give us what we ask. The thing is, if our prayer is according to God’s Word, with the ‘leading’ of the Spirit, then it’s just a ‘TIMING’ ISSUE. Give God the time He needs time WITH you to exercise the full influence of His ‘presence’ on you!

[ FYI: For more details about God’s ‘presence’, view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/presence-withdrawn-v257/ ].

 

So, let no delay shake your faith. Just remember when growing corn, it is first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear (Mark 4:28). Each believing prayer brings one a step nearer the final ‘harvest’. Each believing prayer helps to ripen the ‘fruit’.

However little we can understand it, we must first sow the seed into the ‘soil’ of Heaven, then put forth the effort, and then we will see the influence we seek to exert. The thing is, we must give our ‘whole’ being to prayer: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up” [ Galatians 6:9 ].

Trust that God will give you what you need, the amount you need, and when you need it!

 

Sometimes we find ourselves in similar positions today, asking God over and over again for certain answers, certain things to happen, but He make us persevere in prayer. He encourages us to keep praying, even for a ‘long time’ before an answer comes.

I believe there are several good reasons why God does this: Waiting is good discipline; We may not be ready to understand God’s will yet; and Perseverance in prayer reveals the ‘quality’ of our faith.

 

Sometimes God also leaves us to persevere in prayer for a long time because the testing and shaping of our faith is more important than the answering of our prayer. A good example of this is Paul’s constant prayer to God to remove “a thorn in the flesh” that he was suffering from (2 Corinthians 12:7). Paul’s persistent prayer had helped him grow in faith to the point where he was ready to suffer with his ‘thorn’ regardless of God’s answer. [ God did not ‘heal’ this, but said that, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” – 2 Corinthians 12:9 ].

When a believer becomes discouraged when their prayers are not answered the way they want—or not answered at all—they need to remember an important reason for persistent prayer: It is more important that they are a ‘FAITHFUL’ people than a people where prayers are always answered, or quickly answered. Persevering in prayer may not always produce a ‘satisfying’ answer to their prayer (as they ‘gauge’ it), but it is always a sign of a sincere faith.

 

When everything is going our way, patience is easy to demonstrate. The true test of patience comes when our rights are ‘violated’—when another car cuts us off in traffic; when we are treated unfairly; or when our coworker derides our faith, again. The Bible praises patience as a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) which should be produced for all followers of Jesus (1 Thessalonians 5:14). Patience reveals our faith in God’s timing, omnipotence, and love.

Although most people consider patience to be a ‘passive’ tolerance, most of the Greek words translated “patience” in the New Testament are ‘active’, robust words. The Greek word means endurance, persevering toward a goal, enduring trials, or expectantly waiting for a promise to be fulfilled.

As you probably already realize, patience does not develop overnight. Colossians 1:11 tells us that we are strengthened by Him to “great endurance and patience,” while James 1:3-4 encourages us to know that trials are God’s way of ‘perfecting’ our patience. One’s patience is further developed and strengthened by ‘resting’ in God’s perfect will and timing, even in the face of evil men who “succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes” (Psalm 37:7). One’s patience is rewarded in the end “because the Lord’s coming is near” (James 5:7-8).

So, instead of your first reaction being “Why me?” (Philippians 4:4; 1 Peter 1:6), seek God’s purposes. He might be allowing a trial for the ‘sanctification’ of your character. Remember that, “all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” [ Romans 8:28 ]. The “all things” include the things that try our patience!

Especially remember, “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, He will give eternal life” (Romans 2:7).

 

THE ‘KEYS’ TO EFFECTIVE PRAYER
Everyone wants their prayers to be ‘effective’, so much so that when they focus on the ‘results’, they sometimes lose sight of the incredible ‘privilege’ they have in prayer—that we can ‘speak’ to the Creator of the universe and He will ‘listen’. Even more astounding is the fact that He acts on our behalf!

The first thing we need to understand about effective prayer is that one needs to be one of His ‘children’—“born again”—to approach the Throne of Grace to pray (Hebrews 10:19-25).

Now, although the Bible offers a great deal of guidance on how we can deepen our communication with God, effective prayer has more to do with the person doing the praying than it does with ‘how’ they are to pray. Scripture says, “The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective” (James 5:16), that the “eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer” (1 Peter 3:12; Psalm 34:15), and “the prayer of the upright pleases Him” (Proverbs 15:8).

Examples abound in the Bible. Prayer saved Daniel from the lion’s den (Daniel 6:11). God’s chosen people benefitted from Moses’ right standing with God (Exodus 16-17). Hannah’s steadfast and humble prayers for her barrenness resulted in the birth of the prophet Samuel (1 Samuel 1:20). The Apostle Paul’s prayers even caused an earthquake and the chains of every prisoner to fall off! (Acts 16:25-26). Clearly, the passionate prayers of God’s righteous children can accomplish much (Numbers 11:2).

First off, one needs to make sure that our prayers are ‘inline’ with God’s will. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14-15). However, if one doesn’t know what to pray for, the Apostle Paul reminds us that, as God’s children, one can rely on the Holy Spirit to intercede for them, as “the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:27).

Secondly, prayer is something believers should do “continually” (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and to be persistent and “not give up” (Luke 18:1). Also, when we present our requests to God, we are to pray with faith (James 1:5; Mark 11:22-24), with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6), and with a heart that is ‘right’ with God (James 5:16). It’s the strength of our faith, not the length of our prayers that pleases Him to whom we pray, so we don’t need to impress God with our eloquence or intelligence. After all, God knows what our needs are even before we even ask! (Matthew 6:8).

Thirdly, we should make sure we have no unconfessed sin in our hearts when we pray, as this would certainly be an impediment to effective prayer. “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2; Psalm 66:18). Fortunately, “if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).

Finally, another barrier to effective prayer is asking with selfish desires and wrong motives. “When you ask you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures” (James 4:3).

The same God who made the sun stand still because of the prayer of Joshua (Joshua 10:12-13), invites the believer to come boldly before Him and pray with confidence that He will extend His mercy and grace to help them in our time of need! (Hebrews 4:16).

 

DON’T ‘GIVE UP’!
Do you have ’stick-to-itiveness’? When you come up against an ‘obstacle’, do you ‘push through’ to the end? If not, are there other things that make people decide to quit?

Well, sometimes people quit because they feel their efforts have brought little or no success. One story I read tells of a man determined to find gold, and spent a lot of time and money digging a mine shaft. But, after digging down a mile, he gave up and sold the mine. The person who bought the mine dug down just THREE more feet and struck gold!

People also quit because of ‘setbacks’ in their health, finances, or other areas of their lives. Criticism by others—especially from a parent, spouse, family member, or close friend—also cause many people to give up on something that was really ‘important’ to them.

 

HOWEVER, one can’t let the lack of success, devastating setbacks, or criticisms hinder them from pursuing worthwhile goals—especially if they think God is ‘leading’ them to do it (remember Noah?).

The first time Benjamin Disraeli spoke before the English House of Commons, the members laughed at him. But, instead of ’throwing in the towel’, he vowed that one day those people would listen to him. Years later, Disraeli became the first Jewish Prime Minister of England.

William Carey—considered to be the “father of the modern Christian missionary movement”—faced tremendous devastation in his missionary efforts in India. Even though a fire burned down his house, and with it, many years of Bible translation work, he did not give up. Instead, he reworked his translations, and firmly believed that the second set was MUCH BETTER than the first (was that God ‘refining’ his work?).

 

When we don’t see immediate answers to our prayers, we tend to want to give up. That’s when we need perseverance. Effective praying is like running a marathon. Endurance is the key. Do you remember the wonderful promise Jesus made concerning prayer? “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” [ Matthew 7:7 ].

As mentioned previously, most people fail to realize is that this is a conditional promise. Unfortunately, the condition is missed in most of our English translations. The condition is perseverance. A literal rendering of the Greek text reads, “Keep on asking, keep on seeking, keep on knocking.” How many times have we failed to receive an answer to our prayers because we have failed to meet the condition of perseverance?

 

Just remember, ‘biblical’ prayer is one of expectancy. We come acknowledging that we do not deserve anything from God. Yet, we come knowing that He delights in lavishing His love upon His children and bringing glory to Himself through amazing displays of His power. British pastor Charles Spurgeon eloquently challenged his congregation with this:

“Nothing pleases God as much as when a sinner comes again very soon with twice as large a petition, saying, ‘Lord, You did hear me last time, and now I have come again.’ Faith is a mighty Grace and always grows upon that on which it feeds. When God has heard prayer for one thing, faith comes and asks for two things! And when God has given those two things, faith asks for six. Faith can scale the walls of Heaven. She is a giant Grace. She takes mountains up by their roots and piles them on other mountains and so climbs to the Throne of God in confidence with large petitions, knowing that she shall not be refused. We are, most of us, too slow to go to God. We are not like the beggars who come to the door 20 times if you do not give them anything. But if we have been heard once, we go away, instead of coming time after time, and each time with a larger prayer. Make your petitions larger and larger. Ask for ten and if God gives them, then for a thousand! Then for ten thousand, and keep going on until at last you will positively get faith enough to ask, if it is right and proper, as great a favor as Moses did, “I beseech You, show me Your Glory.”

 

Remember Thomas Edison? Well, his teachers said that he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” Then, as an inventor, Edison made over 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?,” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

No one, including Edison, ever counted the number of experimental lamps that they made. There were hundreds of experiments before he developed the bamboo lamp, and many additional experiments before the lamps were adequate for commercial production. In a letter to Edison in spring 1884, Francis Upton noted that the lamp factory had conducted 2,774 experiments (presumably since it had started operations in October 1881).

The source of the story about Edison trying thousands of experiments or materials is probably an 1890 interview in Harper’s Monthly Magazine:

“I speak without exaggeration when I say that I have constructed three thousand different theories in connection with the electric light, each one of them reasonable and apparently to be true. Yet only in two cases did my experiments prove the truth of my theory. My chief difficulty, as perhaps you know, was in constructing the carbon filament, the incandescence of which is the source of the light. Every quarter of the globe was ransacked by my agents, and all sorts of the queerest materials were used, until finally the shred of bamboo now utilized was settled upon. Even now,’ Mr. Edison continued, ‘I am still at work nearly every day on the lamp, and quite lately I have devised a method of supplying sufficient current to fifteen lamps with one horse-power. Formerly ten lamps per horse-power was the extreme limit.’”

In this quote, Edison is not talking about the number of experiments but rather, theories more generally around electric lighting. Edison had been working on electric lighting for over ten years by this time, and not the original research that led him to the bamboo filament lamp, which was completed in 1880.

Edison originally began his research with the platinum group of metals, but focused mainly on platinum and platinum-iridium. He turned to carbon and experimented with some cotton threads, different kinds of paper and cardboard, various woods, and then with a few long fiber plant materials before settling on bamboo. Later he had a worldwide search conducted to see if he could find a better long fiber plant as he did not hold the key patents on artificial fibers, which were beginning to prove better. While Edison was in the electrical business, the Edison lamp continued to use a bamboo filament.

The thousands of experiments with different materials relate to Edison’s later work on storage batteries. Eventually Edison’s battery experiments involved over 10,000 experiments with different chemicals and materials to develop his alkaline storage battery. He never tried anywhere near that many materials in his inventive work on the light bulb. The authorized biography by Frank Dyer and T. C. Martin, Edison: His Life and Inventions (the first edition of the book is 1910), quotes Edison’s friend and associate Walter S. Mallory about these experiments:

“This [the research] had been going on more than five months, seven days a week, when I was called down to the laboratory to see him [Edison]. I found him at a bench about three feet wide and twelve feet long, on which there were hundreds of little test cells that had been made up by his corps of chemists and experimenters. I then learned that he had thus made over nine thousand experiments in trying to devise this new type of storage battery, but had not produced a single thing that promised to solve the question. In view of this immense amount of thought and labor, my sympathy got the better of my judgment, and I said: ‘Isn’t it a shame that with the tremendous amount of work you have done you haven’t been able to get any results?’ Edison turned on me like a flash, and with a smile replied: ‘Results! Why, man, I have gotten lots of results! I know several thousand things that won’t work!’”

Now, that’s PERSISTENCE!

 

There have been other ‘famous’ people that just didn’t give up. A few examples are:

– As a young man, Abraham Lincoln went to war a captain and returned a private. Afterwards, he was a failure as a businessman. As a lawyer in Springfield, he was too impractical and temperamental to be a success. He turned to politics and was defeated in his first try for the legislature, again defeated in his first attempt to be nominated for congress, defeated in his application to be commissioner of the General Land Office, defeated in the senatorial election of 1854, defeated in his efforts for the vice-presidency in 1856, and defeated in the senatorial election of 1858. At about that time, he wrote in a letter to a friend, “I am now the most miserable man living. If what I feel were equally distributed to the whole human family, there would not be one cheerful face on the earth.”

– Albert Einstein did not speak until he was 4-years-old and did not read until he was 7. His parents thought he was “sub-normal,” and one of his teachers described him as “mentally slow, unsociable, and adrift forever in foolish dreams.” He was expelled from school and was refused admittance to the Zurich Polytechnic School. He did eventually learn to speak and read. Even to do a little math.

– Louis Pasteur was only a mediocre pupil in undergraduate studies and ranked 15th out of 22 students in chemistry. In 1872, Pierre Pachet, Professor of Physiology at Toulouse, wrote that “Louis Pasteur’s theory of germs is ridiculous fiction.”

– Henry Ford failed and went broke five times before he succeeded.

– R. H. Macy failed seven times before his store in New York City caught on.

– Fred Smith, the founder of Federal Express, received a “C” on his college paper detailing his idea for a reliable overnight delivery service. His professor at Yale told him, “Well, Fred, the concept is interesting and well formed, but in order to earn better than a ‘C’ grade, your ideas also have to be feasible.”

– Walt Disney was fired by a newspaper editor because “he lacked imagination and had no good ideas.” He went bankrupt several times before he built Disneyland. In fact, the proposed park was rejected by the city of Anaheim on the grounds that it would only attract riffraff.

– Charles Schultz had every cartoon he submitted rejected by his high school yearbook staff. Oh, and Walt Disney wouldn’t hire him.

– After Fred Astaire’s first screen test, the memo from the testing director of MGM, dated 1933, read, “Can’t act. Can’t sing. Slightly bald. Can dance a little.” He kept that memo over the fireplace in his Beverly Hills home. Astaire once observed that “when you’re experimenting, you have to try so many things before you choose what you want, that you may go days getting nothing but exhaustion.” And here is the reward for perseverance: “The higher up you go, the more mistakes you are allowed. Right at the top, if you make enough of them, it’s considered to be your style.”

– Federico Fellini’s first films, “Luci del varieta” and “El sceicco bianco” were dismal financial and critical failures. In 1952, one film critic wrote, “We shall never hear from Fellini again.” Two years later, Fellini directed “La Strada,” which went on to garner the Academy Award and New York Film Critics Circle Award for Best Foreign Film, as well as the Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival. What is it they say about critics … something about knowing the worth of everything and the value of nothing?

 

Perseverance is holding on and NEVER GIVING UP, even in the face of opposition and apparent failure. Perseverance is a ‘mark’ of biblical faith.

So, what are some of the attributes of this kind of perseverance? Well, first off, perseverance is:

– Focused: It is concentrated on the object of prayer
– Incessant: It continually repeats and is not rebuffed by opposition or failure
– Systematic: It is methodical
– Unyielding: It never gives up
– Patient: It waits for the answer

The Bible is full of stories of men and women who persevered in prayer and saw God respond.

– Jacob: So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. (Genesis 32:24-28)

– Bartimaeus: A blind man, he shouted, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Jesus said, “Go, your faith has healed you.” Immediately, he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road. (Mark 10:46-52)

– The Woman of Canaan: This woman came to Jesus to ask him a favor. And although he kept silent, she never stopped pleading. Jesus said: “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” We can learn at least two things from this woman (Matthew 15:22-28).

– The Two Friends: A man went to his friend for help; however, his friend refused to help because he was already in bed. The man continued to knock. Jesus said that if his friend would not answer him because of their friendship, he would answer him because of his perseverance (Luke 11:5-8).

 

Sometimes our prayers are met with silence; nonetheless, we should persevere. Even when we have a reason to be offended, let us not lose sight of the object of our prayers.

When we don’t see immediate answers to our prayers, we tend to want to give up. BUT, that’s when we need perseverance. Effective praying is like running a marathon. Endurance is the key.

One of the greatest obstacles to perseverance in prayer was evident in the apostles themselves. Jesus said of them, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). To persevere in prayer takes commitment, discipline, and self-sacrifice.

Pastor E. M. Bounds once said, “He prays not at all, who does not press his plea. Cold prayers have no claim on Heaven and no hearing in the courts above. Fire is the life of prayer, and heaven is reached by flaming importunity rising in an ascending scale.”

 

Again, God is NOT like the reluctant friend or the unjust judge. He is the VERY OPPOSITE of that. The FIRST TIME you ask about a certain matter, He hears and He responds in accord with your need and in accord with your will. When you come before God consistently, you ’move’ the mighty power of God without reluctance. He seeks to respond to those whom He loves and to whom He has made promises of care and answered prayer!

 

Praying without ceasing does not mean saying the same thing over to God again and again and again and again and again. The Greek word translated “ceasing,” is “adialeiptōs,” which simply means continually. It doesn’t mean non-stop. It means ‘recurring’. It is that which is, as I previously said, flows from a settled dependence. It’s just a constant kind of running open conversation that never has really a period—just a series of ‘commas’ and ‘semicolons’. You can tell God and He knows. You don’t have to repeat it with some ‘formula’.

I don’t think it’s required of us that we find a formula to repeat that again and again and again, but that it rises out of our heart sort of on spiritual instinct, because we know the ONLY source of help is God. It just becomes like breathing—a way of life. Sadly for some, prayer tends to be the most difficult part of the Christian life for many. It should be like breathing, but often it is like exercise.

I am reminded of the words of pastor and theologian Warren Wiersbe: “Lack of prayer does not handicap us; it paralyzes us.” Puritan preacher John Bunyan wrote, “You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”

 

Pastor Samuel Chadwick saw in Jesus a ‘model’ of INCESSANT prayer: “He called upon God as Father, but in His praying, there was the sweat and agony of blood. He kneeled down and prayed, saying, ‘Father, if Thou be willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless not My will, but Thine be done,’ and being in an agony, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became, as it were, great drops of blood falling to the ground… He prayed in an agony unto blood.” WOW! Talk about ‘INTENSITY’!

 

The Apostle Paul also stated that God wanted His people to strive and agonize together in prayer: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” [ Philippians 4:6 ]. Believers are to be unceasing in prevailing, persistent prayer.

Now, this is not the kind of thing that says, I’m going to set my alarm to go off every hour on my computer to remind me to pray. Unceasing prayer is an ‘ATTITUDE’ in which I view the world and all that is going around in one’s life—all that occurs—and it just translates into prayer. I see something good, and immediately praise rises from my heart. I face something confusing, and immediately comes a plea like, “God, grant me wisdom.”

Prayer should be, in many ways, the DOMINANT ‘feature’ of a believer’s life. While it is the highest energy of which the human heart is capable, it is also the most powerful ‘instrument’ that they have. What a gift!

James talks about “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man that accomplishes much” (James 5:16). The Greek word “proseuchomai” is the most common New Testament word for prayer, and it means praise, petition, confession, intercession, and submission to God. Prayer is a desire on behalf of someone else, a desire that comfort be granted to a certain situation, that wisdom be given to a certain person, that resolution come to a certain problem.

 

Bible commentator John Lightfoot said, “It is not in the moving of the lips that the essence of prayer consists. It is in the elevation of the heart to God.” This is essential in Christian living. This is THE WILL of God for you (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

 

Are you about to lose ‘heart’? If this is a work that God has ‘prompted’ you to do, then ‘ask, seek, and knock’, God WILL strengthen you to endure until HE ‘says’ you are done (which may just be your death!).

SO, take ‘hold’ of your goal and NEVER ‘let go’! How well you start doesn’t really matter, it ALL ABOUT how you finish! Christopher Columbus set a goal to sail around the world. Every day of his voyage, he penned these words in his diary: “And this day we sailed on.” Columbus achieved INCREDIBLE results because he persisted in the pursuit of his goal—day after day. In the same way, if we want to reach any goal—especially spiritually—one must be faithful and have perseverance.

Again, Abraham was a great example of faithfulness and perseverance: “So Abram departed as the Lord had instructed, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. He took his wife, Sarai, his nephew Lot, and all his wealth—his livestock and all the people he had taken into his household at Haran—and headed for the land of Canaan” [ Genesis 12:4-5 ].

 

Do you see the two principles of life success? First, we must set out to ACHIEVE ‘NOBLE’ GOALS, ones worthy of the effort that may just be eternal. Secondly, one must KEEP GOING. Abram (later changed to Abraham by God) and everyone associated with him made it to Canaan because they persevered. If you expect to lead a ‘successful’ life, you CAN’T GIVE UP. You must keep on keeping on!

Many ‘famous’ people have commented on perseverance:

– Albert Einstein said that, “It’s not that I’m so smart, it’s just that I stay with problems longer.”

– Thomas Edison said that, “Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”

– Benjamin Disraeli said that, “Through perseverance many people win success out of what seemed destined to be certain failure.”

– Dr. Steve Maraboli said that, “As I look back on my life, I realize that every time I thought I was being rejected from something good, I was actually being redirected to something better.”

– Confucius said that, “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.”

– Abraham Lincoln said that, “I am a slow walker, but I never walk back.”

– Nelson Mandela said that, “It always seems impossible until it’s done.”

– Theodore Roosevelt said that, “Courage is not having the strength to go on; it is going on when you don’t have the strength.”

– Walter Elliot said that, “Perseverance is not a long race; it is many short races one after the other.”

– Will Smith commented on staying “after it”: “The only thing that I see that is distinctly different about me is I’m not afraid to die on a treadmill. I will not be out-worked, period. You might have more talent than me, you might be smarter than me, you might be sexier than me, you might be all of those things you got it on me in nine categories. But if we get on the treadmill together, there’s two things: You’re getting off first, or I’m going to die. It’s really that simple, right?

“You’re not going to out-work me. It’s such a simple, basic concept. The guy who is willing to hustle the most is going to be the guy that just gets that loose ball. The majority of people who aren’t getting the places they want or aren’t achieving the things that they want in this business is strictly based on hustle. It’s strictly based on being out-worked; it’s strictly based on missing crucial opportunities. I say all the time if you stay ready, you ain’t gotta get ready.”

 

Well, the Apostle Paul also said that persistent effort pays off: “So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up” [ Galatians 6:9 ].

We CAN persevere, even when times get tough! As one waits on God, He gives the believer the strength to endure: “But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint” [ Isaiah 40:31 ].

 

A PRAYER TO ‘PERSIST’ IN!
For ‘unbelievers’, persisting in prayer could CHANGE THEIR ‘DESTINY’!

The Bible says that those who are not “born again” are still ‘in’ their sins—and God says that ALL sins MUST BE ‘PUNISHED’.

Even though God is by nature love (1 John 4:16), His justice nature must punish sin. The punishment is called the “wrath of God.” It will occur on the final Day of Judgment when those who are unsaved will incur the wrath of God—and be sent to Hell for eternity! Currently, it is being released upon the ungodly by the ‘hardening’ of their hearts (Romans 1:18-32).

HOWEVER, deliverance from God’s wrath IS AVAILABLE through the “atonement” (Romans 5:8-10). “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Jesus ‘took it all’ for you on the Cross!

 

SO, it is TIME TO ACT! REPENT of your sins and ask God to help you make the decision to push through any ‘roadblocks’, overcome any hindrances, and begin praying as He will ‘lead’ you to do.

Now, if you get discouraged, don’t let that stop you. The Puritans had a saying, “Pray until you pray.” Keep praying! DON’T GIVE UP!

 

So, if you do realize that you are a “sinner” (Romans 3:23), you also need to know this:

– You can’t save yourself (Ephesians 2:8-9)
– Jesus, the sinless Son of God, lived the perfect life we could never live (1 Peter 2:22)
– Jesus died on the Cross to pay the penalty for all our sins (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
– Christ’s resurrection is proof that His sacrifice was acceptable to God the Father (Revelation 1:4-6)
– We ‘receive’ Jesus as our Savior by faith (John 3:16)

SO, ask God to ‘save’ you from the deserved penalty of your own sins. Trust Him to ‘RESCUE’ you. You will find that this will be the MOST IMPORTANT PRAYER you will EVER pray! It is this prayer for salvation that provides an unshakable ‘foundation’ for all of the other prayers you will offer up to God.

Remember what that notable real estate investor, Tom Krol, said about being “unstoppably persistent”? Focus on ‘WHO’ you have to be, then on ‘WHAT’ you have to do. (The “who” is a ‘child’ of God!)

 

WRAP UP
So, what does it mean to “pray without ceasing”? Well, it’s not going around in a head-bowed, eyes-closed posture all day long. The Apostle Paul is not referring to non-stop ‘talking’, but rather an ‘ATTITUDE’ of surrender that the believer has all the time. Every waking moment should to be lived in an awareness that God is ‘WITH’ us, and that He is actively ‘ENGAGED’ in our thoughts and actions.

When our thoughts turn to worry, fear, discouragement, and anger, we are to consciously and quickly turn every thought into prayer, and every prayer into thanksgiving. In his letter to the Philippians, Paul commands us to stop being anxious and instead, “in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). He taught the believers at Colossae to devote themselves “to prayer, being watchful and thankful” (Colossians 4:2). Paul exhorted the Ephesian believers to see prayer as a ‘weapon’ to use in fighting spiritual battles (Ephesians 6:18). So, as one goes through their day, prayer should be our first response to every fearful situation, every anxious thought, and even for every ‘undesired’ task that God commands. A lack of prayer will cause us to depend on ourselves instead of depending on God’s grace. Unceasing prayer is, in essence, continual dependence upon and communion with the Father.

For Christians, prayer should be like breathing. You do not have to think to breathe because the atmosphere exerts pressure on your lungs and essentially ‘forces’ you to breathe. That is why it is more difficult to hold your breath than it is to breathe. Similarly, when we are born into the family of God, we enter into a spiritual atmosphere where God’s presence and grace exert pressure, or influence, on our lives. Prayer is the normal response to that pressure. As believers, we have all entered the divine atmosphere to breathe the air of prayer.

Unfortunately, many believers ‘hold’ their “spiritual breath” for long periods, thinking brief moments with God are sufficient to allow them to survive. But such restriction of their spiritual intake is caused by sinful desires. The fact is, every believer must be continually in the presence of God, constantly breathing in His truths, to be ‘fully’ functional.

Too many believers become satisfied with physical blessings and have little desire for spiritual ones. When programs, methods, and money produce impressive results, there is an inclination to confuse human success with divine blessing. When that happens, a passionate longing for God and yearning for His help will be missing. Continual, persistent, and incessant prayer is an essential part of Christian living, and flows out of a humility and dependence on God.

 

Pastor John MacArthur says that there are five ‘elements’ or necessities for powerful, effective prayer: ‘Historical’, ‘theological’, ‘spiritual’, ‘practical’, and the ‘moral’ component.

The HISTORICAL ‘foundation’ is laid by God’s past displays of His power. The Israelites were instructed to remember the God who delivered them out of Egypt; rescued then from the death angel at the Passover; drowned all of Pharaoh’s army; fed them manna in the wilderness; and provided water from a rock. In addition to many other things, remember that God has done in the past.

The THEOLOGICAL component is about having ‘faith’ in God—trusting in Him (Matthew 21). Not doubting His purposes, promises, plans, and His will—trusting al of your circumstance and even your life to Him.

The SPIRITUAL component is all about ‘believing’. One’s faith is the only way to ‘activate’ God’s power within you, based on His purposes. The believer must believe in god’s goodness, wisdom, and power.

Then there’s the PRACTICAL component. The practical component of effective, powerful prayer is to ask. James says, “You have not because you ask not.” So, ask! “Believe that you have received them” speaks of something in the future, as if it’s already happened. “Believe that you have received them, these all things for which you ask, and they will be granted you.”

Wait a minute. “All things?” “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!” [ Matthew 7:7-11 ].

This sounds like a charismatic’s dream come true. BUT, that’s why one must also read, “You ask and you don’t receive, because you ask to consume it on your own desires” [ James 4:3 ].

The Bible is clear on the qualifications: whatever is according to His will. The beautiful model for that, Mark 14:36, Jesus in the garden, sweating, as it were, great drops of blood in anticipation of His own crucifixion, cries out, “Abba! Father! All things are possible for You; remove this cup from Me—this cup of coming suffering, sin-bearing; Yet, not what I will, but what You will.”

He will never withhold any good thing from you, and all things will work together for your good if you faithfully ask. But in the end, you can pour out your heart to Him, you can ‘storm’ Heaven, but always with this qualifying statement: “Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours be done.” Why? His is greater, purer, wiser, more generous, more gracious, more merciful than anything you could ever, ever imagine. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it’ll be done for you.” Ask whatever you wish. He’s controlling your wish list!

“Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full” [ John 16:24b ]. When you ask consistent with His will, it WILL be given to you!

Then there’s the ‘MORAL’ component. “Forgive, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.” Wow. “If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me” [ Isaiah 66:18 ]. So I’ve got to deal with the sin in my heart, and that could be a long process!

So God essentially says, “Let me make it simple for you. Forgive. If you have anything against anyone, “get rid of it.” That’s what the word “aphiēmi” in the Greek which means, “hurl it away.” Continuing, it says, “so that your Father who is in Heaven will also forgive you your transgressions.” [ This isn’t talking about salvation. The believer has already had the judicial forgiveness of salvation ]. This is talking about the sins that are part of your life as a believer that stand between you and God the Father.

That’s exactly what Jesus said in the “Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:14 and 15). “Forgive us our debts, as we have forgiven our debtors.” “But if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Jesus gave an illustration of this in Matthew 18. He told the story about the man who owed the king an unpayable debt and the king forgave him the debt). You can’t accept the full forgiveness of God and then be unforgiving towards somebody else.

So, Here’s your choice: hold a grudge, or have your prayers answered. Take your pick.

This is a ‘MASSIVE’, life-changing promise, isn’t it? Whatever we ask in His will, in His purpose, in His plan and it will BE DONE! So, might I suggest that you pray without ceasing!

 

Think about it. IF you were truly convinced that spending time in prayer every day for your business would make a significant difference in its success, wouldn’t you be inclined to carve out some extra minutes in your day to do it?

IF you knew for sure that sacrificing some other priorities to pray and seek God’s face concerning your marriage could transform your relationship, wouldn’t you be willing to make that sacrifice?

IF you accepted beyond all doubt that crying out to God every day for a child in a season of rebellion would change, soften, alter, or transform that child’s character, wouldn’t you aside other interests to spend more time in prayer?

 

SADLY, we REALLY DON’T BELIEVE, right down to the ‘core’ of who we are, that time invested in prayer will change things.

So, when it comes to prayer, then, we ‘vote’ with our ACTIONS. If we believe in it, we practice it. If deep down we don’t believe it makes a difference, we never seem to find time for it. It will always be an afterthought rather than the most urgent priority of our lives—which it NEEDS to be!

Will you be like the widow who ‘camped out’ in front of the judge’s chambers, waiting for him to act. OR, will you get discouraged after a short period of time and GIVE UP!

We may have prayed and prayed and even ‘wept’ before God for something, and we don’t feel like He has answered. So we lose heart and stop praying. We give up. We do exactly what Jesus WARNED us NOT TO DO. Then, in the ‘wake’ of our disappointment, we allow the Devil to warp our thinking about prayer.

 

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?
Too often we look for God to solve our problems, right away, rather than seeing our problems as an opportunity to trust God and develop a deeper relationship with Him.

Philosopher and theologian Blaise Pascal once wrote, “There are three kinds of people: those who have sought God and found him, and these are reasonable and happy; those who seek God and have not yet found him, and these are reasonable and unhappy; and those who neither seek God nor find him, and these are unreasonable unhappy.”

Scottish minister William Barclay said, “We are not wringing gifts from an unwilling God, but going to one who knows our needs better than we know them ourselves and whose heart towards us is the heart of generous love. If we do not receive what we pray for, it is not because God grudgingly refuses to give it, but because he has some better thing for us.”

The lesson is clear: Our praying should be persistent even when the answer doesn’t come quickly. It’s not that God is reluctant, needing some convincing to change His mind. He is willing and ready to answer, but because of the apathy in our hearts, we are often ‘flippant’ in our requests. We don’t want to understand God’s heart. We just want Him to get us out of a bind.

The persistent neighbor in Jesus’ parable refused to take no for an answer. His neighbor didn’t want to get out of bed and give him bread, but he did want the man to stop pounding at the door, lest he wake up the kids. So he roused himself and gave the man what he asked for. The persistent petitioner was driven by the need of a late-night friend. He was also driven to go to someone who could help. As a believer, do you pray more for your needs, or for the needs of others? Is your “me” list longer than your “them” list?

God is not indifferent or apathetic toward our requests or our needs. He is not a distant deity, nor is He asleep with a “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doors of Heaven. God loves a cheerful giver because He Himself is a cheerful giver. He gave His Son for us! Then, after the Son gave Himself, He left us the Holy Spirit to ‘indwell’ us!

 

So, I say to you, keep ‘ASKING’, keep ‘SEARCHING’, and keep ‘KNOCKING’ (Luke 11:9-10). This verse should be a reminder that ceaseless prayer should characterize one’s life, not just when one faces a ‘crisis’. Too much praying is crisis praying, and not enough of it is meant to maintain and nurture the relationship with one’s heavenly Father.

 

Like any father, the believer’s heavenly Father doesn’t always give them what they want when they want it. There are prayers God has not answered the way I wanted them answered. I have prayed for folks to be healed, and yet they have gone on to Heaven. I have prayed for people to come back into ‘fellowship’ with God, but they are still in the ‘distant land’. God’s delays must not be considered His denials. We shouldn’t stop praying just because we don’t get what we want when we want it.

Effective praying is specific praying that has specific results in mind. It’s far more than merely, “Bless those for whom it is our duty to pray.” It means a humble, begging plea, it’s a picture of someone asking God for help, not demanding it, but approaching Heaven with integrity in prayer and intensity in their intercession.

 

After finishing the parable about the persistent neighbor, Jesus goes on to state the case for persistent praying with another illustration. “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?” [ Luke 11:11-13 ].

Again, this is what the Hebrew rabbis call “an argument from the lesser to the greater.” The assumption is that if the first is true (vv. 11-12), then the second will be true to an even greater extent (v. 13). If we will give good things to our children and we are sinners by nature, how much more will our holy loving, heavenly Father give to us? However generous and kind we think we are when it comes to our kids, we are nothing compared to our heavenly Father. As humans, we are selfish by nature, but God is gracious and extravagant in His giving.

Pastor Charles Spurgeon said: “If you are sure it is a right thing for which you are asking, plead now, plead at noon, plead at night, plead on. With cries and tears spread out your case. Order your arguments. Back up your pleas with reasons. Urge the precious blood of Jesus. Bring out the atoning sacrifice, point to Calvary. Enlist the Priest who stands at the right hand of God. And resolve in your very soul that if souls be not saved, if your family be not blessed, if your own zeal be not revived, Yet you will die with the plea on your lips, and with the appealing wish on your spirits.”

 

The reason we pray is because God has told us to—not necessarily to get the answers we want, but to OBEY Him who has ‘called’ us to be a praying people.

Again, even the very ‘busy’ orphanage founder George Müeller was moved to become an ‘intercessor’. He testified that it taught him to use “argument” in pleading his case before God. He would remind God of his need and of God’s promises. Müeller said the ‘secret’ to intercession and pleading before God was to have FAITH IN GOD. (Incredibly, during his lifetime, Müeller is said to have recorded over 25,000 answers to prayer!)

SO, DON’T GIVE UP!!! Trust that God is ‘working’—even when you DON’T see the final outcome!

 

All this is illustrated by Noah, who ABSOLUTELY trusted in God as he pursued a task that seemed utterly foolish and useless from a human perspective. Imagine instantly surrendering all of your time and effort to devote 120 years to building something you had never seen (a vessel the size of an ocean liner or battleship) to protect you from something you had never experienced (rain and flooding). YET, Noah did it without question! That’s obedience and trust!

God then ‘blessed’ Noah after the Flood for his obedience by saving his family, and establishes a ‘Covenant’ with him promising the preservation of humanity, and provides for the restraint of human evil and violence [ something Noah did experience ].

God then made a Covenant with Abraham that consisted of three separate ‘parts’: The “Promise Land” [ which was not fully experienced by Abraham ]; the “father of many nations” [ not experienced at all ]; and that He would bless and ‘redeem’ his people [ only partially experienced ].

Then, God made a Covenant with Moses that supplied the Law, which was meant to govern and distinguish the Israelites from the surrounding nations. However, it was conditional, defining blessings as well as curses based on obedience and disobedience. God also promised that the Israelites would ‘possess’ the “Promised Land.” [ However, because of Moses’ disobedience, he died before they entered the Land, so only partially experienced ].

God continued making Covenants by promising King David that there would be a descendant of his that would reign on the ‘throne’ over the people of God. This was a continuation of the earlier covenants in that it promises a ‘figure’ through whom God would secure the promises of Land, descendants, and blessing. This Covenant becomes the basis for hope of a ‘Messiah’ and makes sense of the Gospels’ concern to show Jesus was the rightful King of the Jews. [ King David did not experience this ].

God then ‘presented’ His final Covenant that promises ALL HUMANITY He will forgive sin and restore ‘fellowship’ with those whose hearts are turned toward Him—with Jesus being THE ONLY ‘Mediator’, and with His death on the Cross being the basis of the promise. This coming day would bring forgiveness of sin, internal renewal of the heart, and intimate knowledge of God. On the night of the “Last Supper,” Jesus takes the cup and declares that His death would be the inauguration of this New Covenant. [ EVERY believer HAS experienced this, however, they may not experience everything they are praying for, especially lost people becoming saved. (Remember the men George Müeller prayed for that became converted at his funeral and shortly there after?) ].

 

‘ESCHATOLOGICAL’ PRAYING
Now, the parable about a widow who desperately wants justice also refers to the believers that are now living between the ‘EXPECTATION’ of the KINGDOM and the ‘REALIZATION’ of the KINGDOM. They will live in a world where they are going to do a lot of ‘crying out’ to a “higher authority”—to God—for justice.

Now, justice means that things are going wrong and they need to be made right. Injustice is things aren’t the way they ought to be. So, from a righteous biblical perspective, we see that from defining right and wrong biblically and we look around and we see this not what it ought to be.

Just like when God talked about the days of Noah and all those people, God said that this is not the world that should be. Then, in Sodom and Gomorrah this is not the world that should be either. So when God comes to straighten things out, what is crooked is going to be made straight, what is rough is going to be made plain, and all the world is going see the glory of God. Unfortunately, those who have rebelled against God will be judged by their ‘works’, but there will be salvation for those that have been loyal to Him.

The parable is communicating that all the believers between now and the time that Jesus comes will be feeling the injustice—and they will be crying out for God to come and fix our problem. It is, using a theological word, ‘ESCHATOLOGICAL’ praying. It is NOT praying about getting a certain ‘thing’ to get fixed. or needing my health to get better, or getting the job promotion (even though these are okay to pray about), it’s praying about the BIG ‘ISSUES’ of the “END TIMES”—the ‘coming’ of the Kingdom.

So, in the parable, we have an ‘unjust’ judge that is going to give justice to the widow because he has been ‘worn out’ by her requests (these days, somehow the widow got his cell phone number, and she would call him multiple times each day, and then send him multiple texts each day. Then after he ‘blocked’ her, she would show up on his sidewalk every morning when he was going to work).

Now, again Jesus is arguing from the “lesser to the greater” here (a considerable contrast). Jesus is saying look, compare this unjust person who would give in to do the right thing when he is a wrong person and do the just thing when he is an unjust person, will not God, the righteous and just One not give justice to His ‘elect’ (‘children’), whom are praying for His “Kingdom to come” and crying out to Him day and night. Jesus then declaratively says, “ I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily” [ Luke 18:8a ]. Jesus then comes full circle back to where He started with the Pharisees and says: “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

This parable is about making sure a believer’s prayer life has the proper PRIMARY ‘PRIORITY’—praying for the coming Kingdom to come, and a world that no longer lives in rebellion to God, but a world in which righteousness dwells.

Yes, this is a BIG prayer. However, it starts to affect all the other things that one will pray for—and sometimes expunges ‘not-so-important’ prayers.

 

Now, God PROMISES that justice WILL HAPPEN, it just may not happen in your lifetime. Many believers pass away without their particular ‘injustice’ being won. Yes, VERY frustrating, but as it is said in the Book of Hebrews (11th chapter), some believers die without the promise being fulfilled, BECAUSE the promise is BIGGER than their particular life. BUT, the expectation of the believer should be “looking forward to a city whose builder is God” (Hebrews 11:10) [ i.e. the “Celestial City” in “The Pilgrim’s Progress” ].

[ FYI: For a summary of “The Pilgrim’s Progress,” view this previous “Life’s Deep Thoughts” post:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/leaving-a-legacy-v242/ ].

 

This is “setting our minds on things above” (Colossians 3:2). That’s “storing up treasure in Heaven” (Matthew 19-20). That’s “living as citizens of Heaven” and not this one (1 Peter 2:13-17).

Now, it’s not that the believer is “so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good.” It’s that they are heavenly minded that they start to be very discerning about the good that they pursue. It’s a different kind of mindset. It’s a BIG prayer that has to really replace a lot of small prayers in the believer’s life. It’s built on a confidence that God will do what He says He will do. Jesus said, “I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God” [ Luke 4:43a ] (referring to Isaiah 52:7).

 

Now, I’m suggesting that this ‘confidence’ prompt bigger requests that flow from the biggest request (wanting Jesus to return to set up His Kingdom). This should prompt the believer to ‘sort through’ their prayer list, and hopefully change what and how they pray. IF the believer really believes that Jesus is going to come again with His angels in glory to repay each person according to what they have done (Matthew 16:27), and also believe that the Judge is ’standing at the door’ and could come back at any moment to straighten out this world, THEN this imminent expectation should change the way you ‘live’ and the way they ‘pray’! It should migrate from small, short-term requests to large, long-term requests.

 

Maybe my summarization of a ’fanciful’ illustration, told by Pastor Mike Fabarez, will help you understand what I’m trying to communicate:

“You’re on an airplane. You’ve gotten to a cruising altitude of 40,000 feet. The ‘bing’ goes off above your head indicating that you now can roam about the
cabin.

However, all the sudden people, from every part of the plane, people pop up with guns, and reveal that they are hijackers. By the sound of what they are saying, you recognize there is no doubt that this is a suicide mission. They are going to take this plane down and crash it in some ‘strategic’ spot.

But then weird things start happening—and a lot of the passengers around you start actually sympathizing with the hijackers. You realize that the “Stockholm Syndrome” you’ve heard about is really starting to set in, and it seems like a majority of people on the plane are all for this. They are convinced.

Then, you get a text—along with everyone else in the airplane at the exact same moment. It says it is from the United States Air Force. As you read it, it says we understand you have been hijacked, and know that it is a suicide mission. Don’t panic. We were coming to your rescue.

The text goes on to say that the following might sound odd, but there is a way for you to be rescued. We have been worked it for years. We’ve perfected a technology. The only thing you need to do is reach underneath your seats and connect the short little tethered latch to the adjacent red cable. Then sit in your chair and tighten your seatbelt.

You will see a gigantic United States Air Force jumbo jet fly in close proximity to your doomed plane. Through our technology, at one time, all of you who have connected your seat to the red cable will be extracted from the plane.

You continue to read the text to the bottom where it says that if you need anything else, feel free to text them back.

You process the information and then reach under your seat. Sure enough there’s a little tethered hook a really big red cable about an inch in diameter. So, you hook the latch to the red cable, sit upright in your seat, and tighten your seat beat—really tight!

So you start to look around to see if everyone else got the text and have latched their seat to the red cable. The hijackers say that text is not true, and you hear others saying that the text is a lie.

Then, you recognize that the pitch of the plane is starting to tilt pretty steeply and it starts to descend pretty quickly. You start to pray that the Air Force will get there in time. You then get an update text that says that they are on their way, and they are not far behind. Just be sure you are strapped in and connected to the cable. You then reread the text and realize that they said if you have any needs or concerns to just text them back.

So, while you are sitting there, watching the increasing chaos in the cabin, you start saying to yourself, “I’ve got a few concerns about this flight. I didn’t get the peanuts or the diet Pepsi I ordered (since they didn’t have crackers or “Diet Coke”). Come to think about it, I mentioned that I was uncomfortable and I didn’t get that pillow I asked for either.”

 

I just wonder as we’re descending on this thing called planet Earth, on a ‘suicide’ mission, where the ‘god’ of this world (Satan) has taken over and chaos is ensuing, people are standing up telling you not to believe the Word of God (the Bible). It’s not true. It says that Jesus was coming back over 2000 years ago. He’s not coming back!

You’ve latched your tether to the ‘red cable’ (of salvation), and you’re trusting in the “Air Force” (Jesus) to save you. I just wonder when you get the call to say ask and you’ll receive, seek and you’ll find, knock in the door will open for you, will you ask Him?

If you take this thing called the “privilege of prayer,” and you start saying, “You know what, I need peanuts, a Pepsi, and a pillow on my ‘flight’” (the ‘comforts’ of life), I’m thinking that the “Air Force” is going to respond to that request with something like, “WHAT?! Peanuts, Pepsi, and a pillow! We were alluding to questions you might have about the latch or the red cable, or how to convince the guy sitting next to you to believe that the text is real. We expected a request that was MUCH MORE IMPORTANT than peanuts, Pepsi, and a pillow!”

 

I just wonder if God looks at our prayers that we are consistently praying daily about and says that all of what you are praying for (a better car, a bigger house, a promotion at work, a really nice vacation, etc.) are really the equivalent of peanuts, Pepsi, and a pillow? He might continue by saying something like, “What in the world are you guys doing you jamming the ‘phone lines’ with requests like these? Think BIGGER! Don’t you know this world’s going to ‘crash’ and ‘burn’! You should be praying for the people that have not yet connected their ‘latch’ to the ‘red cable’ of SALVATION through Christ alone!” (2 Peter 3:10; John 14:6; Romans 6:23; Ephesians 2:8; Acts 4:12; John 1:12; Romans 10:9).

I am POSITIVE that prayer WILL GET God’s attention, because the Bible says that God, in His infinite patience (Romans 2:4; 2 Peter 3), is noticing that on this ‘plane’ there are some people that need to be latched to that red cable, and they have not reached the place of understanding (repentance) yet—they still are doubting the ‘text’ (the Bible) and what it says about getting ‘saved’—and YOU, the believer, has not talked to them yet about getting connected to that red ‘cable’ (salvation through Jesus). [ Or at least putting on a ‘parachute’! ].

 

I’m thinking that a believer’s SECOND ‘PRIORITY’ for a believer’s prayer should be what Jesus commanded them to do when He left earth, called the “Great Commission”: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” [ Matthew 28:19-20a ]. Following the ’theme’ of this post, this would be:

P – Pray
U – Until
S – SALVATION
H – Happens (for others)

 

SO, the only reason Jesus hasn’t coming back yet, and the only reason we haven’t been ‘ejected’ from this ‘plane’—the “Rapture” of the Church—is because
He is wanting MORE people to come to repentance, and BE ‘SAVED’! (2 Peter 3:9)

The Apostle Paul encourages the believer to not “consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” [ Romans 8:8:18 ], and that they should be “groaning along with the rest of the created world” and “eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed” [ Romans 18:19b ].

 

Now, the believer CAN’T WAIT (Yep!) to get off this doomed ‘plane’ (earth) that is in a ‘death spiral’, but in the meantime, as the Apostle Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” [ Philippians 1:21 ]. The believer is to be EVANGELIZING THE ‘LOST’.

 

This DOES NOT mean that you shouldn’t be praying for a better car (especially if it is constantly breaking down and requiring repairs), a bigger house (especially if you are growing a large family), a promotion at work (to possibly have access to more ‘influential’ people that need to be saved), or even a really nice vacation (to ‘recharge’, ‘reconnect’ with loved ones, and cast a wide ‘net’ with your evangelism).

What I AM saying is NOT to use prayer to “move mountains” and have God give you a bigger pile of ‘peanuts’, or even be upgraded to a ’steak’ (like the things mentioned just above) if they are not a ’NEED’. God has PROMISED to “supply every need of yours according to His riches” [ Philippians 4:19 ]. For the new, ‘immature’ believer, God will probably look past the small, selfish requests, but a growing or ‘mature’ believer needs their prayer list to ‘grow up’.

 

IF you truly believe Jesus is coming back to ‘rescue’ you, then PRAY ‘BIG’ FOR OTHERS TO COME TO REPENTANCE, and for God to be REALLY PATIENT to allow YOU, believer, to help bring your family and friends to faith through prayer and evangelism!

 

BUT, you say, it’s been SO LONG since Jesus said He was going to come back, and this world is just getting MORE ‘WICKED’ every day (evidently, you’re not as patient as God, eh?).

Well, after 2,000 years, perhaps it’s understandable—at least from a human perspective—why so many churches sit around and pray for more ‘peanut’ piles on their ‘tray table’, and many of their congregants are sitting in a doomed ‘seat’ (unbelievers not connected to the ‘red cable’). Even though we are not as patient as God is, He tells us to trust Him and focus on those in the doomed ‘seats’! (Romans 8:23e).

 

As Hebrews says, “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, ‘Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him’. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls” [ Hebrews 10:36-39 ].

The believer must KEEP ON ‘PATIENTLY’ EXPECTING and tenaciously pursue, with great faith and confidence, the promises of God, and to be able to say that Jesus WILL find faith in me when He returns. This is because the last thing He said in the parable of the unjust judge was, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

[ FYI: Previous posts that discuss waiting, perseverance, and resilience:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/waiting-expectantly-v159/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/perseverance-v184/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/unshakable-resilience-v200/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/leaving-a-legacy-v242/ ].

 

The believer needs not to simply recite the line from the “Lord’s Prayer,” “Your Kingdom come,” they need to MEAN IT, and make it become the ‘CORE’ of their prayer list!

 

BECOME A ‘CHILD’ OF GOD
So, if you are one that is NOT SURE about all this (an unbeliever NOT connected to the red ‘cable’), then PRAY ‘BIG’ FOR GOD TO ‘SAVE’ YOU! ‘CRY OUT’ to Him in repentance, and ASK Him to mercifully forgive you and make you one of His ‘children’.

Although many people believe they will go to Heaven because they have lived a ‘good’ life, done charity work, have been baptized as a child, attended church, or treated others fairly, the Bible declares that none of us can live up to God’s standards of righteousness. Therefore, we need a ‘roadmap’ to God that doesn’t rely on anything we do, but rather, relies on the ‘gift’ of His GRACE ALONE!

 

If you are experiencing an ‘angst’ deep down in your soul, God may just be ‘calling’ you to become one of His ‘children’! If so, in your own words, ‘sincerely’ repent of your sins and ask God to forgive them. Then, if you can say this honestly, assert that you truly believe that Jesus died on the Cross as your ‘substitute’ for your sins, and He rose from the dead to give you eternal life. Finally, genuinely commit the rest of your life to serve Him.

[ FYI: The following are previous posts that will help you with this:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/aug-08-v114/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/oct-08-v116/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/are-you-prepared-v210/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/end-of-your-rope-v212/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/saved-from-death-v219/;
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/two-choices-one-way-v254/ ].

 

[ NOTE: If you are ‘struggling’ with what exactly to say, don’t worry about it. God knows what you are thinking! Just tell Him what you are feeling in your ‘gut’. If you would like something to guide you, use the paragraph below, or the “Prayer of Repentance” at the end of this ‘section’.

“Father, I know that I have broken your laws and my sins have separated me from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from my past sinful life toward you. Please forgive me, and help me avoid sinning again. I believe that your son, Jesus Christ died for my sins, was resurrected from the dead, is alive, and hears my prayer. I invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please send your Holy Spirit to help me obey You, and to do Your will for the rest of my life. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

If you decided to ‘receive’ Jesus, WELCOME to God’s ‘family’! Now, as a way to grow closer to Him, the Bible tells us to ‘follow up’ on our commitment by doing the following:

– Tell another believer about your new faith in Christ
– Get baptized when you can
– Spend time with God each day. It does not have to be a long period of time. Just develop the daily habit of praying to Him and reading His Word. Ask God to increase your faith and your understanding of the Bible.
– Seek fellowship with other followers of Jesus. Get ‘connected’ to a group of believing friends to answer your questions and support your growth in the faith
– Find a local, bible-believing church where you can worship God ].

 

CONCLUSION
I read a story about the Royal Mail in the United Kingdom that might help with one of the things I am trying to say in this post. On December 8, 2008, Janet Barrett received a ‘letter’ (a RSVP to a Boxing Day party invitation) at her guesthouse in Weymouth, Dorset, UK, that was dated November 29, 1919. It was 89 years late! SO, something you might do/pray for—even for most of your life (like George Müeller)—may not come to fruition until MANY years after you pass from this world! BUT, that is NOT a reason to GIVE UP PRAYING!!!

So, while our prayers may not always be answered as quickly as we would like, Scripture makes it clear that God NEVER fails to ‘hear’ His faithful people (Psalm 34:17). The Bible reminds us that God treasures out prayers so much that He keeps them before Him in “golden bowls,” like precious incense (Revelation 5:8). God promises to answer EVERY prayer in His own perfect wisdom, way, and timing. There are no lost ‘letters’ in Heaven!

 

Former major league baseball pitcher and high-performance business coach Todd Stottlemyre says that, “In times of difficulty we are given the opportunity to choose perseverance. Success is derived from continued progress through the lessons failure teaches… Most give up when they are the closest to success… If you get to your darkest hour, just remember you are getting close. That’s the time to persevere. DON’T QUIT!!!”

As Winston Churchill said, “Never give in. Never give in. Never. Never. Never. Never.” The ‘battle’ is raging, the Devil is fierce (since he knows he has little3 time left), and the ‘way’ ahead is treacherous (the ‘world’). Nevertheless, as Paul writes, “In all these things we are more than victorious through Him who loved us” [ Romans 8:37 ].

 

[ Q: Did you happen to take the “Grit Scale” test”? I did, and it was insightful into my ‘level’ of perseverance. So, try it (it’s only 10 questions), and be sure to click on the “More About Grit” button after you finish to get MANY MORE details ].

 

In conclusion, a believer’s daily prayer list should be ‘FOCUSED’ on two things: for the ‘lost’ to be found (people ‘saved’ and “born again”), and for God’s “Kingdom to come” (the first ‘request’ of the “Lord’s Prayer”). This was also the focus of the parable Jesus told about the persistent widow (Luke 18: 1-8) just after He had talked about His coming Kingdom to the Pharisees (Luke 17:20-37).

The believer knows that God “wants everyone to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4), and understands that He is “not wanting any to perish, but all to come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). For believers, it is imperative that they ask God to give them broken hearts for those who are lost, deceived by the Deceiver, and blinded by the one who appears as an Angel of Light (2 Corinthians 11:14).

If we have the heart of God, the believer will be burdened for the things He is burdened about: ‘SOULS’. So, until He tells you to stop praying for your lost friends, relatives, neighbors, and community, KEEP ON PRAYING!

Oswald Chambers said, “We have not the remotest conception of what is done by our prayers, nor have we the right to try and examine and understand it, all we know is that Jesus Christ laid all stress on prayer.” The believer’s ‘job’ is to ask, to seek, and to knock. It is God’s job to answer and to ‘open’.

 

Are you PERSISTENT in prayer?

If so, great!

If not, why not?

 

[ Excerpts by: David Sper; John MacArthur; Martin R. De Haan II; RBC Ministries; Dean Ohlman; Dr. David M. Crump; Mike Fabarez; Andrew Murray; Robert Morris; James Banks; Tom Krol; Jack Canfield; Bob Protor; S. Michael Houdmann; Steven Cole; Caren Baruch-Feldman; Randy Howard ]

 

>>> SUMMARIZATION OF POST <<<

‘WHAT’ IS PERSISTENCE?
Webster’s dictionary defines persistence, “To continue especially in spite of opposition or difficulties.” To me that means that no matter what, one WILL NOT QUIT—EVER! So, I’m thinking that to ‘become’ such a person, one would need to first know WHY people ‘DO’ QUIT.

Angela Duckworth, a psychologist and researcher who studies perseverance and self-control, is best known for her research on “grit,” a strength she defines as passion and perseverance for long-term goals. She has found grit to be a common factor among the high-achievers she has studied, and has developed the “Grit Scale,” which is a measure of this construct.

THE ‘POWER’ OF PERSISTENCE
Just as Angela Duckworth suggests in her book “Grit,” that the ‘secret’ for any ordinary individual striving to succeed—be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—and have outstanding achievement is not because of ‘talent’ but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”

For me, one person that comes to my mind that imbibes grit is Sir Edmund Hillary (and his native guide Tenzing Norgay), who became the first two people to climb Mount Everest and safely return—after having tried and failed on two previous attempts. It seems to me that Hillary had two obvious character strengths that literally took him to the very ‘top’ of the world: skills and persistence. However, just as Duckworth says, without persistence all his skills would have meant nothing!

Any successful person will tell you that persistence is absolutely essential to climbing any ‘mountain’. The individuals who remain in the ‘foothills’ have never chosen to develop this strength. These people dream of being ‘stars’—wanting to receive the fame and fortune—but fame is not a common suitor. Fame only comes after a high ‘price’ has been paid.

Consider professional golfer Ben Hogan. He weighed only 135 pounds, but every ounce was saturated with persistence. Born into a poor family, Hogan began to caddy at a local golf club as a boy to earn extra money for his family. This led to the birth of his dream. Through a great deal of hard work, practice, and persistence, Ben Hogan became one of the world’s greatest golfers in the history of the game.

In 1948, he won the United States Open Championship. His accomplishments earned him world recognition, but he was about to face his ‘mountain’. The next year, Hogan was involved in a head-on collision with a bus in his car. He saw it coming and knew he couldn’t prevent it. His wife was in the front seat of the car with him, and in an attempt to protect her—which he did—he threw himself in front of her. Ben’s body was crushed. The police who came to the scene thought he was dead. There was debris all over the highway, including his golf clubs, which were strewn all over the place.

Something Calvin Coolidge said illustrates this point perfectly. It has been called “Persistence”:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan Press On! has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

‘HOW’ DOES ONE ‘BECOME’ PERSISTENT?
So, HOW does one become persistent? Well, that’s a good question. The thing is, persistence is never developed by accident. You ARE NOT born with it and you cannot inherit it. There is no one in the entire world that can develop persistence FOR YOU! Persistence is as ‘interwoven’ with success as the chicken is with the egg.

As I said, it’s all about what one REALLY ‘WANTS’, and is prepared to give their ‘life’ for it (persistence). Remember, whatever you are doing is YOUR decision, and persistence will help you get out of the ‘foothills’ and lead you to the very top of your ‘mountain’—and all the way to the ‘summit’.

Sir Edmund Hillary BECAME a mountain climber. Considered to be an ‘ordinary’ person, he did extraordinary things because he consciously recognized what he wanted, and refused to suppress or dismiss it.

Now, in the first ‘section’ I mentioned WHY people DO QUIT. So, the following are some suggestions of how anyone can become “UNSTOPPABLY PERSISTENT.”
Tom Krol is a very successful real estate investor, notable career coach, and one of the most successful self-help and motivational speakers in history—with multiple successful million-dollar business to his credit, and listed on the “Inc, 5000.” The following are his suggestions to become ‘successful’:

Continuing to give you some suggestions on how to be ‘unstoppably persistent’, Ken Coleman, “America’s Career Coach,” says that his top five daily habits for personal and professional growth are:

Since Ken Coleman mentioned Zig Ziglar—one of the most popular and successful motivational speakers in recent times—here’s what he reads every morning before starting his day:

“P.U.S.H.”
Webster’s dictionary defines “push” as, “exerting force on someone or something, typically with one’s hands, in order to move them away from oneself or the origin of the force.”

Now, relating to my topic of “persistence,” there’s a very popular acronym that is used, “P.U.S.H.,” which stands for:

P – Persist
U – Until
S – Something
H – Happens

Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Winston Churchill is famous for saying, “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” He also is credited in saying, “Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.”

Another reasonably popular version of “P.U.S.H.” changes the first word to “Pray”:

P – Pray
U – Until
S – Something
H – Happens

This ‘Christianized’ version is focused on what the Apostle Paul said was REALLY IMPORTANT for the believer to do: PRAY WITHOUT CEASING (1 Thessalonians 5:16)—constant ‘communication’ with the God of the Bible.

Paul was probably thinking about a parable that Jesus told when he was writing to the Thessalonians. It’s referred to the “Parable of the Persistent Widow.”

The parable is part of a series of illustrative lessons Jesus used to teach His disciples about prayer. This lesson was meant to show the disciples that, “they should always pray and never give up” (Luke 18:1).

The parable of the persistent widow is similar to another lesson in Jesus’ teachings on prayer, the “Parable of the Persistent Neighbor” (Luke 11:5-10).

Immediately after teaching the disciples to pray the “Lord’s Prayer,” Jesus told the story of the neighbor who was in need of bread for a visitor. The disciples had just asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1), so He taught them how to be persistent in prayer.

Faithful, never-ceasing, persistent prayer is the permanent ‘calling’ of every true disciple of Jesus, dedicated to living for the Kingdom of God. Like the persistent widow, we are needy, dependent sinners who trust in our gracious, loving, and merciful Father alone to supply what we need.

‘ASK, SEEK, KNOCK’
In Jesus’ “Sermon on the Mount” (Matthew 5-7), He describes the truly righteous life. At the end of the Sermon, He was talking about continual prayer and said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” [ Matthew 7:7 ].

In the Greek, each of these verbs is an ‘imperative’ in the present tense, denoting an emphatic command. The Greek word for “ask” is “aiteite,” which means to beg or petition. The word for “seek” is “zeteite,” which means to search for or desire. “Krouete” is the word translated as “knock,” and literally means to strike against something. These are ‘action’ words that carry with them the idea of heightened immediacy!

However, two words of caution should be given here. The first is against thinking that we can badger, pester, or harangue God into answering our prayers if we just “keep at it.” God IS loving and wants to give good ‘gifts’ to His ‘children’ (Luke 11:13), however, only when the time is right and it will be ‘good’ for them.

The second caution may seem counterintuitive but one’s persistence may actually ‘paralyze’ them. In the Middle East, this kind of persistence is thought of as almost rude and inappropriate. Therefore, one may be prone to quickly dismiss their discomfort over such persistence and not take time to ‘wrestle’ with the possibility that Jesus just might be teaching them something that would ‘shake up’ how they usually pray!

Again, Jesus is NOT saying that believers always get what they ask for, but IS saying that the more time a believer spends in ‘communion’ with God, the more they will know what to ask for IN ‘ACCORDANCE’ with GOD’S WILL.

Well, I’m thinking that most people (or all) would like prayer with no ‘conditions’. They wish that God would be a celestial ‘genie’ who, when summoned by prayer, would grant any request they make.

These people find a measure of encouragement in the fable of Aladdin and his lamp, aspiring to that level of control over God’s power in their prayer life. HOWEVER, the biblical fact is that prayer DOES HAVE ‘conditions’.

Now, in addition to the previous ‘conditions’, God WILL NOT answer a prayer that is ‘UNBIBLICAL’. It will be a colossal ‘waste’ of your time, and an exercise in futility!

Now, it was the Apostle Paul that said, “pray continually” and “don’t lose heart,” but sometimes it becomes clear that God’s greater glory is manifested in the world if the thing one is praying for is NOT answered the way one initially—and possibly ‘reactively’—wanted it to be answered. One sometimes needs to be a bit more ‘flexible’—maybe even a bit more ‘humble’—in their prayers, because of a possibly ‘limited’ perspective (“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble” – James 4:6c). Sometimes God’s will is to ‘refine’ their prayer—change it up a bit—by rearranging or substituting things in one’s prayer ‘list’.

There is a ‘freedom’ that God allowed which the Apostle Paul felt when he stopped praying for his ‘thorn’. It was probably the Holy Spirit that ‘said’, “I’ve got this for you,” and gave Paul a sense that it was time to ‘move on’ to something more important.

THE ‘POWER’ OF PERSISTENT PRAYER
Prayer can sometimes become a mighty, powerful ‘thrust’ on the part of the people of God to change events. ‘Group’ prayer can be even MORE ‘powerful’ in putting something right which is impending and threatening at the moment. It may not remove it entirely, but it can sometimes change the time schedule.

The Apostle Peter had just been arrested by Herod Agrippa “because he saw that it pleased the Jews,” and he intended to execute him. However, the week-long “Feast of Unleavened Bread” had just started (the time when the Jews celebrate their deliverance from slavery in Egypt), so Agrippa decide to wait until the holiday is over (Acts 12:3-12).

So, the ‘Church’ started praying—fervently and unceasingly. The Greek word used here is “ektenos,” which is a medical term that describes the stretching of a muscle to its limits (here the idea is that their “prayer muscles” were being stretched to their limit!). The word also combines the idea of perseverance (“without letting up”).

These early Christians prayed for Peter to be released from prison and then were “astonished” when God answered them (Acts 12:16). Sadly, today’s Christians respond that way too—but they shouldn’t be surprised when God answers their prayers. Remember, His power is great and His resources are endless.

“Forgive us, Lord, when we’re surprised
By answers to our prayer;
Increase our faith and teach us how
To trust Your loving care.”
[ Sper ]

Just like the ‘group’ that was praying for the Apostle Peter, I am reminded of how a ‘single’ believer’s prayers are important to those they are not near. By talking to God about a friend or loved one’s needs, they have a unique opportunity to make a difference in their lives—even though they can’t be with them in person. What an amazing ‘privilege’ that God trust someone else’s situation to the believer. If you are that person, be faithful in your responsibility!

So, no matter what the circumstances of our friends or family members who are away from us, prayer is always an effective way the believer can support them and be of help. It worked for the people who prayed for Peter (Acts 12), and it can work for you, too!

“No greater help and care is given
To others in their need
Than when we bear them up in prayer
And for them intercede.”
[ Dennis J. DeHaan ]

MOVING ‘MOUNTAINS’
Can our prayers really move ‘physical’ mountains? Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” [ Mark 11:23-24 ].

Was Jesus really saying that if we have enough faith and pray hard enough that we can see mountains ‘literally’ moved, or is there another meaning intended here?

Now, there is no record of Jesus ever moving a mountain nor the apostles moving a mountain (and there no record of ANY Christian ever moving a mountain as described in the verse). What we DO have a record of, however, is that “moving mountains” was an expression used by Rabbis at that time. It was used to refer to something that was a VERY difficult or and ‘INSURMOUNTABLE’ task.

Now, there is a ‘CONDITION’ that must be met for our mountain-moving prayers of faith to even be ‘heard’. Jesus continues: “And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses” [ Mark 11:25 ].

So, let’s get right to the point here. If you, as a believer, are not getting answers your prayers, you need to check your heart for any UNFORGIVENESS! The sin of unforgiveness thwarts your prayers. God will shut His ‘ears’ to your cry. “He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered” [ Proverbs 21:13 ].

Is there anyone you can’t or won’t forgive? If so, you are limiting what God can do in you, through you, and for you because of your unforgiveness. SADLY, some people would honestly rather miss a blessing than get right with God!

The word “forgive” here is present tense in the Greek. It means to BE ‘ALWAYS’ FORGIVING. It’s a ‘LIFESTYLE’, not just something you do at some annual ‘retreat’. It means to remit and send away that which could get in your heart and ‘pull’ you down. You cannot separate prayer and forgiveness. No forgiveness, no ‘power’!

THE ‘COMMITMENT’ OF PERSISTENT PRAYER
One of the greatest obstacles to perseverance in prayer was evident in the apostles themselves. Jesus said of them, “The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41). To persevere in prayer takes commitment, discipline, and self-sacrifice.

When we are serious about prayer, our intimacy with the Lord begins to grow. The more we listen and speak with God, the better we get to know Him. As that happens, we start to view the world from a ‘divine’ perspective. The things that matter to God will become our concerns as well, and our prayers will increasingly reflect His interests. Over time, the discipline of prayer should begin to have a purifying effect upon us.

Jesus knew the weakness of our flesh and that we all are prone to lose heart. In light of that, He graciously gave His disciples and use the parable of the persistent widow “to show that at all times they [and we] ought to pray and not lose heart.”

The believer can’t wield a powerful, effective ‘sword’ or stand firm without their ‘armor’. One of the old hymns, “Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus,” says, “Put on the Gospel armor, Each piece put on with prayer.” The following lists each ‘piece’ of armor:

– Pray as you put on “truth like a ‘belt’ around your waist”
– Pray as you put on “righteousness like a ‘breastplate’ on your chest”
– Pray as your “‘shoes’ with readiness for the gospel of peace”
– Pay as you “take up the ‘shield’ of faith”
– Pray as you put on “the ‘helmet’ of salvation”
– Pray as you use “the ‘sword’ of the Spirit, which is God’s Word”

GEORGE MÜELLER
If you ask most bible teachers or theologians who they think ‘epitomized’ being committed to persistent prayer and totally committed to having God provide for his needs, most would answer “George Müller.” Most would also say that he was one of the greatest pastor/missionaries who have ever lived.

Müeller spent the rest of his long and fruitful life leading churches and orphanages, preaching both in England and abroad, and praying! He was famous for never doing anything that wasn’t rooted in prayer. One story in particular illustrates both his faithfulness and the amazing power of prayer.

In 1844, when Müeller was thirty-nine years old, he ‘COMMITTED’ himself to pray for the conversion of five men he knew. According to his journals, he prayed “every day without a single intermission, whether sick or in health, on land or at sea” After eighteen months, one of those men accepted Christ.

Can you imagine how many times George Müeller must have felt like giving up during those 50+ years of praying for the salvation of his two friends? BUT, he was committed, and we must also be committed if we expect to see answered to prayer—even if it is after we go to Heaven!

‘PATIENCE’ IN PRAYER
Godly patience involves more than enduring the passing of time. It also means waiting on God in times of deep trouble. It carries an attitude of faith that God is in control, so we can bring our anxieties to Him. Most biblical terms in reference to patience indicate that it is an attribute with ‘shoes’ on—actively working and persevering toward a God-honoring end. The patient believer works while they wait.

The British politician William Wilberforce, demonstrated the hardworking, enduring work of patience. Standing only five feet tall, his acquaintances considered him to be unremarkable in appearance—homely according to some. Yet a statue of this man stands tall in the English “Hall of Fame,” the Westminster Abbey.

The brief inscription on the pedestal below reads, “He removed from England the guilt of the African slave trade, and prepared the way for the abolition of slavery in every Colony of the Empire.”

One particular saying coming to my mind right now is, “Don’t sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.” If impatience does anything, it often gives up what is lasting and significant for that which is fleeting and relatively meaningless.

Because patience is such a valued attribute for the believer, it is found throughout the Scriptures. Sometimes we see it in failures and loss created by human impatience. But most commonly we find it marked by its rewards. Consider the following:

One of the greatest ‘dangers’ with delay to prayer is the thinking that it may not be God’s will. The temptation is to think that it may not be God’s will to give us what we ask. The thing is, if our prayer is according to God’s Word, with the ‘leading’ of the Spirit, then it’s just a ‘TIMING’ ISSUE. Give God the time He needs time WITH you to exercise the full influence of His ‘presence’ on you!

So, let no delay shake your faith. Just remember when growing corn, it is first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear (Mark 4:28). Each believing prayer brings one a step nearer the final ‘harvest’. Each believing prayer helps to ripen the ‘fruit’.

THE ‘KEYS’ TO EFFECTIVE PRAYER
Everyone wants their prayers to be ‘effective’, so much so that when they focus on the ‘results’, they sometime lose sight of the incredible ‘privilege’ they have in prayer—that we can ‘speak’ to the Creator of the universe and He will ‘listen’. Even more astounding is the fact that He acts on our behalf!

DON’T ‘GIVE UP’!
Do you have ’stick-to-itiveness’? When you come up against an ‘obstacle’, do you ‘push through’ to the end? If not, are there other things that make people decide to quit?

Well, sometimes people quit because they feel their efforts have brought little or no success. One story I read tells of a man determined to find gold, and spent a lot of time and money digging a mine shaft. But, after digging down a mile, he gave up and sold the mine. The person who bought the mine dug down just THREE more feet and stuck gold!

People also quit because of ‘setbacks’ in their health, finances, or other areas of their lives. Criticism by others—especially from a parent, spouse, family member, or close friend—also cause many people to give up on something that was really ‘important’ to them.

HOWEVER, one can’t let the lack of success, devastating setbacks, or criticisms hinder them from pursuing worthwhile goals—especially if they think God is ‘leading’ them to do it (remember Noah?).

Remember Thomas Edison? Well, his teachers said that he was “too stupid to learn anything.” He was fired from his first two jobs for being “non-productive.” Then, as an inventor, Edison made over 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb. When a reporter asked, “How did it feel to fail 1,000 times?,” Edison replied, “I didn’t fail 1,000 times. The light bulb was an invention with 1,000 steps.”

There have been other ‘famous’ people that just didn’t give up. A few examples are:

Perseverance is holding on and NEVER GIVING UP, even in the face of opposition and apparent failure. Perseverance is a ‘mark’ of biblical faith.

So, what are some of the attributes of this kind of perseverance? Well, first off, perseverance is:

– Focused: It is concentrated on the object of prayer
– Incessant: It continually repeats and is not rebuffed by opposition or failure
– Systematic: It is methodical
– Unyielding: It never gives up
– Patient: It waits for the answer

The Apostle Paul also stated that God wanted His people to strive and agonize together in prayer: “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” [ Philippians 4:6 ]. Believers are to be unceasing in prevailing, persistent prayer.

Do you see the two principles of life success? First, we must set out to ACHIEVE ‘NOBLE’ GOALS, ones worthy of the effort that may just be eternal. Secondly, one must KEEP GOING. Abram (later changed to Abraham by God) and everyone associated with him made it to Canaan because they persevered. If you expect to lead a ‘successful’ life, you CAN’T GIVE UP. You must keep on keeping on!

Many ‘famous’ people have commented on perseverance:

A PRAYER TO ‘PERSIST’ IN!
For ‘unbelievers’, persisting in prayer could CHANGE THEIR ‘DESTINY’!

The Bible says that those who are not “born again” are still ‘in’ their sins—and God says that ALL sins MUST BE ‘PUNISHED’.

Even though God is by nature love (1 John 4:16), His justice nature must punish sin. The punishment is called the “wrath of God.” It will occur on the final Day of Judgment when those who are unsaved will incur the wrath of God—and be sent to Hell for eternity! Currently, it is being released upon the ungodly by the ‘hardening’ of their hearts (Romans 1:18-32).

HOWEVER, deliverance from God’s wrath IS AVAILABLE through the “atonement” (Romans 5:8-10). “For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thessalonians 5:9). Jesus ‘took it all’ for you on the Cross!

SO, it is TIME TO ACT! REPENT of your sins and ask God to help you make the decision to push through any ‘roadblocks’, overcome any hindrances, and begin praying as He will ‘lead’ you to do.

Now, if you get discouraged, don’t let that stop you. The Puritans had a saying, “Pray until you pray.” Keep praying! DON’T GIVE UP!

WRAP UP
So, what does it mean to “pray without ceasing”? Well, it’s not going around in a head-bowed, eyes-closed posture all day long. The Apostle Paul is not referring to non-stop ‘talking’, but rather an ‘ATTITUDE’ of surrender that the believer has all the time. Every waking moment should to be lived in an awareness that God is ‘WITH’ us, and that He is actively ‘ENGAGED’ in our thoughts and actions.

Pastor John MacArthur says that there are five ‘elements’ or necessities for powerful, effective prayer: ‘Historical’, ‘theological’, ‘spiritual’, ‘practical’, and the ‘moral’ component.

Think about it. IF you were truly convinced that spending time in prayer every day for your business would make a significant difference in its success, wouldn’t you be inclined to carve out some extra minutes in your day to do it?

IF you knew for sure that sacrificing some other priorities to pray and seek God’s face concerning your marriage could transform your relationship, wouldn’t you be willing to make that sacrifice?

IF you accepted beyond all doubt that crying out to God every day for a child in a season of rebellion would change, soften, alter, or transform that child’s character, wouldn’t you aside other interests to spend more time in prayer?

SADLY, we REALLY DON’T BELIEVE, right down to the ‘core’ of who we are, that time invested in prayer will change things.

HOW BAD DO YOU WANT IT?
Too often we look for God to solve our problems, right away, rather than seeing our problems as an opportunity to trust God and develop a deeper relationship with Him.

The lesson is clear: Our praying should be persistent even when the answer doesn’t come Quickly. It’s not that God is reluctant, needing some convincing to change His mind. He is willing and ready to answer, but because of the apathy in our hearts, we are often ‘flippant’ in our requests. We don’t want to understand God’s heart. We just want Him to get us out of a bind.

So, I say to you, keep ‘ASKING’, keep ‘SEARCHING’, and keep ‘KNOCKING’ (Luke 11:9-10). This verse should be a reminder that ceaseless prayer should characterize one’s life, not just when one faces a ‘crisis’. Too much praying is crisis praying, and not enough of it is meant to maintain and nurture the relationship with one’s heavenly Father.

SO, DON’T GIVE UP!!! Trust that God is ‘working’—even when you DON’T see the final outcome!

All this is illustrated by Noah, whom ABSOLUTELY trusted in God as he pursued a task that seemed utterly foolish and useless from a human perspective. Imagine instantly surrendering all of your time and effort to devote 120 years to building something you had never seen (a vessel the size of an ocean liner or battleship) to protect you from something you had never experienced (rain and flooding). YET, Noah did it without question! That’s obedience and trust!

‘ESCHATOLOGICAL’ PRAYING
Now, the parable about a widow who desperately wants justice also refers to the believers that are now living between the ‘EXPECTATION’ of the KINGDOM and the ‘REALIZATION’ of the KINGDOM. They will live in a world where they are going to do a lot of ‘crying out’ to a “higher authority”—to God—for justice.

Now, justice means that things are going wrong and they need to be made right. Injustice is things aren’t the way they ought to be. So, from a righteous biblical perspective, we see that from defining right and wrong biblically and we look around and we see this not what it ought to be.

This parable is about making sure a believer’s prayer life has the proper PRIMARY ‘PRIORITY’—praying for the coming Kingdom to come, and a world that no longer lives in rebellion to God, but a world in which righteousness dwells.

Yes, this is a BIG prayer. However, it starts to affect all the other things that one will pray for—and sometimes expunges ‘not-so-important’ prayers.

I’m thinking that a believer’s SECOND ‘PRIORITY’ for a believer’s prayer should be what Jesus commanded them to do when He left earth, called the “Great Commission”: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” [ Matthew 28:19-20a ]. Following the ’theme’ of this post, this would be:

P – Pray
U – Until
S – SALVATION
H – Happens (for others)

Now, the believer CAN’T WAIT (Yep!) to get off this doomed ‘plane’ (earth) that is in a ‘death spiral’, but in the meantime, as the Apostle Paul said, “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain” [ Philippians 1:21 ]. The believer is to be EVANGELIZING THE ‘LOST’.

IF you truly believe Jesus is coming back to ‘rescue’ you, then PRAY ‘BIG’ FOR OTHERS TO COME TO REPENTANCE, and for God to be REALLY PATIENT to allow YOU, believer, to help bring your family and friends to faith through prayer and evangelism!

The believer must KEEP ON ‘PATIENTLY’ EXPECTING and tenaciously pursue, with great faith and confidence, the promises of God, and to be able to say that Jesus WILL find faith in me when He returns. This is because the last thing He said in the parable of the unjust judge was, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

BECOME A ‘CHILD’ OF GOD
So, if you are one that is NOT SURE about all this (an unbeliever NOT connected to the red ‘cable’), then PRAY ‘BIG’ FOR GOD TO ‘SAVE’ YOU! ‘CRY OUT’ to Him in repentance, and ASK Him to mercifully forgive you and make you one of His ‘children’.

Although many people believe they will go to Heaven because they have lived a ‘good’ life, done charity work, have been baptized as a child, attended church, or treated others fairly, the Bible declares that none of us can live up to God’s standards of righteousness. Therefore, we need a ‘roadmap’ to God that doesn’t rely on anything we do, but rather, relies on the ‘gift’ of His GRACE ALONE!

CONCLUSION
I read a story about the Royal Mail in the United Kingdom that might help with one of the things I am trying to say in this post. On December 8, 2008, Janet Barrett received a ‘letter’ (a RSVP to a Boxing Day party invitation) at her guesthouse in Weymouth, Dorset, UK, that was dated November 29, 1919. It was 89 years late! SO, something you might do/pray for—even for most of your life (like George Müeller)—may not come to fruition until MANY years after you pass from this world! BUT, that is NOT a reason to GIVE UP PRAYING!!!

So, while our prayers may not always be answered as quickly as we would like, Scripture makes it clear that God NEVER fails to ‘hear’ His faithful people (Psalm 34:17). The Bible reminds us that God treasures out prayers so much that He keeps them before Him in “golden bowls,” like precious incense (Revelation 5:8). God promises to answer EVERY prayer in His own perfect wisdom, way, and timing. There are no lost ‘letters’ in Heaven!

Oswald Chambers said, “We have not the remotest conception of what is done by our prayers, nor have we the right to try and examine and understand it, all we know is that Jesus Christ laid all stress on prayer.” The believer’s ‘job’ is to ask, to seek, and to knock. It is God’s job to answer and to ‘open’.

Are you PERSISTENT in prayer?

If so, great!

If not, why not?

>>> END OF SUMMARIZATION <<<

 

RELATED POSTS:

“One ‘Resolution’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/one-resolution-v227/

“Unshakable ‘Resilience’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/unshakable-resilience-v200/

“‘Perseverance’”:
https://markbesh.wordpress.com/perseverance-v184/

 

‘PRAYER’ OF REPENTANCE
In the Bible, there is a parable that Jesus told about a Pharisee and a tax collector praying in the Temple. He notes that the tax collector didn’t even dare to lift his eyes toward Heaven as he prayed. Instead he “beat his chest in sorrow, saying, ‘O God, be merciful to me, for I am a sinner’”—and Jesus said that the tax collector “went home justified,” he had been “born again” and ‘reconciled’ by God. (Luke 18:9-14).

If you are ‘sensing’ something like that right now, let me strongly encourage you to HUMBLE YOURSELF, CRY OUT to God, and PLEAD for Him to mercifully ‘SAVE’ YOU! None of us have a ‘claim’ on our salvation, nor do we have any ‘works’ that would cause us to deserve it or earn it—it is purely a gift of Divine grace—and all any of us can do is ask. So, CONFESS YOUR SINS and acknowledge to God that you have no hope for Heaven apart from what He provides through Jesus.

There is no ‘formula’ or certain words for this. So just talk to God, in your own words—He knows your ‘heart’. If you are genuinely sincere, and God does respond to your plea, one will usually have a sense of joy and peace.

Jesus said, “He that comes to Me, I will not cast out” [ John 6:37 ].

[ FYI: This is a great sermon on the “Call to Repentance” by John MacArthur from his book “The Gospel According to Jesus”: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/90-22/the-call-to-repentance
(Transcript: http://www.spiritedesign.com/TheCallToRepentance-JohnMacArthur(Jul-27-2019).pdf) ].

[ NOTE: If you have ‘tasted the kindness of the Lord’, please e-mail me—I would love to CELEBRATE with you, and help you get started on your ‘journey’ with Jesus! ].

 

*****************************
*****************************

RESOURCES:

*****************************
*****************************

“Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”
By: Angela Duckworth

In this instant New York Times bestseller, pioneering psychologist Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed—be it parents, students, educators, athletes, or business people—that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.”

Drawing on her own powerful story as the daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of “genius,” Duckworth, now a celebrated researcher and professor, describes her early eye-opening stints in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience, which led to the hypothesis that what really drives success is not “genius” but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance.

In Grit, she takes readers into the field to visit cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, teachers working in some of the toughest schools, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance. Finally, she shares what she’s learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers—from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon to New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.

Among Grit’s most valuable insights:

*Why any effort you make ultimately counts twice toward your goal
*How grit can be learned, regardless of I.Q. or circumstances
*How lifelong interest is triggered
*How much of optimal practice is suffering and how much ecstasy
*Which is better for your child—a warm embrace or high standards
*The magic of the Hard Thing Rule

Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that—not talent or luck—makes all the difference.

—————-
“Don’t Quit: Stories of Persistence, Courage and Faith”
By: Kyle Wilson, Robert J. Ott, Todd Stottlemyre, Lisa Haisha, Jesse LeBeau

Don’t Quit: Stories of Persistence, Courage and Faith is full of transformative stories from a 3x Grammy-winner, movie producer, MLB player, entrepreneurs, professionals, speakers, authors, real estate syndicators, veterans, and more.

Fans of Jim Rohn, Brian Tracy, Tony Robbins, Mark Victor Hansen, Zig Ziglar, Robert Kiyosaki, and Darren Hardy will discover stories full of real-life lessons, applicable strategies, and the key to success—DO NOT QUIT!

Kyle Wilson with Heather Self, Robert J. Ott, Mauricio J. Rauld, Greg Zlevor, Lisa Haisha, Tara Hamilton Howard, Josh McCallen, Jesse LeBeau, Sophia Stavron, Gary Hammond, David Kafka, Nick Aalerud, Angel Chandler, Nunzio D. Fontana, Brian Brault, Eric Bowlin, Jenny Landon, Kyle Hoffman, Kurtis Drake, Heather S. Coombes, Andrew Jarrett, Jeff Wimmer, Dr. Amy Novotny, Tom Krol, Keeley Hubbard, Jeff Thornton, Crystal Hinojosa, Brad Niebuhr, Tami Damian, Eric Luneborg, Will Heybruck, Cassie Bullock, James Miles, Howard Pierpont, Robert D. Burr, Ravin S. Papiah, Robert J. Moore, and Todd Stottlemyre seek to inspire you to push, persist, and never quit until you achieve your dreams and goals!

With foreword by #1 author in the world (600 million books sold) and co-creator of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Mark Victor Hansen, you will be lifted up and inspired!

From creators of bestsellers including Desire, Discipline & Determination, Resilience, Purpose, Passion & Profit, The One Thing That Changed Everything, and Life-Defining Moments from Bold Thought Leaders, these are not just feel-good stories. These stories will push you to keep going, inspire you to forge your own path, and remind you that if they can do it, you can too!

Everyone involved has put great effort into making sure this book will make a positive ripple in the world. We are honored by each of you who take the time to read and start that ripple.

Praise for Don’t Quit, Stories of Persistence, Courage and Faith

“This uplifting book contains the greatest success principle of all. Make a decision to become “unstoppable” and then resolve in advance that, no matter what happens, you will never give up. When you do this, your success is guaranteed.”
Brian Tracy, #1 Bestselling Author, Speaker, Consultant

“We all face rejection, disappointment, setbacks, and heartbreaks. When you confront the inevitable challenges that life brings, reach for this book and find inspiration in these amazing stories of perseverance and determination. Rather than throw in the towel, grab a lifeline and pull yourself up. And whatever you do, don’t quit!”
Robert Helms, Host of The Real Estate Guys Radio Show

“The first thing all successful people have in common is they’ve failed. The second is they didn’t quit. In Don’t Quit, Kyle Wilson and his group of world changers share insight into what drove them to NOT quit. If you feel as though life has just dealt you a knockout blow, this is the book for you.”
Keith Elias, Former NFL Player, Speaker, Author

“Kyle Wilson has done it again! If you’re feeling stuck, un-inspired, confused, or just plain need a kick in the pants to get started, make this your next read. Don’t Quit talks about one of the most important traits of any successful person I’ve ever known, persistence—but it isn’t a boring lecture-style book. Kyle always finds and shares great stories that drive the point right home. Thanks, Kyle!”
Seth Mosley, 2x Grammy-Winning Songwriter, Producer, MusicPreneur

“What is the most important step in your journey to success and significance? The next one! In Don’t Quit you will learn from people just like you who overcame incredibly difficult circumstances to find success, significance, and legacy. Go ahead—take the next step and start reading this book!”
Tom Ziglar, Author, Speaker, and CEO of Zig Ziglar Corporation

—————-
“The Art of Persistence: The Simple Secrets to Long-Term Success”
By: R.L. Adams

What is the Art of Persistence?
Tired of talking about wanting to achieve something, but not following through with it? Do you find yourself repeatedly giving up and falling short in the realization of your dreams? Are you moving further and further away from your goals with each passing day?

Break this vicious cycle with the simple secrets to long-term success by downloading The Art of Persistence

Discover Life-Changing Knowledge and Solutions
Life can be hard at times. Sometimes we lose sight of what we’re aiming for. We’re so busy responding to “stuff” that we forget about the goals that are important to us, and we slip back into our negative patterns of behavior.

But, by understanding our underlying beliefs, habits, and the reasons why we really want the things that we do, we can renew a start of pushing towards the life of our dreams.

Download – The Art of Persistence – Now And Learn to Live an Extraordinary Life
There are many resources out there claiming to be the answer to our desires. From get-rich-quick schemes to fad weight-loss diets, we see them everywhere we turn. And, this seemingly ceaseless cycle of bombardment has us chasing our tails from left to right. But it’s time to exit the perpetual cycle of defeat and failure, and start living an extraordinary life.

The Art of Persistence is about learning to reboot your life and assess what really matters to you. It’s about how you can leverage some of the simple secrets to long-term success to move you closer and closer to your dreams each and every single passing day.

From a foundational psychological understanding of why we do the things we do, to a formulaic approach to achieving anything in life, this book sheds light on the subject of goal setting in a whole new way.

Move Past Failure Today
The most difficult part about achieving our goals in life, is coming up against failure. We’ve all failed many times, but how many of us have been able to use those failures as building blocks? How many people have been able to leverage their failures as stepping-stones to really succeeding in life?

Most of the time, we’re in the midst of a fear that grips us, forcing us to hold back our dreams for success in life. When fear takes over, the mind shuts down, retreating from the potential for pain. Learn how to leverage the pain and pleasure paradigm to fuel you, and build an awareness to what it is you really want in life.

Learn just what the Art of Persistence can do for you in your life today…

—————-
“PEAK PERSISTENCE: Why Some Reach Life’s Summits While Others Fail”
By: David Snow

Peak Persistence is filled with tales of mountain climbing adventures, including Snow’s experiences on the world’s highest summits; inspiring stories and examples of people who overcame insurmountable odds to succeed in a wide variety of domains; and academic research that explains and supports Snow’s specific how-to steps for acquiring and sustaining persistence.

—————-
“The Art of Persistence: Stop Quitting, Ignore Shiny Objects and Climb Your Way to Success”
By: Michal Stawicki

Struggling to achieve your most important goals? Discover a powerful formula to push forward and transform your life.

Do you feel like procrastination is sabotaging your dreams? Are you tired of fighting a losing battle against your bad habits? Wish you could get off the couch and take that all-important first step?

Nicknamed “Mr. Consistency” by his friends, author and professional coach Michal Stawicki has been where you are. After battling his video game addiction to become a successful entrepreneur, he’s here to show you the simplest path to creating the lifestyle you deserve.

The Art of Persistence is a step-by-step program created to take you from repeated failure to consistent success.

Through laser-targeted lessons and personal examples, you’ll learn the essential measures you need to stick with your heart’s desire.

Whether you seek money, fame, love, or just personal fulfillment, Stawicki’s page-by-page plan will help you turn all of your personal mountains into molehills.

In The Art of Persistence, you’ll discover:
– Key habits that support consistency so you can live your dreams
– The success mindset you need to replace your mental struggle with willful clarity
– How mastering the skill of persistence will change your world forever
– Why focusing on results doesn’t work and what you should do instead
– Power-packed chapters, practical exercises, specific action plans, and much, much more!

The Art of Persistence is your ultimate guide to making positive change permanent. If you like straightforward advice, easy-to-follow techniques, and proven strategies, then you’ll love Michal Stawicki’s next-level resource.

Buy The Art of Persistence to start your new successful life today!

—————-
“P. U. S. H. Persist until Success Happens Featuring Sashin Govender: Success is Reserved Only for Those Who Persist”
By: Sashin Govender, Les Brown, Johnny Wimbrey, and Matt Morris

Success is Reserved Only for Those Who Persist. An Extraordinary Collection from Some of the Top Global Influencers of Our Time. Powerful and Insightful Lessons on Success and Persistence. Jump in and P.U.S.H. through Every Chapter. P.U.S.H. is not about closing sales, or how to run a multimillion-dollar company, or how to cash in on your side hustle so you can quit your day job. This book is about building the character you need in order to succeed.

—————-
“Perseverance: A Long Obedience in the Same Direction”
By: Eugene Peterson

When the going gets tough, what does a Christian do? The world around you is, more often than not, unjust and unmerciful. But God has given you resources to see you through tough times. As you grow in hope, patience, repentance and joy, you also grow in your ability to persevere. Six studies, based on Eugene Peterson’s classic on Christian commitment, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction, will encourage you to continue in the path Christ has set before you.

—————-
“Don’t Give Up: Faith That Gives You the Confidence to Keep Believing and the Courage to Keep Going”
By: Kyle Idleman

The parent with the wayward child. The couple whose marriage is in jeopardy. The man who is out of work. The woman stuck in crushing debt. The patient with a bad diagnosis. The student who can’t get a fair shake. People hanging by a thread, losing faith and short on strength. What do they all need to hear?

Don’t give up.

Our lives are minefields of challenges that take their toll on our courage, our conviction, and even our faith. But God whispers to the weary, Don’t give up. Drawing from inspiring biblical stories and first-person testimonies of perseverance, bestselling author and pastor Kyle Idleman encourages readers to cast their concerns on God, trust in his love and timing, pray for patience and strength, and seek out support in the family of God.

—————-
“The Power of Persistent Prayer & The Story of a Relentless Widow: Two Messages from Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon for Today”

The eleventh book in the Finney and Spurgeon Face-to-Face series is The Power of Persistent Prayer & The Story of a Relentless Widow, where the messages of Charles G. Finney and Charles H. Spurgeon come face-to-face. The Power of Persistent Prayer & The Story of a Relentless Widow reveals the open secret behind all of Charles Finney’s and Charles Spurgeon’s effective ministry and preaching. Finney wrote: “I have said many times that in revivals the most distinctive feature has been a prevailing spirit of prayer. Answers to prayers were so many that people were convinced that God answered prayers every day and moment.” In Finney’s sermon, with great depth and many personal applications, he explains Luke 18:1 — And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. His message serves as an excellent introduction on prayer. He wrote: “If I am to preach with only two hours for preparation, I give one hour to prayer.” In Luke 18:1-8, Spurgeon’s sermon below explains the meaning of Jesus’ story of a persistent or relentless widow and teaches why we should pray persistently.

Charles Spurgeon preached most of his sermons in the Metropolitan Tabernacle that was built so he could preach to huge crowds in England, and like Finney he taught in a Bible College he helped found. Spurgeon preached before and after Finney’s death, but I have no knowledge that Spurgeon ever read any sermons of Finney’s or that Finney ever read any of Spurgeon’s sermons, but we do have evidence that Spurgeon commended Finney’s preaching for its effectiveness in leading people to saving faith in Jesus Christ., which is included in this book.

Without question among Nineteenth Century preachers and revivalists, Finney was America’s greatest revivalist and Spurgeon was England’s greatest preacher. Both men led thousands to faith in Jesus Christ during their lifetimes, and both men influence students of the Bible, and Christian preachers, revivalists, and theologians today. These two great Bible expositors can be studied together by reading their sermons on the same Biblical themes. Often contrasted in secondary sources, with the books in the Finney and Spurgeon Face-to-Face series readers can compare as well as contrast these men by reading what they actually taught. In addition, they can glean rich resources for their own preaching or teaching.

—————-
“The Power of Persevering Prayer”
By: Andrew Murray

(…)”cease praying, because God may have His secret reason for withholding His answer to our request.It is by faith alone that the difficulty is overcome. When once faith has taken its stand on God’s word and the Name of Jesus, and has yielded itself to the leading of the Spirit to seek God’s will and honor alone in its prayer, it need not be discouraged by delay. It knows from Scripture that the power of believing prayer is simply irresistible; real faith can never be disappointed. It knows that just as water, to exercise the irresistible power it can have, must be gathered up and accumulated until the stream can come down in full force, so there must often be a heaping up of prayer until God sees that the measure is full, when the answer comes. It knows that just as the peasant farmer has to take his ten(…)”.

—————-
“Here I Am Again: A Call to Persistent Praying”
By: Tofunmi Akinyemi

Here I am Again is about persistence in prayer, and the power in the Name of Jesus Christ. It is about having a stubborn faith in God in the face of seemingly impossible situations; totally depending on Him, and trusting Him in all His dealings with us; even when we sometimes don’t understand.It discusses the weapons of our warfare, remaining steadfast in our Christian walk, and being at peace during life’s storms; seeing the reality of God’s “Victory and Glory”, even in the waiting period before the miracle!The truth of God’s Word in this Book will quicken your spirit, and awaken the warrior in you. It will fire you up to pray; constantly taking possession of all God has for you and your generation.

—————-
“Prevailing Prayer: A Thorough Study on the Subject of Prayer”
By: Dwight L. Moody

Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God, for unto thee will I pray. – Psalm 5:2

This book is a comprehensive study on the subject of prayer, and will show you that there are nine elements which are essential to true prayer. These elements are as follows:

1. Adoration – We cannot meet God on a level at the start. We must approach him as one far beyond our reach or sight.
2. Confession – Sin must be put out of the way. We cannot have any communion with God while there is any disobedience between us.
3. Restitution – We have to make amends for the wrong, wherever possible.
4. Thanksgiving – We must be thankful for what God has done for us already.
5. Forgiveness – We must forgive others and pull any root of bitterness that might be growing.
6. Unity – Loving one another brings power in prayer.
7. Faith – There must be faith, which the preceding things produce.
8. Petition – Thus influenced by the other things, we will be ready to offer direct petition, or requests, to God. There needs to be more petition in our prayers.
9. Submission – After all these, there must come submission. While praying, we must be ready to accept the will of God.

Dwight Moody expounds on these nine elements in this volume, using illustrations and stories to validate what he is saying and to help make the truths in this book stick.

—————-
“Praying Women: How to Pray When You Don’t Know What to Say”
By: Sheila Walsh

Do you ever find it hard to pray and don’t know what to say? Prayer is one of the most powerful, life-changing things we will ever do, and yet we often struggle. It’s hard to find the time. It’s repetitive, we get distracted and sometimes even bored. And the answers often feel few and far between. The good news? There is a simple, powerful way to reignite your conversation with God.

In Praying Women, bestselling author Sheila Walsh shares practical helps directly from God’s Word, showing you how to

– know what to say when you pray
– understand how to use prayer as a weapon when you are in the midst of a struggle
– pray as joy-filled warriors, not anxious worriers
– let go of the past and stand on God’s promises for you now

Prayer changes you and it changes the world. You may have tried before, but if you’re ready to start again in your relationship with God, let Sheila Walsh show you how to become a strong praying woman.

—————-
“Answers to Prayer”
By: George Mueller and Rosalie De Rosset (Editor)

When George Mueller could not get it out of his mind to open a house for orphans in late 1835, he purposed to do so “that God might be magnified by the fact that the orphans under my care are provided with all they need, only by prayer and faith.”

For over sixty years George Mueller wrote down the details of the Lord’s provision. Thousands of orphans depended solely on Mueller, and Mueller depended solely on the Lord. Prayer is an urgent matter that always yields crucial results. Through his narrative account, Mueller reveals how powerful and spiritually rewarding prayer can be in your life.

—————-
“The Power of Persistence: Breakthroughs in Your Prayer Life”
By: Michael Catt

Michael Catt, senior pastor of Sherwood Baptist Church and executive producer of the Georgia congregation’s runaway hit films Facing the Giants and Fireproof, is often asked why God has blessed their efforts in such a remarkable way. His answer is simple:

“We have a praying church that is walking in unity. We pray over every ministry and every decision.”

The Power of Persistence is Catt’s invitation to a prayer-without-ceasing way of life. Stories from scripture and personal ministry experiences attest to the prophetic and profitable work of prayer. Engaging chapters on prayers of penitence, learning from the Psalmist, praying for children, the lost, and in response to spiritual warfare guide us to a breakthrough level of communication with the God who is eager to hear our cries and accomplish His work through us.

—————-
“Why Keep Praying?: Perseverance in Prayer”
By: Mike Mazzalongo

A summary of reasons why, despite the delay or doubt that God is hearing us, we must persevere in prayer.

—————-
“Push: Praise, Pray, Persist Until Something Happens”
By: Jerry Bonsu

Believing that God can take you safely through all of the storms of this life can be difficult. God’s timing doesn’t always line up with our way of doing things and it may seem that we are alone in our battles. The raging storms of life brings many questions: What do you do when you are facing a serious medical issue, a crumbling marriage, financial difficulty, an addiction or any overwhelming problem that just won’t go away? How do you continue waiting on God especially when you are pregnant with purpose? In PUSH, worship leader and conference host Jerry Bonsu shares practical truths about the power of Praise, Prayer and Persistence that will carry you to new and exciting heights of splendor, hope, and love that only the Master could design – especially for you. You’ll gain insight into how you can learn to stand firmly and have lasting peace and confidence in the face of adversity.

—————-
“Why Keep Praying?: When You Don’t See Results”
By: Robert Morris

Pastor Robert Morris encourages readers to keep praying.

Many people give up praying because they don’t see results and feel discouraged or angry that their prayers haven’t been heard. But Robert Morris reveals why it is so important not to stop—to never give up. This book provides hope and evidence for readers that God does hear their prayers, cares about them personally, and intervenes in their lives in ways beyond their imaginations.

—————-
“More Effective Prayer”
by: Stuart, Jill, and Pete Briscoe

Do you ever feel like your prayers are bouncing off the walls instead of landing in the presence of God? Or, maybe you pray more out of obligation than relationship, so even as you say the words you recognize the lack of passion in your voice. You’re left wondering if God hears your prayers—and, more importantly, will He answer them?

What’s the secret to an effective prayer life—one where you’re eager to lose yourself in the presence of God and confident that your prayers are rising to heaven and making a difference?

In this 5-message series, Pete, Stuart, and Jill Briscoe show you how to move from a mundane prayer life to a vibrant and rich one where you’ll no longer doubt that God is eagerly awaiting your company and answering your prayers.

https://www.tellingthetruth.org/trending-topics/more-effective-prayer

https://www.tellingthetruth.org/listen/series?name=more-effective-prayer&sid=bd351030-6f2d-4464-a72a-2c12ee4b46c7

https://www.oneplace.com/ministries/telling-the-truth/series/more-effective-prayer

—————-
“The Hidden Life of Prayer: The life-blood of the Christian”
By: David McIntyre

Private or secret prayer is the life-blood of the Christian. The great men and women of God down through the ages have testified to the effectiveness of this in their lives. Some like Martin Luther, have said that they could not survive a busy day without spending 2-3 hours alone with God. Drawing on the experiences of people like Luther, Spurgeon, Muller, Whitefield and Wesley, the author presses the case for a greater commitment to prayer. His advice may not only transform your life, it could be a catalyst towards a change in the world around you.

—————-
“A WAY TO PRAY – A BIBLICAL METHOD FOR ENRICHING YOUR PRAYER LIFE”

Most evangelical Christians know of Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Bible, but few are as familiar with his A Method for Prayer, with Scripture Expressions Proper to Be Used under Each Head. This work consists almost entirely of Scripture, arranged under various headings, to help Christians to pray in harmony with the truth of God, revealed in his Word. First published three hundred years ago, it has been revised and updated by O. Palmer Robertson to allow the language of prayer to be expressed in today’s idiom. It is sent out in the confidence that God will continue to honour his own Word, as it is redirected back to him in the form of heartfelt prayer.

[ Matthew Henry ]

A Way to Pray

—————-
“Praying the Bible”
By: Donald S. Whitney

“All Christians know they should pray, but sometimes it’s hard to know how—especially if the minutes start to drag and our minds start to wander. Offering readers hope, encouragement, and the practical advice they’re looking for, this concise book by professor Donald Whitney outlines a simple, time-tested method that can help transform our prayer lives: praying the words of the Bible. Praying the Bible shows readers how to pray through portions of Scripture one line at a time, helping us stay focused by allowing God’s Word itself to direct our thoughts and words. Simple yet profound, this resource will prove invaluable to all Christians as they seek to commune with their heavenly Father in prayer each and every day.”

—————-
“Waiting for God”
By: Juanita Ryan

We spend much of our life waiting. For healing for ourselves or a friend. For a wayward daughter to return to God. For a new job. For marriage and children and grandchildren. Sometimes the waiting can cause us to feel stuck, or forgotten by God. But waiting time is not wasted time. These eight-session LifeGuide® Bible Study by Juanita Ryan help you draw near to God in times of uncertainty and postponement. As she leads you and your group through significant moments of waiting in Scripture, you will become familiar with the dynamics of such times and learn to hear God?s call to rest in his timing. For over three decades LifeGuide Bible Studies have provided solid biblical content and raised thought-provoking questions―making for a one-of-a-kind Bible study experience for individuals and groups. This series has more than 130 titles on Old and New Testament books, character studies, and topical studies

—————-
“Waiting: A Bible Study on Patience, Hope, and Trust”
By: Sharla Fritz

Waiting can be agony. In our culture where almost everything is instant, we are accustomed to getting what we want now. So when our lives are put in a holding pattern, we squirm.

But what if the waiting rooms of life are God’s best classrooms? What if the Holy Spirit changes us through the uncomfortable delays of life?

Waiting: A Bible Study on Patience, Hope, and Trust focuses on the lives of eight biblical women who waited and yearned and ached. The study highlights principles that make these times more bearable, and maybe more meaningful, even if it feels like God isn’t present or there’s nothing we can do. Learn how to surrender your worries to God, handle the daily-ness of waiting, and draw closer to Jesus.

Discussion questions are included, as are Bible study exercises for group studies or individual reflection.

—————-
“The Secret of Positive Praying”
By: John Bisagno

Examines the responsibilities and privileges of prayer, discusses answered and unanswered prayers, and analyzes the prayers of the Apostle Paul

—————-
“Autobiography of George Muller: A Million and a Half in Answer to Prayer”

This is the only complete autobiography.

[ George Müller ]

Book:
https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=30418970949

—————-
“Autobiography of George Muller or A Million and a Half Answers to Prayer”
(Plus several others writings)

[ George Müller ]

Audiobook:
https://archive.org/details/AutobiographyOfGeorgeMullerOrAMillionAndAHalfAnswersToPrayer-Plus

—————-
“George Müeller, Man of Faith”

[ HeartCry Missionary Society ]

Booklet: https://www.georgemuller.org/uploads/4/8/6/5/48652749/george-muller-man-of-faith.pdf

 

*****************************
*****************************

“THE SEARCH FOR MEANING” WEBSITE

This site presents discussions on the 12 most commonly asked questions about the Christian faith.

The 12 discussions are accessed by the “tabs” at the bottom of the page. The tabs are numbered 1-12. Roll your mouse over them and you will see the question displayed at the right. Click on the number to select that question.

Within each question (i.e. tabs 1-12), there are subtopics (or dialogues) to select that appear as smaller tabs underneath the numbered tabs. Roll your mouse over them and the title of these topics is also displayed to the right. Click on the open rectangle to select that dialogue.

For each question (1-12), a link to related resources and an optional flowchart is provided. To access this material, click on the respective words, “Related Resources” or “Options Flowchart.”

To play a more detailed discussion of the subject, between two people, select the desired dialogue and click on “Play Audio Dialogue.”

In the upper right-hand corner of the page, there is an icon that looks like binoculars looking at a question mark. Click on this icon to return to the homepage.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Related Resources” page, there is an icon that looks like some books. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the resources for all of the questions. There also are additional “appendices” for most of the questions.

In the upper right-hand corner of a “Flowchart” page, there is an icon that looks like an Org chart. Click on this icon to get to an “overview” page that has links to all of the flowcharts.

http://4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q1_d1_1of10.html

[ Content by: Bill Kraftson and Lamar Smith; Website by Mark Besh ]

*****************************
*****************************

“FRUITS OF THE BEATITUDES” WEB SITE
(The ATTITUDES of Jesus that produce the CHARACTER of Jesus)

CLICK ON THE LINK to view:
http://fruitsofthebeatitudes.org/

FACEBOOK PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/FruitsOfTheBeatitudes/

[ Mark Besh ]

*****************************
*****************************

[ P.S.: If you would like to investigate further how to communicate to God through prayer, visit the following link:
http://www.4vis.com/sfm/sfm_pres/sp_q12_d4_1of10.html ].

*****************************
*****************************

 

*****************************
*****************************

ARTICLES:

*****************************
*****************************

Some “P.U.S.H.” Acronyms:

Persist Until Something Happens
Prepare Until Success Happens
Practice Until Something Happens
People United to Save Humanity
Pressure Ulcer Scale for Healing
Prevent Unnecessary Spending and Hazards
People United to Serve Humanity
People United for Sustainable Housing
People Understanding Severe Handicaps
Persons United for Self Help
Partners United to Stop Hatred
Presidents United to Solve Hunger
Project Urging Senior Health
Partnership for Urban South Hampshire (UK)
Purdue University Student Health
Play Until Someone Hears
Praise Until Something Happens
Pray Until Something Happens

*****************************
DOn’t
quIT

*****************************
“Never Give Up | 1972 Olympic | 800m Final”

Some time life is hard. It’s same for everyone. And it’s even more harsh if you started slower than others. But if you believe that you can win despite the setbacks you had, you’ll.
Have faith in yourself.

[ Dave Wottle ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhixMwfBL7Y

*****************************
“The Improbable Victory of Runner David Wottle”

American runner David Wottle pulls off an unexpected victory in the men’s 800-metre final at the 1972 Munich Olympic Games.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=120Bi0vhRPg

*****************************
“Be Persistent”

Motivational Video

[ Marvis M ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2gnsUUmcTE

*****************************
“NEVER SURRENDER”

Motivational Speech (2018)

[ Marvis M ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRO6Drj3cqo

*****************************
“COMMITMENT”

Powerful Motivational Video

[ Marvis M ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siqUCl8P3Ps

*****************************
“Keep Moving Forward”

Motivational video

[ Alex Binaei ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMJpSHaIE5U

*****************************
“KEEP PUSHING FORWARD”

Motivational Speech

“Life is about accepting the challenges along the way, choosing to keep moving forward, and savoring the journey.”
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

[ Marvis M ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdr5z6iy3dQ

*****************************
“PERSISTENCE”

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” – Calvin Coolidge

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIzy4teCPXg

*****************************
“How to Practice Persistence”

What’s the one common attribute all high achievers share? PERSISTENCE. They always find a way to reignite their motivation to achieve their goals, no matter what roadblocks get in their way. Recharge your own motivation to move closer to success with every decision you make.

[ Jack Canfield ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RAg7Yk4XV6Q

*****************************
“How to Use Persistence to Increase Your Results!”

If you were to choose just one part of your personality to develop that would virtually guarantee your success, persistence would be your choice.

“There may be no heroic connotation to the word persistence, but the quality is to character of man what carbon is to steel.” – Napoleon Hill

Persistence is going to keep you going in the face of almost every obstacle that you could imagine. It is based upon your focus directed toward the positive polarity in life.

The negative polar opposite to Persistence is Stubbornness. Stay in the positive polarity! Read more about Persistence and Stubbornness here: http://bit.ly/1Czep5C

[ Proctor Gallager Institute ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZAQYmzOJoo

*****************************
“DON’T LIMIT GOD | Never Give Up”

Nick Vujicic has overcome life’s challenges through strength & hope found in Jesus Christ. Regardless of your limitations, you can find everything you need in Jesus.

[ Nick Vujicic ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_-HDkl_VWY

*****************************
“Persistence of Vision”

Christian Motivation.

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXtCOcjc3gQ

*****************************
“Success Happens Over Time With Planning Persistence and Patience”

How Long Does it Really Take to Become a Successful?

As of late, I’ve had a lot of people asking me how long it’s taken me to become a successful freelancer. I find that the answer is quite subjective based on what your definition of success is, but I’m going to try my best to find an average based on personal experience and available data.

Defining Success
For the sake of example, let’s say that your idea of success is simply making a profit. In that case, I was able to do that as soon as my first year as a freelancer.

On the other hand, let’s say your idea of success is being able to pay for your living expenses. That may take a little longer, but in this day and age it can still be done rather quickly.

Now, let’s say you want to make six figures in revenue. I might get close to that this year, but it’s taken me a few years to do it. I’ve heard other six-figure freelancers say it’s taken them about five to six years to reach get to six-figure status.

See what I mean by the answer depending on what success means to you? Everyone has a different definition and different circumstances in their lives that can affect how long it takes them to become a successful freelancer.

Rule of Thumb
While there is no clear-cut answer to how long it takes to become a successful freelancer, there is a rule of thumb for most businesses when it comes to profitability. That rule of thumb is that it takes an average of three years for a business to become profitable, assuming they even make it past the first year.

This seems to be in line with my own experience. While I was making a profit from the beginning, the first two years were pretty hard in terms of revenue and expenses. Most of the money would go back into the business and I had little for myself.

When I started going into year three, things changed drastically. Suddenly people were approaching me for work without me having to hustle as hard as before. About three months into the third year I’d tripled the monthly revenue from the year before. Now that I’m about to celebrate my three year anniversary as a full-time freelancer, I’m on track to double my revenue from last year.

I also had a mentor who always told me “Just make it to year three and you’ll be fine.” I now see why she said that.

How to Become a Successful Freelancer
Just like there’s no clear-cut answer to determine how long it takes to become a successful freelancer, there’s also no clear cut formula on how to do it. However, here are some of the traits I’ve seen among successful freelancers:

Consistency. Successful freelancers are consistent. They are consistent in their work, consistent in the hustle and consistent in building their own brands. All the little actions they’ve taken over time eventually reach a tipping point.
Resiliency. Successful freelancers are resilient. That means they keep going even if they failed somewhere along the way.
Always striving to improve. Successful freelancers are always striving to improve usually by means of educating themselves and seeking mentors.
Take action. Successful freelancers don’t just dream about having a successful freelance business, they take action.
These four traits are the ones I see time and time again in successful freelancers. They are also the traits that certainly help them become successful much faster. (Amanda Abella)

[ Steve Harvey Motivational Speech ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPV48eSz5dk

*****************************
“NEVER GIVE UP – God Is With You In The Battle”

In life we experience periods where we feel like giving up, but this video underlines highlights the importance not giving up. Nowhere in the bible does it encourage giving up and as a child of God giving up should not be an option.

[ Lion of Judah ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBjXk-VPq8o

*****************************
“DON’T GIVE UP | God Will Give Your Strength”

Motivational Video

[ Lion of Judah ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YwQqh6aupxM

*****************************
“The Power Of Persistence (Story Of The 8 Broke Men)”

Persistence may sound like an easy trait to practice, but it’s when the going get’s tough that most people give up, but need it the most. Enjoy the short story in this video to elaborate on how persistence can be used to get way ahead of the many others that quit during those periods of endurance.

[ The Light Space ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Pomg8bDiPI

*****************************
“I Will Persist Until I Succeed”

I have narrated my favourite scroll from The Greatest Salesman in the World by Og Mandino.

[ Og Mandino ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QovjH-w2JW0

*****************************
“You Want SUCCESS? Push THROUGH the DIRT!”

Motivational Video

[ Evan Carmicharl ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ucu_M6iGG8M

*****************************
“P.U.S.H Persist Until Something Happens!”

Fall down seven times, get up eight.” That wise saying underscores the importance of persistence in the world of performance improvement. In fact, many would argue that persistence is the single most important attribute in the success mindset.

Throughout history, we’ve been reminded of the value of sticking with something we’re passionate about until we achieve what we want to achieve. For example, there’s a Buddhist saying, “In the confrontation between the stream and the rock, the stream always wins – not through strength, but through persistence.”

In both the Old and New Testaments, there are numerous references to the value of persistence. For example, in his New Testament epistle, the apostle James wrote: “…for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”

Psychologist Edward de Bono has noted that, in his vast experience in working with successful people, he finds two major qualities: (1) they expect to do well, and (2) they’re persistent.

We know from our own experiences that education and raw talent are often trumped by persistence. Those who succeed in any venue are often not the most intelligent or the most talented. They simply figure out a way to go over, under, around, or through the obstacles thrown in front of them. Remember, the stream always finds its way around the rock.

Persistence is an intrinsic motivation. It comes from deep inside. The stronger the inner desire to succeed, the greater the chances of success. The fact is, we all face obstacles and challenges. Successful people accept that fact and simply figure out a way to deal with them.

Those who persist face the cold, hard facts. Life is tough, the economy is awful, work is hard, and life’s not fair. So what? Success in life has always been difficult, work is always challenging, cheaters do prosper, and you won’t win the lottery. Shake it off and move on.

[ Les Taylor ]

*****************************
“Persistence: The Importance of Persistence”

The Importance of Persistence

Failure can be life’s greatest teacher when we understand that some kind of failure always happens before success. However, what you come to appreciate as you progress through life is that failures, setbacks and obstacles are not as important as how you see them and react to them.

Because it is your persistence that determines how far and how close you get to the person you want to become. Never underestimate the power of persistence. It is those that persist despite what others may say that eventually succeed. When you truly want something, you will find a way.

As Ralph Waldo Emerson put it: “Our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail.”

[ Simon Alexander Ong ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0S7leII0Rw

*****************************
“The VERY BEST Habits”

The very best HABITS

The very best HABITS (Part 2)

The very best HABITS (Part 3)

The very best HABITS (Part 4)

The very best HABIT (Part 5, and the last one!)

[ The Zig Ziglar organization ]

*****************************
“Steps to Successful Prayer, Part 1”

Part 1: Start with Praise

“Pray then in this way: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil.’” (Matthew 6:9-13)

Study the exemplary prayers in Scripture and you cannot help noticing that all of them are brief and simple. Prayer that is heartfelt, urgent, and unfeigned must be of that style. Verbiage and windbaggery are badges of insincerity, especially in prayer. The prayer of the publican in Luke 18:13 is as short and to the point as possible: “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” Then there’s the prayer of the thief on the cross: “Jesus, remember me when You come in Your kingdom!” (Luke 23:42). Those prayers are cut from the same cloth as Peter’s cry for help when he was walking on water—sometimes cited as the shortest prayer in the Bible: “Lord, save me” (Matthew 14:30).

Scripture records very few long prayers. Much of Psalm 119 is addressed to God in the language of prayer, and of course, that is the Bible’s longest chapter. Other than that, Nehemiah 9:5-38 contains the longest prayer in all of Scripture, and it can be read aloud with expression in less than seven minutes. John 17 is the New Testament’s longest prayer. It’s also the longest of Jesus’ recorded prayers, just twenty-six verses long.

We know, of course, that Jesus prayed much longer prayers than that, because Scripture records several instances where He prayed in solitude for extended periods of time (Matthew 14:23; Mark 6:46). When it suited Him, He would even spend the entire night in prayer (Luke 6:12). It was His habit thus to pray, both privately and with His disciples (John 18:2). And the pattern was clear: His long prayers were the ones He prayed in private. His public prayers were perfect examples of crisp, forthright, plain speaking.

Listening to Jesus pray and observing His constant dependence on private prayer gave the disciples an appetite for prayer. So they asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). He responded by repeating the very same model prayer He gave in the Sermon on the Mount. We call it the Lord’s Prayer. We ought rather to think of it as the Disciples’ Prayer, because its centerpiece is a petition for divine forgiveness, something Jesus would never need to pray for. Like all great praying, it is both succinct and unpretentious. There is not a wasted word, not a hint of vain repetition, and not a single note of ostentation or ceremony in the whole prayer:

And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, For we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation’” (Luke 11:2-4).

That prayer was a pattern for the disciples to follow, not a mantra to be recited without engaging the mind or passions. The various elements of Jesus’ prayer are all reminders of what our praying ought to include: praise, petition, penitence, and a plea for grace in our sanctification. Those are not only the key elements of prayer, they are also some of the principal features of authentic worship.

And that’s where we’ll start in our next post.

[ John MacArthur ]

*****************************
“Steps to Successful Prayer, Part 2”

Part 2: Stifle Ungodly Presumptions

The worldly excess and spiritual shallowness of prosperity preachers and charismatic faith healers are easy to spot. It’s a man-made, man-centered theology powered by extreme greed—one that encourages followers to make outrageous demands for prosperity and personal gain, reducing Almighty God to little more than a vending machine.

Watching on television, it looks spiritually foreign and wicked, because it is.

But are we as quick to spot the same trends cropping up in our own prayer lives? Do we even notice when our prayers become more and more like shopping lists that show little care or concern for God’s glory or His will? Or are we forgetting the model of prayer Christ gave His disciples and instead reflecting this era of self-focused, subjective, felt-needs-oriented religion?

Today multitudes think of prayer as nothing more than a way to get whatever they want from God. Prayer is reduced to a superstitious means of gain—and some will tell you that God is obligated to deliver the goods. Religious television is full of charlatans who insist that God must grant whatever you ask for if you can muster enough “faith” and refuse to entertain any “doubt.” Faith in their lexicon is a kind of blind credulity, usually bolstered by some kind of “positive confession.” Doubt, as they might describe it, is any qualm—even if it’s rational and biblical—about whether the thing you desire is in accord with the will of God. Those, of course, are not biblical definitions of faith and doubt. Nor can anyone’s prayer legitimately be called a “prayer offered in faith” (James 5:15) if it is contrary to the will of God.

Charismatics are not the only ones who see prayer as nothing more than a kind of utilitarian wish list. Plenty of mainstream evangelicals and old-style fundamentalists seem confused about the purpose of prayer, too. John R. Rice, an influential fundamentalist pastor, wrote a best-selling book in 1942 titled Prayer—Asking and Receiving. He wrote, “Prayer is not praise, adoration, meditation, humiliation nor confession, but asking. . . . Praise is not prayer, and prayer is not praise. Prayer is asking. . . . Adoration is not prayer, and prayer is not adoration. Prayer is always asking. It is not anything else but asking.”[i]

There are several problems with that perspective. First, Jesus’ model prayer is more than merely “asking.” It does include that; there are petitions for daily bread (the barest of material needs) and forgiveness (the most urgent of spiritual needs). But the model prayer Jesus gave His disciples also includes at least four of the five elements Dr. Rice wanted to eliminate from his definition of prayer: praise, adoration, humiliation, and confession.

Remove praise and penitence from the Lord’s Prayer and you have gutted it. Insist that proper prayer “is not anything else but asking” and you overthrow one of the central lessons we learn from Jesus’ example: that prayer is first and foremost an act of worship. Even worse, such teaching sets up a kind of role reversal between the one praying and the God to whom he prays.

The Bible teaches that God is sovereign and we are His slaves. Name-it-and-claim-it theology teaches that man is sovereign and God is his servant. The person praying thinks he is in the demand-and-command position, with God in the role of the servant who is obligated to cough up whatever we ask for. As I’ve pointed out elsewhere, that has more in common with pagan cargo cults than with biblical Christianity.

Prayer is much more than merely asking and receiving. It is indeed a great privilege to come boldly before the throne of grace and to let our requests be made known to God (Hebrews 4:16; Philippians 4:6). Scripture repeatedly promises that if we ask for anything in faith, God will answer—meaning if we ask in accord with God’s will as prompted by His Spirit, He will always graciously and generously respond (Matthew 7:7-11; 17:20; 21:22; Mark 11:24; James 1:6; 1 John 3:22). He often grants our requests “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20, KJV).

But the nature of a truly faithful prayer is clearly spelled out in 1 John 5:14: “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (emphasis added). In other words, the promise of answered prayer is not an unqualified blank check. The promise is made only to faithful, obedient, sober-minded, biblically informed Christians whose prayers are in harmony with the will of God. It’s not a guarantee of cargo to every gullible or superstitious religious enthusiast who uses Jesus’ name as if it were an abracadabra. Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7, emphasis added).

That’s because far from being merely a wish list, godly prayer is fundamentally an act of worship. It is an expression of our praise, our unworthiness, our desire to see God’s will fulfilled, and our utter dependence on Him for all our needs. Thus every aspect of prayer is an act of worship. That includes the petitions we make, because when we properly make our requests known to God—without anxiety, through prayer and supplication, and with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6)—we are acknowledging His sovereignty, confessing our own total reliance on His grace and power, and looking to Him as Lord and Provider and Ruler of the universe—not as some kind of celestial Santa. Proper prayer is pure worship, even when we are making requests.

The Godward focus of Jesus’ model prayer is impossible to miss. The prayer starts with praise of God’s name. It expresses a willingness for His Kingdom to come and His will to be done. Pure worship thus precedes and sets the context for supplication. Those opening lines establish the focal point of the prayer: the glory of God and His kingdom. In other words, the supplicant is concerned first of all not for his personal wish list but for the honor of God and the extension of His kingdom. Everything else fits into that context, so that the whole agenda of the prayer is determined by the kingdom and glory of God. That is perhaps the most important perspective to keep in mind in all our praying.

Jesus said, “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13). The purpose of all legitimate prayer is not to fulfill the felt needs or material desires of the one praying, but to acknowledge the sovereignty of God and to magnify His glory. Prayer is not about getting what I want, but about the fulfillment of God’s will. The proper objective of prayer is not to enlarge my borders, build my empire, or expand my wallet but to further the kingdom of God. The point is not to elevate my name but to hallow God’s name. Everything in prayer revolves around who God is, what God wants, and how God is to be glorified. That is the sum and substance of proper praying.

Any prayers that are self-consuming, self-indulgent, self-aggrandizing; any prayers that seek whatever I want no matter what God wants; any prayers that suggest God must deliver because I have demanded it—those are prayers that take His name in vain. Such praying is an egregious sin against the nature of God, against the will of God, and against the Word of God.

“Name it, claim it” prayers; the notion that God wants you always healthy, wealthy, prosperous, and successful; and lists of selfish requests are all quite at odds with the spirit of Jesus’ model prayer. Such requests are expressly excluded from the many promises that God will hear and answer our prayers (James 4:3). The faulty belief that underlies all such praying is no small error. It is rooted in a serious misunderstanding of the nature of God.

Because prayer is an act of worship, to offer a prayer based on such a heinous perversion of God’s character is tantamount to worshiping a false god. To put it bluntly, when someone presents God with a wish list rooted in greed, materialism, or other expressions of pure self-interest, then demands that God deliver the goods as if He were a genie, that is no prayer at all. It is an act of blasphemy. It is as abominable as the crassest form of pagan worship.

Instead, we must come to the Lord humbly as worshipers, seeking His will and not our own. Successful prayer isn’t about getting what you want from God—it’s about cementing His glory and honor into their proper, primary place, and submitting your desires and affections to Him. That starts with praise, but it doesn’t end there. Over the next several days, we’ll look closer at the model of the Lord’s Prayer, drawing out some basic, practical steps you can take to have a disciplined, biblical prayer life.

[ John MacArthur ]

*****************************
“Steps to Successful Prayer, Part 3”

Part 3: Submit to God’s Paternity

How often do we actually think deeply about the words we say in prayer? These days certain names for God and phrases like in Jesus’ name are thrown around so haphazardly you wonder if they still have any meaning at all.

If we’re not careful, our prayer lives can easily and quickly fall into a rut—a meaningless recitation of the same words and phrases day after day, without any thought as to what we’re saying, or whom we’re saying it to.

The model prayer Christ gave His disciples stands in stark contrast to that kind of rambling repetition. Every word in the Lord’s Prayer is deliberate, intentional, and loaded with spiritual significance—including the name Jesus used to address the Lord.

And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day ourdaily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation’” (Luke 11:2-4).

The prayer starts with a reference to God’s paternity. The first word—the address—is a reminder that God is our heavenly Father. We go to Him not only because He is a sovereign Monarch, a righteous Judge, and our Creator, but because He is a loving Father. That beautiful expression reminds us of the grace that gives us unlimited access to His throne (Hebrews 4:16)—and it encourages us to come boldly, just as a son or a daughter would come to a loving dad.

That familial connection, by the way, is the basis for our boldness in prayer. The point is not that our words have any kind of magical power; not that God is somehow obliged to give us whatever we ask for; and certainly not that our faith merits material rewards—but that God in His sovereignty invites us to come to Him as a gracious and loving Father. The intimacy of the Father-child relationship does not diminish the reverence we owe Him as our sovereign God. Far less does it give us any reason to exalt ourselves. Instead, it is a reminder that we should be childlike in our dependence on God’s goodness and love. Ultimately, because He is our sovereign Lord, Creator, Judge, and Father, He is the only One we can rely on to supply all our needs and satisfy our deepest longings. If our prayers are truly worshipful, they will be permeated with recognition of that truth.

Take, for example, the prayer of Isaiah 64:8, “But now, O LORD, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand.” That is the proper spirit of prayer: Lord, You made us. You gave us life. You alone can supply the resources we need. We are united with Your beloved Son by faith, and therefore we are Your children in every sense—totally dependent on Your will, Your power, and Your blessings.

That is very different from the prayer of a pagan who comes to a vengeful, violent, jealous, unjust, man-made god, believing some merit or sacrifice must be brought to the altar to appease that hostile deity. The biblical perspective we bring to prayer is that God Himself offered the ultimate sacrifice and supplies all the merit we need in the Person of His Son. All who by faith lay hold of Christ as Lord and Savior are “sons of God” (Galatians 3:26; cf. John 1:12-13; 2 Corinthians 6:8). “See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are” (1 John 3:1).

In other words, the sacrifice of Christ was offered on our behalf, so we have already received the very best God has to give. And “He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:32).

As if that weren’t enough, in Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus makes this promise:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!

So when we pray, we are going to a God who is our loving heavenly Father. We can go with a sense of intimacy. We can go with confidence in the same tender, trusting way a little child would go to an earthly father. We can go boldly. We are approaching a loving deity who does not need to be appeased, but who embraces us as His own. In fact, because we are His true children, “God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’” (Galatians 4:6). “Abba” is a term of deep affection, a common term for “father” derived from the Chaldean dialect. Because it is easy to pronounce, it was how little children in New Testament times commonly addressed their fathers, like “Daddy” or “Papa” in today’s English.

But when we call God “Father,” or “Abba,” it is not a casual nod of crass or presumptuous familiarity. Used properly, “Abba”—“Father”—is an expression of profound worship filled with childlike trust: “God, I recognize that I’m Your child. I know You love me and have given me intimate access to You. I recognize that You have absolutely unlimited resources, and that You will do what is best for me. I recognize that I need to obey You. And I recognize that whatever You do, You know best.” All of that is implied in the truth that God is our Father, and that’s how Jesus taught us to begin our prayers.

Don’t miss the point. When we pray to God as our heavenly Father, we are not only acknowledging our responsibility to obey Him, we are also confessing that He has a right to give us what He knows is best. Above all, we are offering Him praise and thanks for His loving grace, while confessing our own complete trust and dependence. In short, we are coming to Him as worshiping children—and all of that is implicit in the very first word of Jesus’ model prayer.

[ John MacArthur ]

*****************************
“Steps to Successful Prayer, Part 4”

Part 4: Seek God’s Priority

What is the most common motivation to go to the Lord in prayer? Is it to confess sin? Or is it to make a petition on behalf of a loved one? Do we want to bring our latest requests to Him, or remind Him of something we think He may have overlooked? Far too much of our time in prayer is spent focused on us, not on the One to whom we’re praying.

When was the last time you prayed simply to give God glory, or to express your appreciation for His love, His mercy, His grace, or His character? If prayer is an act of worship, our prayer lives cannot revolve around us—our schedules, our trials, our needs, wants, and concerns.

That self-centered approach stands in stark contrast to the model Christ gave His disciples. The Lord’s Prayer is a worshipful meditation on who God is and the sovereign care He bestows on His people. It’s a pattern for successful prayer—one that emphasizes the glory and supremacy of God.

And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation’” (Luke 11:2-4).

The entire opening sentence of the prayer is a straightforward exclamation of worship: “Father, hallowed be Your name” (Luke 11:2). That is expressed as a petition, but it is by no means a personal request; it is an expression of praise, and it reflects God’s own priority: “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another” (Isaiah 42:8).

Jesus established the truth that prayer is worship by beginning His model prayer that way. To worship God is to “sing the glory of His name” (Psalm 66:2). “Ascribe to the LORD the glory due His name” (1 Chronicles 16:29; Psalms 29:2; 96:8). “Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to Your name give glory” (Psalm 115:1). Such expressions capture the true spirit of a worshiping heart.

Moreover, that first sentence qualifies every other petition in the prayer. It rules out asking for things “with wrong motives, so that you may spend it on your pleasures” (James 4:3). It eliminates every petition that is not in accord with the perfect will of God.

In the words of Arthur Pink:

How clearly, then, is the fundamental duty in prayer here set forth: self and all its needs must be given a secondary place and the Lord freely accorded the preeminence in our thoughts, desires and supplications. This petition must take the precedence, for the glory of God’s great name is the ultimate end of all things: every other request must not only be subordinated to this one, but be in harmony with and in pursuance of it. We cannot pray aright unless the honour of God be dominant in our hearts. If we cherish a desire for the honoring of God’s name we must not ask for anything which it would be against the Divine holiness to bestow.[1]

What does that expression mean: “Hallowed be Your name”? In biblical terms, God’s “name” includes everything God is—His character, His attributes, His reputation, His honor—His very Person. God’s name signifies everything that is true about God.

We still use the expression “my name” in that sense at times. If we say someone has ruined his good name, we mean he has disgraced himself and spoiled his reputation. He has diminished others’ perception of who he is. And if I give you power of attorney, I have authorized you to act in my name. You thereby become my legal proxy, and any legal covenants you enter into are as binding on me as if I signed them myself.

That is precisely what Jesus meant when He taught us to pray in His name: “Whatever you ask in My name, that will I do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask Me anything in My name, I will do it” (John 14:13-14). He was delegating His authority to us to be used in prayer—authorizing us to act as if we were His emissaries when we let our requests be made known to God.

But by teaching us to begin by asking that the name of God be hallowed, Christ created a built-in safeguard against the misuse of His name for our own self-aggrandizing purposes. If we truly want God’s name to be hallowed, we would never sully the name of His Son or abuse the proxy He has given us by using His name to request that which He Himself would never sanction. To do that would be to take His name in vain, and that is a violation of the third commandment. Furthermore, immediately after Jesus delegated the authority of His name to His disciples, He said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (v. 15). He then restated the principle with all the necessary qualifications just one chapter later, in John 15:7: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (emphasis added).

It should be clear, then, that the expression “Your name” signifies far more than just a proper noun. God’s name represents everything He is, everything He approves, and everything He is known for. So when we pray, “Father, hallowed be Your name,” we are expressing a desire for God’s character, His glory, His reputation in the world, and His very being to be set apart and lifted up.

The word hallowed (Greek hagiazo) means “consecrated,” “sanctified,” or “set apart as holy.” It includes the idea of being separated from all that is profane. Putting it as simply as possible, this phrase is a prayer that God Himself would be blessed and glorified. Jesus Himself prayed for that very thing in John 12:28: “Father, glorify Your name.” It is a petition God delights to answer.

By starting His model prayer that way, Jesus was reminding us of the ultimate purpose of every prayer we ever offer. The proper aim is for God to be glorified, honored, known, and exalted in every conceivable way.

That, by the way, is a further reminder not to call God “Father” in a cheaply sentimental or overly familiar way. He is our loving Father, but we are not to forget that His name is holy. The fatherhood of God in no way diminishes His glory, and if we find ourselves thinking that way, here is the corrective: “Father, hallowed be Your name.”

The spirit of that plea is contrary to the main thrust of the so-called prosperity gospel. I once heard a televangelist teaching the “positive confession” doctrine, and he told his audience that if they tacked the phrase “not my will but Thine” onto any of their prayers, they were not praying in faith. That is a lie from the pit of hell. Jesus Himself prayed “not My will, but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). By teaching us to begin all our prayers with a concern that the name of God be hallowed, He was teaching us to pray for God’s will over and above our own.

The kind of god who is at everyone’s beck and call and who must knuckle under to someone else’s desires is not the God of the Bible. Those who portray prayer in such a fashion are not hallowing God’s name; they are dragging His name through the mud. Their false teaching is a denial of the very nature of God. It isn’t just bad theology, it is gross irreverence. It is blasphemy. They are taking God’s name in vain, and that is patently antithetical to the spirit of this plea.

Luther’s catechism (section 39) asks and answers this question: “How is God’s name hallowed among us? Answer, as plainly as it can be said: When both our doctrine and life are godly and Christian. For since in this prayer we call God our Father, it is our duty always to deport and demean ourselves as godly children, that He may not receive shame, but honor and praise from us.”

So when we pray, “Father, hallowed be Your name,” we are asking God to glorify Himself—to put His power, His grace, and all His perfections on display. One way He does that is by answering our prayers—assuming our prayers are expressions of submission to His will rather than merely flippant requests that arise from our own selfish desires.

We were not created to enjoy prosperity in a fallen world. We were created to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. We ought to be more concerned for the glory of God than we are for our own prosperity, our own comfort, our own agenda, or any other self-centered desire. That’s why Jesus taught us to think of prayer as an act of worship rather than merely a way to ask God for things we want.

[ John MacArthur ]

*****************************
“Steps to Successful Prayer, Part 5”

Part 5: Surrender to God’s Program

Very few people make it through life without some sort of plan. The vast majority of us have to put a lot of thought into our schedules and plan ahead if we want to accomplish anything. And what we put the most time into planning says a lot about where our hearts are—too often vacation and celebrations get lots of forethought, while responsibilities at work and around the house fit into our schedules as needed.

But where does God’s will factor into our plans? Are we too quick to get absorbed in our own plans and expectations for tomorrow without properly considering God’s sovereign will?

Like James 4:15 says, we “ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that’” when planning the days and weeks ahead. We can’t get carried away with our own program. Failing to acknowledge God’s supreme will and control is disrespectful—especially when He’s the One who grants our every breath.

That same mindset needs to carry over into our prayer lives. It’s easy to get caught up in petitions to the Lord regarding our immediate needs and desires. It’s much harder to routinely surrender those things to His will and wisdom, trusting in His perfect plan and provision.

Christ’s example to the disciples makes it clear—the priority for believers is God’s program, not our own. As we saw earlier in this series, our relationship to God gives us bold confidence to bring our requests before Him. But those requests—and our entire lives—must be subordinate to His plan.

And He said to them, “When you pray, say: ‘Father, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone who is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation’” (Luke 11:2-4).

The closing phrase of Luke 11:2 is “Your kingdom come.” It is a prayer for the advancement of God’s kingdom. Like every phrase of the Lord’s Prayer, this is antithetical to the prayers typically prayed by those who are concerned mainly about the advancement of their own programs, the building of their own empires, or the padding of their own pockets. This is a prayer that God’s program be advanced, and that His will be done. In fact, in some Greek manuscripts the text includes the phrase, “Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth” (KJV). Jesus Himself included that phrase in the model prayer when he gave it in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6:10).

Every request we make in our prayers should first be run through this filter: Is it in harmony with the goals and principles of God’s kingdom? Is it consistent with the expansion of the kingdom? Does it truly advance the kingdom, or does it merely fulfill some selfish want?

Name-it-and-claim-it theology is myopic, self-indulgent, and small minded. All it cares about is self-interest and selfish desires, with no thought for the greater cause of Christ’s kingdom. A godly attitude says, Lord, advance Your kingdom if that means I lose everything. That’s what the phrase “Your kingdom come” implies.

The kingdom, of course, is the sphere where Christ rules—the realm where He is Lord. To pray “Your kingdom come” with sincerity is to submit one’s desires and to yield one’s heart without reservation to the lordship of Christ. To affirm the program of Christ’s kingdom is to set aside one’s own fleshly, materialistic, or selfish prayer requests, because, after all, “the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” (Romans 14:17).

There is truly nothing wrong with praying to God for things we desire—as long as the desires of our heart are holy. Indeed, we are encouraged—repeatedly—to ask, and to trust, and to align our desires with the will of God. And we are promised answers to such prayers. “Delight yourself in the LORD; and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

Remember, Jesus said, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). “If you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you” (John 16:23). “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14). Pay close attention to the qualifiers: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, [then] . . . whatever you wish.” “Anything in my name.” “Anything according to His will.” Jesus’ model prayer has those same qualifiers built into it because of the way He taught us to recognize God’s paternity, yield to God’s priority, and get on board with God’s program before we ever make one petition for ourselves.

Any prayer that follows a different pattern is not an act of true worship, and therefore it is not a legitimate prayer.

Conversely, all true prayer is worship. We go to a loving Father, accepting that He knows best. Our prayers, then, reflect an obedient heart, a passion for His glory, and a desire to see the extension of His kingdom—that God might be honored.

[ John MacArthur ]

*****************************
“Steps to Successful Prayer, Part 6”

Part 6: Stick to Godly Patterns

A church in Florida recently began offering drive-thru prayer services. Men and women at the end of their rope and in need of prayer pull up outside the church to order up petitions to the Lord the way you and I might order a burger or coffee. Of the roughly 150 people they’ve prayed with so far, many of them have never actually set foot inside a church.

That is clearly a ridiculous and unbiblical stunt. But how often are we guilty of using our prayers just like a drive-thru window? We’re too often driven to prayer by the needs of the moment only, concerned about our circumstances alone, and eager to get on with life as quickly as possible. We’re prone to myopic, self-centered thinking that focuses on how events impact our lives rather than how the Lord is working through them.

Instead, we need to discipline ourselves to put God and His purposes first and look for what He is accomplishing in every situation, regardless of our desires or circumstances.

I want to close out this series on prayer by taking a closer look at some practical examples from God’s Word. We’re going to consider the prayers of three Old Testament prophets—each of them in the midst of truly dire situations. But as you’ll see, none of them allowed their circumstances to be an excuse to let the focus of their prayers shift away from the Lord, His supreme glory, and His sovereign plan.

Jeremiah

In the thirty-second chapter of the book of Jeremiah, the prophet of God is in prison. He had preached to a nation of people who would not hear. They just wanted to shut his mouth. They were not interested in anything he or his God had to say. Ultimately they threw him into a pit. He had seen no measurable success in his ministry (as the world counts success). Jeremiah 32:16-22 records his prayer:

I prayed to the LORD, saying, “Ah Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for You, who shows lovingkindness to thousands, but repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O great and mighty God. The LORD of hosts is His name; great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; who has set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have made a name for Yourself, as at this day.

“You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; and gave them this land, which You swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.”

Here is a man in great distress, torn with feelings of loneliness and grief, despairing of hope for his people, rejected by the entire nation. But the preoccupation of his heart was to extol the glory, the majesty, the name, the honor, and the works of God. He was not preoccupied with his own pain. He was not obsessed with being liberated from his circumstances. Out of his suffering came worship.

All our prayers should be of that flavor.

Daniel

Daniel, caught in the transition between two great world empires, was interceding on behalf of a dispossessed people in a foreign land. But notice the spirit with which he brought his requests. He tells us, “I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes” (Daniel 9:3). And notice how his prayer begins: “Alas, O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and lovingkindness for those who love Him and keep His commandments, we have sinned, committed iniquity, acted wickedly and rebelled, even turning aside from Your commandments and ordinances” (Daniel 9:4-5).

The starting point is praise. That gives way to penitence. And as the prayer continues in Daniel 9, there are twelve more verses of self-abasing confession as Daniel rehearses the sins of Israel. It’s filled with phrases like “Open shame belongs to us, O Lord” (Daniel 9:8); “we have rebelled against Him; nor have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God” (Daniel 9:9-10); and “we have sinned, we have been wicked” (Daniel 9:15). Those expressions are mingled with more praise: “Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame” (Daniel 9:7); “the LORD our God is righteous with respect to all His deeds which He has done” (Daniel 9:14); and “[You] have brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and have made a name for Yourself” (Daniel 9:15).

Finally, in the very last sentence of his prayer, Daniel makes one request, and it is a plea for mercy. All Daniel’s praise (focusing on God’s righteousness and His mercy) and all his penitence (outlining the history of Israel’s disobedience) culminates in a prayer for forgiveness and restoration: “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name” (Daniel 9:19).

And that one request was preceded by this summary argument: Daniel gathered up all his praise and all his confession; condensed them into one more affirmation of God’s transcendent greatness and Israel’s complete lack of merit; and then cited those very things as the grounds on which he was making his plea: “We are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion” (Daniel 9:18).

Again, notice that Daniel’s prayer began with an affirmation of the nature, glory, greatness, and majesty of God. It is an expression of worship, and the request at the end thus flows from a worshipful, penitent heart. That is always the godly perspective.

Jonah

Jonah prayed an exemplary prayer from the most unnatural and unimaginable of settings—the belly of a fish. If you can picture the wet, suffocating darkness and discomfort of such a place, you might begin to have an idea of how desperate Jonah’s situation was at that moment. The whole second chapter of Jonah is devoted to the record of his prayer, and the entire prayer is a profound expression of worship. It reads like a psalm. In fact, it’s full of references and allusions to the Psalms—almost as if Jonah were singing His worship in phrases borrowed from Israel’s psalter while he languished inside that living tomb.

The prayer is as passionate as you might expect from someone trapped inside a fish under the surface of the Mediterranean. Jonah begins: “I called out of my distress to the LORD, and He answered me” (Jonah 2:2)—not a plea to God for help, but an expression of praise and deliverance, mentioning God in the third person and speaking of deliverance as if it were an accomplished fact.

The remainder of the prayer is addressed directly to God in the second person—and the whole thing is an extended expression of more praise. Jonah rehearses what has happened to him (“You had cast me into the deep,” [Jonah 2:3]; “Weeds were wrapped around my head,” [Jonah 2:5]). Notice: Jonah is still inside the fish while he is praying this prayer (cf. Jonah 2:10); yet he consistently speaks of his deliverance in the past tense. And here’s the amazing thing about this prayer: though Jonah must have been as desperate as anyone who ever prayed for rescue from the Lord, his prayer contains not one single request. It is a pure, resounding expression of worship and faith in God, who alone could deliver Jonah. The key sentence is verse 7: “While I was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to You, into Your holy temple.”

The focus of Jonah’s prayer—like all great prayers—was the glory of God. Although no one, perhaps, has ever been in a situation where it would be appropriate to plead and beg God to answer more than Jonah was, there was none of that in his prayer. And the past-tense references to Jonah’s deliverance were the furthest thing you can imagine from the contemporary prosperity-preachers’ notion of “positive confession.” Jonah wasn’t under any illusion that his words could alter the reality of his plight. He was simply extolling the character of God. And that is precisely what our Lord was teaching when He gave the disciples that model prayer in Luke 11.

So it ought to be clear that when Jesus taught His disciples to regard prayer as worship, that wasn’t anything novel. The great prayers we read in the Old Testament were likewise expressions of worship—including those that were prayed in the most desperate situations. The parallelism between prayer and worship is no coincidence. Prayer is the distilled essence of worship.

How much more, then, do you and I need to reevaluate our own priorities in prayer? Rather than paying momentary lip service to God before we get to our list of requests, we need to constantly examine our hearts in prayerful worship before the Lord, making sure we’re holding to the pattern Christ provided.

Successful prayer isn’t about getting what you want from God. It’s about bending your will to His, recognizing His supremacy, and reflecting on His glory. It’s an act of worship—one that knits your heart and mind to the Lord in consistent communion with Him.

[ John MacArthur ]

*****************************
“Persistent Prayer”

Sermon series.

[ Mike Fabarez ]

“How NOT to Persist in Prayer” (Part 1): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUEIOnNmbmY

“Confident in God’s Justice” (Part 2): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-i-kBzmNSPE

*****************************
“Pleading / How To Pray Powerful Prayers”

Psalm 70:5 But I am poor and needy: make haste unto me, O God: thou art my help and my deliverer; O Lord, make no tarrying.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

[ Charles Spurgeon ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfj_QYwQ3LE

*****************************
“Why Keep Praying?”

A summary of reasons why, despite the delay or doubt that God is hearing us, we must persevere in prayer. (Jeremiah 42:1-7)

[ Mike Mazzalongo ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRz6pfOm0eU

*****************************
“10 Bible Passages That Help Us Persevere”

Study leaders, authors, and scholars share how Scripture has sustained them during difficult times.

Article: https://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2020/september-web-only/bible-passages-persevere-special-issue-graves.html

*****************************
“25 Powerful Prayers for Perseverance with Prayer Card Images”

When times get tough, or something you have been working hard for is not happening as quickly as you think it should, it can be hard to keep pushing forward. Here are the 25 most powerful prayers for perseverance, including images you can print to use and share. [more…]

Article: https://connectusfund.org/25-powerful-prayers-for-perseverance

*****************************
“Consistent, Persevering Prayer”

“Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints.”

– Ephesians 6:18
Having covered each component of the armor of God, we understand that we cannot succeed against the Devil if we rely on ourselves. We need the belt of truth to keep the daggers of false doctrine from cutting our legs out from under us. Christ’s imputed righteousness gives us ultimate protection from condemnation and accusation, and the breastplate of a Spirit-developed righteous character guards against the powerful blows of sin that try to destroy our hearts. The shoes of the gospel of peace give us solid footing and ready us to fight. Faith acts as a shield that drives us to seek shelter in God against the flaming arrows of enticing temptations. Salvation, our helmet, protects our minds, enabling us to remain focused on the kingdom. God’s Word is our mighty sword, the weapon that brings the Lord’s enemies to submissive repentance and keeps us on the narrow way by forcing us to our knees in gratitude for salvation and sorrow for sin (Eph. 6:10–17).

Our ultimate reliance on Christ for success in spiritual warfare is underscored in today’s passage. The participial phrase used in Ephesians 6:18 (“praying at all times in the Spirit”) covers everything that comes before it. In so doing, it indicates that we don the armor of God — we clothe ourselves in Christ Himself — by consistent, persistent prayer. Praying at all times is nothing less than taking every opportunity to acknowledge our weakness and our need for the Lord’s mighty help against Satan. Prayerful dependence must be the consistent attitude of our hearts, both in difficult times that make us quick to run to God and when prosperous seasons tempt us to forget our need for Him. John Calvin writes, “Paul therefore desires us to allow no opportunity to pass — on no occasion to neglect prayer; so that praying always is the same thing as praying both in prosperity and in adversity.”

Prayer is to be made in the Spirit (v. 18), which is not a reference to speaking in tongues. Instead, it refers to petitioning God for specific things (“all prayer and supplication”) through the Spirit, who is the One who prompts us to pray and then takes what we offer and makes it acceptable to the Father (Rom. 8:26). The Lord wants us to make specific requests, understanding that they will be granted in accordance with His perfect will (James 4:2; 1 John 5:14).

Coram Deo
In addition to being specific in prayer, God also wants us to be persistent in intercession (Eph. 6:18). This is a good reminder for us today, as we are likely to give up praying when we feel as if we have not received an answer in a timely manner. But we must persevere in asking for God’s help, even if it seems He is delaying His response, for the Lord may just be waiting to see persistent prayer before He acts.

[ Ligonier ]

*****************************
“Four Features of Triumphant Prayer (Luke 22:39-46)”

This morning, as we turn now to the Word of God, I want you to look in Scripture to one of the most sacred of all passages, Luke chapter 22, verses 39 through 46. Luke 22, verses 39 through 46. I want to read this passage. It is simple, straightforward, clear, unmistakable, and yet it contains profundities and mysteries the likes of which we will never understand.

Verse 39, speaking of our Lord Jesus, it says, “And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives; and the disciples also followed Him. And when He arrived at the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if Thou art willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Thine be done.’

“Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground. And when He rose from prayer, He came to the disciples and found them sleeping from sorrow, and said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.’”

Isaiah prophesied that our Lord would be a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Sorrow and grief followed Him all through His life. During His ministry, we are told in Mark 3:5, that He was grieved over the Jews hardness of heart. In Mark 7 and verse 34, we are told that He was so grieved over the suffering of a man, that He looked up to heaven with a deep sigh. In Mark chapter 8 and verse 12, He had the same response of sorrow at the superficiality of Israel’s leaders and was sighing deeply in His spirit. In John 11:35, it says that He stood at the grave of Lazarus and wept. [more…]

Sermon: https://www.gty.org/library/sermons-library/42-273

*****************************
“Persist Until Something Happens”

First Baptist Church Of Grove City
Message for Sunday January 6, 2019
Genesis Auditorium

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC5NLqt2oBs

*****************************
“Persistence in Prayer”

Joe Amaral talks about how patience and persistence are effective in prayer.

[ Joe Amaral – 100Huntley ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZ2pLFDqF1s

*****************************
“Persistence is Necessary”

Persistence is going to be necessary in the Christian life. Sometimes in your Christian life it will seem like nothing is happening, it’ll seem like God is not hearing you and like your prayers are being ignored. Yet in these parables the Lord Jesus is telling us ahead of time that persistence is going to be necessary in the Christian life.

[ Charles Leiter ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nOglrbIzAsc

*****************************
“A call to prayer! I cannot sleep!
A midnight vigil I must keep!
For God doth call; I hear Him speak:
‘To prayer! To prayer! (I but repeat)
To prayer! To prayer! Prevailing prayer!’
The need of such is everywhere;
It covers earth—it fills the air—
This urgent need of urgent prayer!

To bended knee! To bended knee!
God’s call to you—God’s call to me;
Because what is, and what’s to be
Shall reach throughout eternity.
Like Christ our Lord—like unto Him
In whom was found no guile—no sin,
Who ‘prayed all night.’ And we His kin
Should pray—yes pray, like unto Him.

O friends, I say—again I say,
This truth has gripped my heart this day:
The Need of Prayer! Let come what may,
We will prevail! Oh, “Watch and pray”!
Awake! Awake! Ye saints awake!
Stand in the breach for Jesus’ sake—
Our God the powers of hell shall break!”
[ Author unknown ]

*****************************
“The Power Of Persistent Prayer”

Brannon Shortt pulls up a remarkable example of the power of persistence, reminding us that when it comes to pursuing God’s answers to our prayers, the key is to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking. God WILL answer every prayer in His way and on His day.

[ Brannon Shortt ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRgCkcrwVaE

*****************************
“Persevere in Prayer Until God Comes Down”

[ Paul Washer ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f5C-tFakrhE

*****************************
“Don’t Give Up: Persevere in Prayer”

Author Kyle Idleman talks prayer and the faith that keeps you believing through life’s challenges.

[ Kyle Idleman ]

Interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHvgtdNHFH4

*****************************
“Christians MUST P.U.S.H. PRAY Until SOMETHING Happens!!!!!!”

P.U.S.H. Pray Until Something HAPPENS!!!!! It’s Time we Do not seeking God until something Happens in our Lives!! Be Persistent, Don’t Stop seeking GOD! P.U.S.H. Guys!! The Bible Teaches we must seek God above all things at ALL times and ALWAYS. God wants to hear from us more than twice a week. We have to spend time with him and take all our needs to him in prayer.
God wants a relationship with us! Just because we stand in the garage does not make us a CAR!! Get it???? God wants a relationship with us……Just because we prayed once does not make a CHRISTIAN…if your unhappy in your life doesn’t mean things we change…You must seek God for change!!! God will do it for you!!

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHVI-1oPACw

*****************************
“The Parable of Persistent Prayer”

Luke 11:5-8.

[ Jack Hibbs ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5HMAqO3j4U

*****************************
“Pray Like a Pro – Don’t Give Up On Prayer”

How often do you pray about the same thing? Is prayer a one-time solution you try before moving on to other options? Or do you attempt to wear God down with the persistence of your prayers? Jesus’ story about a persistent woman just might change the way you think about talking to our Father in heaven.

[ Mike Novotny ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZL8Wa2oK_c

*****************************
“Men of Prayer in History”

As we look at men of prayer in history we find it true as Oswald Chambers said, “Prayer does not fit us for the greater works; prayer is the greater work.” We see how their prayer life was the great foundation for the power they had from God to minister.

[ Mack Tomlinson ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFBh9UcAttY

*****************************
“The Importance of Prayer for Christians”

Paul Washer (@PaulWasher) became a believer while studying at the University of Texas. He completed his undergraduate studies and enrolled at Southwestern Theological Seminary, where he received his Masters in Divinity.

[ Paul Washer ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53P-L7wu4h0

*****************************
“The Power of Persevering Prayer”

[ Andrew Murray ]

Reading: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HzFKbABiXEk

*****************************
“Persevering Prayer”
(Chapter 15 – of “Divine Healing”)

[ Andrew Murray ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv-KP3dXa5A&list=PLTJHc2m7bz805iAOswF88Bk56P57ytT_m&index=70

*****************************
“Final Perseverance”

[ Charles Spurgeon ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVoTUgVgi6k

*****************************
“The Secret Power in Prayer”

John 15:7 – “If you remain in me and my words remain in you ask whatever you wish and it will be given to you.”

[ Charles H. Spurgeon [

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0Ho-D4L4T4

*****************************
“True Prayer, True Power!”

Mark 11:24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

[ Charles Spurgeon ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykQUvTLs7hQ

*****************************
“Importunity in Prayer”

Luke 18:1-8 This presentation was made on Monday, September 13, 2010 at the Society for the Preservation of Baptist Principles and Practices meeting at Plantation Road Baptist Church in Roanoke, Virginia.

[ Paul Washer ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HKnWuAPGX6I

*****************************
“With Christ in the School of Prayer”

Table of Contents:

00:00:00 – 00 – Preface
00:07:12 – 01 – Lord! teach us to pray. or, The Only Teacher
00:21:31 – 02 – In spirit and truth. or, The True Worshippers
00:34:40 – 03 – Pray to thy Father, which is in secret. or, Alone with God
00:48:57 – 04 – After this manner pray. or, The Model Prayer
01:03:37 – 05 – Ask, and it shall be given you. or, the Certainty of the Answer to Prayer
01:16:46 – 06 – How much more? or, The Infinite Fatherliness of God
01:32:49 – 07 – How Much More the Holy Spirit. or, The All-Comprehensive Gift
01:46:01 – 08 – Because of his importunity. or, The Boldness of God’s Friends
02:00:21 – 09 – Pray the Lord of the Harvest. or, Prayer Provides Labourers
02:13:05 – 10 – What wilt thou? or, Prayer must be Definite
02:25:24 – 11 – Believe that ye have received. or The Faith that Takes
02:40:07 – 12 – Have faith in God. or, The Secret of Believing Prayer
02:54:20 – 13 – By prayer and fasting. or, The Cure of Unbelief
03:10:30 – 14 – When ye stand praying, forgive. or, Prayer and Love
03:24:02 – 15 – If two agree. or, The Power of United Prayer
03:36:23 – 16 – Speedily, though bearing long. or, the Power of Persevering Prayer
03:56:08 – 17 – I know that Thou hearest me always. or, Prayer in Harmony with the Being of God
04:11:03 – 18 – Whose is this image? or, Prayer in Harmony with the Destiny of Man
04:22:44 – 19 – I go unto the Father. or, Power for Praying and Working
04:36:18 – 20 – That the Father may be glorified. or, The Chief End of Prayer
04:50:53 – 21 – If ye abide in Me. or, the All-Inclusive Condition
05:08:53 – 22 – My words in you. or, The Word and Prayer
05:22:49 – 23 – Bear Fruit, that the Father may give what ye ask. or, Obedience the Path to Power in Prayer
05:37:17 – 24 – In My Name. or the All-Prevailing Plea
05:54:10 – 25 – At that day. or, the Holy Spirit and Prayer
06:09:56 – 26 – I have prayed for thee. or, Christ the Intercessor
06:28:07 – 27 – Father! I will. or, Christ the High Priest
06:41:20 – 28 – Father! not what I will. or Christ the Sacrifice
06:55:15 – 29 – According to His will. or, our Boldness in Prayer
07:13:04 – 30 – An holy priesthood. or, The Ministry of Intercession
07:27:10 – 31 – Pray without ceasing. or, A Life of Prayer
07:40:09 – 32 – George Muller, and the Secret of his Power in Prayer

[ Andrew Murray ]

Audiobook: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNnuQaAx7Xc

*****************************
“The Power of Persevering Prayer”

And the Lord said, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint…

There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)

Of all the mysteries of the prayer world the need of persevering prayer is one of the greatest.

That the Lord, who is so loving and longing to bless, should have to be asked, time after time, sometimes year after year, before the answer comes, we cannot easily understand. It is also one of the greatest practical difficulties in the exercise of believing prayer. When, after persevering pleading, our prayer remains unanswered, it is often easiest for our lazy flesh, and it has all the appearance of pious submission, to think that we must now cease praying, because God may have His secret reason for withholding His answer to our request. request. It is by faith alone that the difficulty is overcome. When once faith has taken its stand on God’s word and the Name of Jesus, and has yielded itself to the leading of the Spirit to seek God’s will and honor alone in its prayer, it need not be discouraged by delay. It knows from Scripture that the power of believing prayer is simply irresistible; real faith can never be disappointed. It knows that just as water, to exercise the irresistible power it can have, must be gathered up and accumulated until the stream can come down in full force, so there must often be a heaping up of prayer until God sees that the measure is full, when the answer comes. It knows that just as the peasant farmer has to take his ten thousand steps to sow his tens of thousands seeds, each one a part of the preparation for the final harvest, so there is a need for often repeated persevering prayer, all working out some desired blessing. It knows for certain that not a single believing prayer can fail of its effect in heaven, but has its influence, and is treasured up to work out an answer in due time to him who perseveres to the end. It knows that it has to do, not with human thoughts or possibilities, but with the word of the living God. And so, even as Abraham through so many years “who against hope believed in hope” (Romans 4:18), and then “followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:12)

To enable us, when the answer to our prayer does not come at once, to combine quiet patience and joyful confidence in our persevering prayer, we must especially try to understand the words in which our Lord sets forth the character and conduct, not of the unjust judge, but of our God and Father, toward those whom He allows to cry day and night to Him: “I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” (Luke 18:8)

He will avenge them quickly, the Master says. The blessing is all prepared; He is not only willing, but most anxious, to give them what they ask; everlasting love burns with the longing desire to reveal itself fully to its beloved and to satisfy their needs. God will not delay one moment longer than is absolutely necessary; He will do all in His power to expedite and rush the answer.

But why, if this is true and His power is infinite, does it often take so long for the answer to prayer to come? And why must God’s own elect so often, in the middle of suffering and conflict, cry day and night? He is waiting patiently while He listens to them. “Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.” (James 5:7) The farmer does, indeed, long for his harvest, but knows that it must have its full amount of sunshine and rain, and he has long patience. A child so often wants to pick the half-ripe fruit; the farmer knows how to wait until the proper time. Man, in his spiritual nature too, is under the law of gradual growth that reigns in all created life. It is only in the path of development that he can reach his divine destiny.

Of all the mysteries of the prayer world the need of persevering prayer is one of the greatest.And it is the Father, in whose hand are the times and seasons, who knows the moment when the soul or the Church is ripened to that fullness of faith in which it can really take and keep the blessing. Like a father who longs to have his only child home from school, and yet waits patiently until the time of training is completed, so it is with God and His children: He is the patient One, and answers quickly.
The insight into this truth leads the believer to cultivate the corresponding dispositions: patience and faith, waiting and anticipating, are the secret of his perseverance. By faith in the promise of God, we know that we have the petitions we have asked of Him. Faith takes and holds the answer in the promise as an unseen spiritual possession, rejoices in it, and praises for it. But there is a difference between the faith that thus holds the word and knows that it has the answer and the clearer, fuller, riper faith that obtains the promise as a present experience. It is in persevering, not unbelieving, but confident and praising prayer, that the soul grows up into that full union with its Lord in which it can enter upon the possession of the blessing in Him. There may be in these around us, there may be in that great system of being of which we are part, there may be in God’s government, things that have to be put right through our prayer before the answer can fully come: the faith that has, according to the command, believed that it has received, can allow God to take His time; it knows it has prevailed and must prevail. In quiet, persistent, and determined perseverance it continues in prayer and thanksgiving until the blessing comes. And so we see combined what at first sight appears contradictory–the faith that rejoices in the answer of the unseen God as a present possession and the patience that cries day and night until it be revealed. The quickness of God’s patience is met by the triumphant but patient faith of His waiting child.

Our great danger, in this school of the answer delayed, is the temptation to think that, after all, it may not be God’s will to give us what we ask. If our prayer be according to God’s word, and under the leading of the Spirit, let us not give way to these fears. Let us learn to give God time. God needs time with us. If only we give Him time, that is, time in the daily fellowship with Himself, for Him to exercise the full influence of His presence on us, and time, day by day, in the course of our being kept waiting, for faith to prove its reality and to fill our whole being, He Himself will lead us from faith to vision; we shall see the glory of God. Let no delay shake our faith. Of faith it holds good: first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. Each believing prayer brings a step nearer the final victory. Each believing prayer helps to ripen the fruit and bring us nearer to it; it fills up the measure of prayer and faith known to God alone; it conquers the hindrances in the unseen world; it hastens the end. Child of God, give the Father time. He is patiently listening to you. He wants the blessing to be rich, and full, and sure; give Him time, while you cry day and night. Only remember the word: “I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” (Luke 18:8)

The blessing of such persevering prayer is unspeakable. There is nothing so heart-searching as the prayer of faith. It teaches you to discover and confess, and to give up everything that hinders the coming of the blessing, everything there may not be in accordance with the Father’s will. It leads to closer fellowship with Him who alone can teach us to pray, to a more entire surrender to draw near under no covering but that of the blood and the Spirit. It calls for a closer and more simple abiding in Christ alone. Christian, give God time. He will perfect that which concerns you. Let it be thus whether you pray for yourself or for others. All labor, bodily or mental, needs time and effort: we must give up ourselves up to it. Nature discovers her secrets and yields her treasures only to diligent and thoughtful labor. However little we can understand it, in the spiritual farming it is the same: the seed we sow in the soil of heaven, the efforts we put forth, and the influence we seek to exert in the world above, need our whole being: we must give ourselves to prayer. But let us hold firm the great confidence that in due season we will reap if we don’t give up.

And let us especially learn the lesson as we pray for the Christ’s Church. She is, indeed, like the poor widow, in the absence of her Lord, apparently at the mercy of her adversary, helpless to obtain restitution. Let us, when we pray for His Church or any portion of it, under the power of the world, asking Him to visit her with the mighty workings of His Spirit and to prepare her for His coming– let us pray in the assured faith: prayer does help, praying always and not stopping will bring the answer. Only give God time. And then keep crying out day and night. “And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them?” (Luke 18:6-7)

[ Andrew Murray ]

*****************************
“GOD IS ABLE | Pray Until Something Happens”

[ Holly Wagner ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF1OqPwi_y4

*****************************
“Pray Until Something Happens”

Holly Wagnercontinues our prayer series PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens) by encouraging us to pray continually because God is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or think

[ Holly Wagner ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WiARxVlSD0

*****************************
“Benefits of Commitment to Prayer”

Romans 12:10-12

Jesus loved to talk to His Father and often sought the opportunity to be alone with Him. At times, the Savior would speak with God in front of large groups of people or ask certain of the disciples to join Him in prayer. Because Jesus prayed frequently, He followed God’s lead, joined in His work, and spoke the Father’s words to the people around Him.

When we are serious about prayer, our intimacy with the Lord begins to grow. The more we listen and speak with God, the better we get to know Him. And as that happens, we start to view the world from a divine perspective. The things that matter to God will become our concerns as well, and our prayers will increasingly reflect His interests. Experiencing answered prayer will encourage us and grow our faith.

Over time, the discipline of prayer should begin to have a purifying effect upon us. The Holy Spirit works God’s truth into our hearts as we allow regular study of Scripture to fuel our communion with Him. Consistent exposure to the Word will reveal personal areas of ungodliness, and the Spirit will give us power to change. What’s more, we will learn to recognize where God wants us to become involved and how to invest our time, finances, and spiritual gifts in His work. Through prayer, we will also receive divine peace—even when circumstances worsen or remain unchanged (Isa. 26:3).

The benefits of prayer are many, but greatest of all is the joy derived from spending more time with the Lord.

[ Charles Stanley ]

*****************************
“Why Is It Hard To Pray?”

For some people, prayer seems like a natural reflex. And then there’s you…

Rather than being quick to bring your cares before the Lord, maybe prayer just isn’t something you ever seem eager to do.

So, what do you do when your heart is struggling and reluctant to pray?

Turning to Scripture, Jill Briscoe offers a word of grace and encouragement for those who find themselves asking that very question.

[ Jill Briscoe ]

Teaching: https://vimeo.com/283758421

*****************************
“Pray Until Something Happens – Luke 18:1-8”

One of the essential qualities of importunity is persistence in prayer. God seems to be pleased and even delighted by our persistent refusal to accept anything less than answers to prayer. This is so frequently illustrated in the Bible that it is clearly a vital characteristic of the type of prayer that gets the Father’s attention and gains the blessing.

[ 618 Society ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEa0W2rQU-E

*****************************
“The Power of Persistent Prayer”

[ Jon Dyer ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsTapkB9YPI

*****************************
“The Persistent Prayer – Luke 18:1-8”

Despite Paul’s instruction that we should “pray without ceasing,” many Christians treat prayer as a last resort in the face of injustice. When Christ’s disciples neglected the discipline of prayer, He told them a parable about an unjust judge who was compelled to succumb to the incessant pleas of a widow. Alistair Begg guides us to the truth of the Lord’s story: Because God hears the prayers of His children, we can pray to Him frequently and with great confidence.

[ Alistair Begg ]

Sermon: https://www.truthforlife.org/resources/sermon/persistent-prayer-the/

*****************************
“Don’t Give Up on Prayer”

At Trinity, we believe the gospel renews everything. The gospel of Jesus Christ has the power to bring wholeness to our lives, create a loving and diverse community of faith and to move us outward to join God in his restorative mission of grace. Our vision is to be a church that brings spiritual, social and cultural renewal to Orange County and beyond to the world.

[ Eric Kapur ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_32YGxZ1EM

*****************************
“The Prayer Life of Our Lord”

Prayer must have been the most remarkable thing in the life of Jesus because the disciples asked of the Lord that He would teach them how to pray. The prayer life of our Lord is that which we should strive to imitate and look at carefully as we study the Scriptures.

[ Paul Washer ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hnetoR4aPQ

*****************************
“Persist in Prayer! Don’t give up! Luke 18:1-8”

Persist in Prayer! Don’t give up! Luke 18:1-8: The Parable of the Persistent Widow.

[ Mark Smith and Pastor Ynze Flietstra ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7LDOtqpj0sI

*****************************
“PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS”

[ Michael Todd ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXn2jUnyyCo

*****************************
“P U S H ~ Pray Until Something Happens”

This is about my first encounter that I had with Jesus when I was praying for a “sign”. God longs to be in a relationship with his children. How’s your prayer life? Are you praying or complaining?
It will impact your prayer life. We can know the true character of God through the Word of God, He’ll speak to us in our time of need, we need to trust God. He loves you so much. Enjoy

[ Sheri Anderson ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qOwa7oqnljI

*****************************
“Persistent prayer – Is it biblical? Is it acceptable to repeatedly pray for the same thing, or should we ask only once?”

Persistent prayer is something on which Christians do not always agree, but the Bible gives some guidance. Luke 11:5-13 records the parable of the friend at midnight. In it, a man who knocks repeatedly on his friend’s door receives what he requests more so because of his persistence than because of the friendship. Jesus goes on to say that if we ask, seek, and knock, we will receive. He further elaborates that humans – who are sinful – give good gifts to their children; He states that our heavenly Father will give us even greater gifts. This is a picture of persistent and expectant prayer. We trust that God is good, and so we ask for His gifts. Luke 18:1-7 shares a similar parable, this time of a widow and an unjust judge.

However, Paul remarks in 2 Corinthians 12:8-9 that he pled to the Lord for something three times. God refused Paul’s request. Interestingly, Paul ceased praying, not because he gave up or thought it inappropriate to ask God more than three times, but because he had received an answer. It just happened that the answer was no.

Some see repeatedly asking God for the same thing as a lack of faith or a sign that we do not trust that God heard our prayers. They assume that persistent prayer is presumptuous and rude. Others see not repeatedly asking for something as a lack of faith or a sign that we do not trust in God’s goodness. Not persisting in prayer means we have given up too easily.

In truth, both perspectives can be valid. The Bible encourages us to ask God for things. It demonstrates persistent prayers. Paul pled with God three times before receiving a solid answer. David made consistent requests of God in the Psalms. Jesus even prayed three times regarding the cross (Matthew 26:36-46). When we bring our requests to God, we honor Him. We reveal the desires of our hearts, and we admit that only He can meet them. Often, our repeated requests relate to other people. In those instances their hearts must be changed in order for our request to be granted.

On the other hand, sometimes repeatedly asking for the same thing demonstrates our unwillingness to accept God’s response. Some treat repeated requests as a sort of magic formula that will force God’s hand. God is not obligated to say yes to our every request. Rather than submit to His will, sometimes we persist in prayer over something for which we have already received a response. God has told us no, and, like a rebellious child, we refuse to accept it.

We know that God is good and that He desires to give us good gifts (Matthew 7:7-11; Luke 11:13). We can continue to seek Him through prayer and to make our requests known to Him (Philippians 4:6). But in our persistence we must be willing to submit to God’s will. God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9). We know that whatever we ask in His will is granted (1 John 5:14-15). We also know that sometimes our hearts do not understand His will or His timing. At times we must be willing to wait for God’s yes to manifest. Other times we must be willing to accept no for an answer. When we know God and trust His good character, we can repeatedly bring Him the same request and rest in the fact that His response will be best for us. God desires both our persistence and our submission.

[ Compelling Truth ]

*****************************
“How to Keep Praying When You Feel Like Giving Up!”

Have you ever continued to pray for something and after not getting answers, you’ve been tempted to give up on prayer? As we continue our parable series we will tackle the subject of persistent prayer.

[ Allen Parr ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpIcEpoQhYE

*****************************
“Don’t Give Up on Prayer”

In this clip from Margaret Feinberg’s study, Wonderstruck: Awaken to the Nearness of God, Margaret describes four different types of prayer lives and what they could look like. But ultimately, we must not lose sight of the wonder that is communing and talking to the living God through prayer.

[ Margaret Feinberg ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-y0b6YUGnU

*****************************
“Don’t Give Up | On Being Intentional With Prayer”

Prayer is how we communicate with God to find direction and discernment for navigating this life. Pastor Kyle Idleman talks more about the power of prayer in our lives in his new book and DVD series, DON’T GIVE UP. Learn more at http://www.cityonahillstudio.com/dontgiveup.

[ Kyle Idleman ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwhKzy5Bfsg

*****************************
“A Desperate Prayer | THE GIFT OF DESPERATION”

When we find ourselves in deep anguish, we are invited to pray desperate prayers. We’ll learn from Hannah’s powerful prayers as she yearns to be a mother. Sermon by Kyle Idleman, Southeast Christian Church.

[ Kyle Idleman ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qE-HY49yE0U

*****************************
“What Did Jesus Mean When He Said, “Ask for ANYTHING in My Name and I’ll Give it to You?””

What did Jesus mean when He said, “Ask Me for anything in My Name and I’ll give it to you?” That sounds on the surface that Jesus is giving us a blank check and inviting us to, well, ask Him for anything we want? But, we know that can’t be true, or is it? How can we best interpret and understand this confusing verse? We will discuss that in today’s video.

[ Allen Parr ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW2peECwjEw

*****************************
“What does it mean to pray without ceasing?”

When it comes to prayer, the Bibles says we should pray without ceasing in 1 Thessalonians 5:17. However, to pray unceasingly is obviously not possible, so what is the meaning of praying without ceasing? In this video Pastor Nelson answers the question, “What does it mean to pray without ceasing?”

[ GotQuestions ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuyWAMZphvY

*****************************
“Keys to Effective Prayer – The Meaning of Persistent Prayer”

In this course Germaine Copeland and Pastor James Tippin dive deeper into the subject of prayer, and how to make your prayers effective!

[ Germaine Copeland ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HtKc6d8WGQ

*****************************
“Persistent Prayer”

Daniel 10
The prophet Daniel was nothing if not a man of prayer. During his time of captivity in Babylon, while serving in the royal courts of Babylon and then Persia, it was his practice to pray toward Jerusalem three times a day (Daniel 6:10; see 2 Chronicles 6:38-39). We can learn from Daniel’s prayer life that because prayers are answered differently we should be persistent in prayer even if our answers don’t come immediately.

On one occasion, when Daniel realized that the Babylonian captivity was to last 70 years (Daniel 9:2), he prayed a lengthy prayer of confession and request for forgiveness for the Jews to God (Daniel 9:4-19). Before he even finished his prayer, the angel Gabriel arrived and said, “At the beginning of your supplication, the command went out, and I have come to tell you” (Daniel 9:23). Daniel’s prayer was answered before he even finished praying.

On another occasion Daniel began praying about a vision he had received—he fasted and prayed (“mourning”) for three weeks without receiving an answer (Daniel 10:1-2). At the end of three weeks of prayer a messenger from heaven appeared to Daniel to respond to his prayer. Like Gabriel in response to Daniel’s previous prayer, this messenger was apparently dispatched quickly but he was delayed by a demonic opponent in the heavenly places (Daniel 10:12-13; see Ephesians 6:12). This opponent apparently sought to prevent Daniel’s prayer from being answered. Only when the powerful angel Michael assisted the messenger in defeating the demon was the messenger able to make his way to Daniel in response to the prayer.

When we pray on earth we have no idea what activity is happening in heavenly places. For that reason, we should be persistent in prayer. Jesus taught as much in two different parables: one about the persistent host (Luke 11:5-8) and one about a shameless widow (Luke 18:1-8).

[ David Jeremiah ]

*****************************
“Weapon of Prayer”

“Their prayer came to his holy habitation in heaven.” – 2 Chronicles 30:27

Prayer is the never-failing response of the Christian in any case, in every plight. When you cannot use your sword, you may take up the weapon of prayer. Your powder may be damp, your bowstring may be relaxed, but the weapon of prayer need never be out of order. Satan laughs at the javelin, but he trembles at prayer. Swords and spears need to be sharpened, but prayer never rusts; and when we think it most blunt, it cuts the best. Prayer is an open door that no one can shut. Devils may surround you on all sides, but the way upward is always open, and as long as that road is unobstructed, you will not fall into the enemy’s hand.

We can never be taken by siege or invasion as long as heavenly help can come down to us and relieve us in the time of our necessities. Prayer is never out of season: In summer and in winter its merchandise is precious. Prayer gains audience with heaven in the dead of night, in the middle of business, in the heat of noonday, in the shades of evening. In every condition, whether poverty or sickness or obscurity or slander or doubt, your covenant God will welcome your prayer and answer it from His holy place.

And prayer is never futile. True prayer is always true power. You may not always get what you ask, but you shall always have your real needs supplied. When God does not answer His children according to the letter, He does so according to the spirit. If you ask for cornmeal, will you be angry because He gives you fine flour? If you seek physical health, should you complain if instead He makes your sickness result in your spiritual health? Is it not better to have the cross sanctified than removed? This evening, my soul, do not forget to offer your petition and request, for the Lord is ready to grant your desires.

[ Alistair Begg ]

*****************************
“P.U.S.H – Pray Until Something Happens”

[ Jojo Gonsalves ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3UzuSoRT2o

*****************************
“P.U.S.H. – PRAY UNTIL SOMETHING HAPPENS”

Never Give Up on Praying | Be Patient and Have Faith

[ Zamirian TV ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-AezRT9o4M

*****************************
“Luke 18: 1-8 – The Persistent Widow”

Jon Teasdale preaches on Luke 18: 1-8 – Have you just had enough? Jon Teasdale opens up the beginning of Luke 18 and explores 3 practical things that will encourage us not to lose heart, with a challenge to ask ourselves ‘Will Jesus find faith when he return to Earth?’

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHebMhQCRzA

*****************************
“Always Pray and Do Not Lose Heart”

And he told them a parable, to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary.’ For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.'” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

The last verse of our text, Luke 18:8, refers to the second coming of Christ: “I tell you, he will vindicate them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” I think this ending of the parable shows we should read it as a conclusion to the section on the coming of the kingdom just before it, Luke 17:20–37.

Being Ready at the Coming of God’s Kingdom
In 17:20 the Pharisees asked Jesus when the kingdom of God was coming. They meant: When will Messiah come and overthrow our enemies and establish the throne of David and bring peace and righteousness to the world? Jesus’ answer was baffling to people who didn’t acknowledge him to be the Messiah. He said in effect: If your only way of recognizing the kingdom of God is by miraculous signs that bring down the Roman tyranny, then you will surely miss it, because the kingdom of God is already in the midst of you (v. 21; 11:20—it should not be translated “within you” because Jesus would not have said that to unbelieving Pharisees). Jesus is the King, and wherever he wins people into allegiance, his reign is established.

Then in 17:22–24 he warns against the opposite mistake. In verse 21 he warned against looking for catastrophic signs and said the kingdom was quietly but powerfully in their midst. But in verses 23 and 24 he warns against thinking that the final appearance of the Son of man could be anything but catastrophic. It will not be quiet or hidden. If someone says, “Lo, here,” or, “Lo, there,” then you know they are wrong. “For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of man be in his day” (v. 24). The second coming of Christ will not be a hidden thing which one person sees and then shows to another. It will be obvious to all from horizon to horizon, like a streak of lightning. “But first,” verse 25 says, “he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation.” The difference between the first and second comings of Christ is the difference between a little candle and a bolt of lightning.

Then in 17:26–30 Jesus describes what the days will be like leading up to the coming of the Son of man. He compares the coming of the Son of man to the flood in Noah’s day (v. 27) and to the destruction of Sodom by fire and brimstone (v. 29), and he says that the days before Christ’s coming will be like the days before those two catastrophes, namely, full of busy, ordinary life. Verse 27: “They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built.” Verse 30 says, “So it will be on the day when the Son of man is revealed.” In other words, we can expect that most of the world will be engaged in business as usual when the lightning of the Son of man flashes from sky to sky.

Then in verses 31–37 Jesus warns us not to be like Lot’s wife (v. 32). That is, in the hour of crisis, don’t love the world. Don’t turn back with longing, or you’ll be unfit for the kingdom (9:61). Remember, when the Son of man comes, he will separate the sheep and the goats, even if they are sleeping together or working side by side at the mill. One will be taken into safety, the other left. “Left where?” the disciples ask. “Where the body is, there will the vultures be gathered together” (v. 37). Not to be gathered to Christ at his coming is to be left for destruction. Jesus makes it clear that eternal life hangs on whether we are ready when he comes.

Growing Cold in the Last Days
Now we can see that Luke 18:1–8 is really part of this end-time teaching. It closes in verse 8 with the question, “When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Will the warnings of Jesus to remember Lot’s wife, to keep the heart fixed on Christ, and to not love the world—will these warnings secure the faith of the disciples? Will they endure to the end? Will the Son of man find us trusting him, or busy securing our lives in this world?

I think a natural question the disciples would ask (and which we should ask) is: How can we endure to the end? How can we make sure that we don’t become like Lot’s wife, too much in love with this world to go all the way with Christ? How can we resist the relentless temptations of Sodom to be desensitized to God’s kingdom by the ordinary pressures of daily life? Did you notice back in verse 28 that Jesus doesn’t mention sodomy in the list of what characterized Sodom just before its destruction? In fact, he doesn’t mention anything in itself sinful: “they ate, drank, bought, sold, planted, built.” Judgment didn’t come upon Sodom merely because it had practicing homosexuals in it, but also because all the good, ordinary activities of life were godless. The good things in life can make us just as insensitive to the reality of God as the gross things in life can. So the disciples of Jesus are left in a tremendous battle, which most people don’t even know is going on: the battle to maintain radical, heartfelt, self-denying faith in Christ not only in the threat of persecution (21:12–19) and sinful temptations, but also in the threat of ordinary home life and business life which can blunt all our sensitivity to God’s eternal kingdom.

The danger we face as disciples of Jesus waiting for his return is stressed even more clearly by Matthew 24:11–13 (which provides a sober link to last week’s message on lukewarmness). Jesus says concerning the last days before his coming: “Many false prophets will arise and lead many astray. And because wickedness is multiplied, most men’s love will grow cold. But he who endures to the end will be saved.” So in Luke 18:8 Jesus could have asked, “When the Son of man comes, will he find fervent love on earth?” The danger we face is that our faith in Christ and our love for him and for each other will be swallowed up by opposition or by the sheer ordinariness of daily life. So the question is: How can we endure? How can we be found with faith and love? How can we avoid being like Lot’s wife and like those who are left in judgment?

Pray! Pray! Pray!
So Jesus tells a parable to give the answer. And it is one of the few parables which he interprets for us lest we miss the point. Luke 18:1 tells us the point of the parable: “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Jesus’ answer to the question how to endure to the end is, Pray! Pray! Pray! And don’t grow weary of praying.

The parable goes like this (18:2–5): “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor regarded man; and there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Vindicate me against my adversary.’ For a while he refused; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will vindicate her, or she will wear me out by her continual coming.'” We must not be offended that Jesus compares God to an unjust judge. It’s the same as when Jesus’ own coming is compared to the coming of a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 5:2). The point of comparison is not that Jesus is a thief but that his coming is sudden and unexpected. So here the point of comparison is not that God is an unjust judge but that he responds with help to those who cry to him day and night. In verse 7 Jesus draws out the lesson which he intends: “Always pray and don’t lose heart.” If you cry to God day and night, if you always pray and don’t lose heart, you will not be like Lot’s wife: you will not be left in judgment; you will endure in faith and love, and God will vindicate you when the Son of man comes. Therefore, always pray and don’t lose heart.

Here I should make plain the concern that drives me this morning. This is the end of a week of concerted prayer. Some of us have prayed over 20 hours this week; we prayed in the morning; we fasted and prayed at noon; we prayed all night Friday. But now what? The word from Jesus to us this morning is: don’t stop praying; don’t peter out; don’t be fickle; but “always pray and don’t lose heart.” And this word increases in urgency as we see the end of the age drawing near. As Peter says (1 Peter 4:7), “The end of all things is at hand; therefore, keep sane and sober for your prayers.” The pressures of worldliness will become greater as the end draws near, therefore, all the more must we watch and be sober unto prayer, and not lose heart.

God and the Unjust Judge
Now how does Jesus’ parable in Luke 18:1–8 encourage us to keep on praying earnestly when prayer week is over? A widow comes to an unjust judge and pleads for help. She is being oppressed unjustly and wants him to use his authority to seek her relief. That’s us, the widow. Weak, poor, and no husband to speak up for us. Her only source of help, the judge. Our only source: God. She comes again and again until he gives her the help she needs just to get her off his back. But the argument of the parable is not that if you can wear out an unjust human judge, then you may stand a chance of wearing out God so that he helps you just to get you off his back. That would contradict Luke 12:32 where Jesus says, “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

But even more important is that the parable itself shows that everything hangs on God being different from the judge. Jesus tells us two things about the unjust judge in verse 2: “he neither feared God nor regarded man.” These are repeated in verse 4: “though I neither fear God nor regard man, yet . . . I will vindicate her.” In other words, these two marks of the judge are obstacles to his helping the widow. First, he has no fear of God and is, therefore, prone not to help her. This means that the fear of God would prompt a judge to help a needy widow. And if the fear of God would prompt a judge to help a needy widow, then God is not like the unjust judge but is the kind of God whose heart inclines to help those who cry to him. So when Jesus tells us that the obstacle that almost kept the judge from helping the widow was his failure to fear God, he makes it crystal clear that the fear of God inclines a person to give heed to cries for help, and therefore, God himself is right in mercy to all who call upon him. Therefore, if a judge who has no fear of God can be swayed by persistent petitions, how much more certain we can be that God will help those who cry to him day and night.

The second mark of the judge was that he had “no regard for man.” The widow was unknown to him, and he had no interest in her. The assumption is that if he cared about this widow, if she were his mother, he would help her. So we must ask: Does God have no regard for us? Is he indifferent to our needs? In verse 7 Jesus gives us the answer: “And will not God vindicate his elect?” Disciples of Jesus are not in the category of strangers to God. They are his elect. He has chosen them. He has set his favor on them. He has adopted them to be his children. As Paul says in Romans 8:31–33, “If God is for us, who is against us? . . . Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.” There is no condition of man more precious to be conceived than to be chosen by God. It means he has set his favor upon us fully and freely. He is for us with all his might. Therefore, Jesus argues, if an unjust judge can be moved by persistent petitions to help a stranger for whom he has no regard, how much more “will God help his own chosen ones who cry to him day and night!”

Persevering Prayer and Faith
So this parable is intended to be an encouragement for us to pray continually until Jesus comes back. When Jesus asks at the end of verse 8, “When the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?” he means, “Will the Son of man find that his disciples have kept praying, or have lost heart and given up?” So the implication seems to be: prayer and faith stand and fall together. If we lose heart and drift away from prayer, then the Son of man will not find faith in us when he comes. Faith is the furnace of our lives. Its fuel is the grace of God. And the divinely appointed shovel for feeding the burner is prayer. If you lose heart and lay down the shovel, the fire will go out, you will grow cold and hard, and when the lightning flashes from sky to sky and the Son of man appears in glory, he will spew you out of his mouth (Revelation 3:16). Two will be sleeping in one bed; one will be taken, the other left. And the test will not be whether you once walked an aisle, or prayed a prayer, or made a vow, or were baptized. The test will be whether you continued in prayer and did not lose heart. God’s elect will most surely be saved; and, as verse 7 says, the sign of the elect is that they cry to God day and night. Those who endure to the end will be saved (Matthew 24:13).

O, how essential, how crucial it is that we not leave prayer behind with prayer week. If you are saying to yourself that daily earnest prayer for more power to live a fruitful life of Christ-likeness is only for spiritual heavyweights, and that you intend to make your way to heaven without such pious excesses, then you are greatly deceived. Somewhere along the way someone has put the deadly, unbiblical teaching into your head that you can be saved even if you don’t persevere in prayer. But you can’t. First, because without persevering prayer, faith and love become lukewarm, and we saw last week that lukewarm faith does not save. Second, because Jesus commands us in Luke 18:1 always to pray and not to lose heart. Therefore, prayerlessness is disobedience. And if we do not repent and begin to pray as Jesus taught us, we will not be saved. For Hebrews 5:9 says, “He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him.” Therefore, not only in this week, but all through the year please don’t lose heart, but always pray.

Of all the practical helps mentioned last Sunday night, let me reinforce just one. Reading the inspirational literature of prayer is a great stimulus in the life of prayer. One little book in particular has moved me deeply: E.M. Bounds’ Power Through Prayer. I think its 128 little pages would give you a great boost.

Now in closing remember, the word of Jesus to us this morning is that we ought always to pray and not lose heart. First, because if we grow weary and leave off praying, our faith will wither, and the Son of man will not gather us with the elect. But second, and more positively, we should not grow weary in prayer because God is not like the unjust judge, but much more kindly disposed to us. As verse 7 says, he will surely vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night. Confirm your call and election, brothers and sisters (2 Peter 1:10). Always pray and do not lose heart.

[ John Piper ]

*****************************
“7 Conditions for Answered Prayers ( PRAYERS THAT GET ANSWERED )”

[ Grace Digital Network ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYXO0DEAxhI

*****************************
“A Call to Passionate, Persistent Prayer”

It was a pretty bleak scenario. King Herod had James beheaded. Then he arrested Peter and put him in prison, and it looked as though Peter was facing the same fate.

What did the church do? We read that “constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (Acts 12:5 NKJV). In the original language of the New Testament, the term “constant prayer” means they prayed with earnestness or with agony.

The same word for prayer describes Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, where “being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44 NKJV).

In other words, this wasn’t a flippant prayer. Rather, it was a storm-the-gates-of-Heaven prayer. The church prayed, and then God answered their prayer and supernaturally delivered Peter from prison.

Jesus talked about the persistence of prayer in a story He told the disciples. It was a situation they would have been familiar with in their first-century culture, where families typically had a common sleeping area in the home. Once everyone had gone to bed for the night, you didn’t want to get up again for fear that you’d step on your son or daughter or trip over your wife.

In Jesus’s story, everyone was nestled in, and a friend started banging on the door. The father didn’t want to get up and wake everyone else. But his friend wouldn’t take no for an answer. He kept banging, and finally the father got up and answered the door. Persistence finally paid off for the man who was beating on the door.

Jesus concluded by saying, “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11:9–10 NLT).

We see an interesting progression in the words ask, seek, and knock. Ask speaks of requesting assistance. You realize your need and then ask for help.

Seek denotes asking, but it involves action as well. It is not only expressing your need, but it’s also getting up and looking around for help. Seeking involves effort.

Knock includes asking plus acting plus persevering. There’s almost an act of desperation in it.

Jesus was saying that if persistence finally paid off for the man who was beating on the door of his reluctant friend, then how much more will persistence bring blessing as we pray to a loving heavenly Father?

Let’s not misunderstand what Jesus is saying. He isn’t comparing God to a grouchy neighbor who wants to sleep. It’s God’s joy to bless us and give us the things that He knows we need in our lives. In fact, the Bible says, “Indeed, he who watches over Israel never slumbers or sleeps” (Psalm 121:4 NLT). God is never asleep on the job. He always gives a listening ear to the cries of His children.

Jesus taught the disciples to pray, “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Luke 11:2 NKJV). We can call God our Father because our access to Him is built on sonship, not on our personal worthiness. After Jesus rose from the dead, He said to Mary Magdalene, “Go find my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” (John 20:17 NLT).

Because Jesus died on the cross and rose from the dead for our sins, the Bible says that “He made us accepted in the Beloved” (Ephesians 1:6 NKJV). If you’ve put your faith in Christ, then because of your relationship to Him, you have access into the presence of the throne room of God.

Jesus is calling us to passionate, persistent prayer. I think many of our prayers have no power in them because there’s no heart in them. And if we put so little heart into our prayers, then we can’t expect God to put much heart into answering them.

Yet God promises that He will be found by those who seek Him with all their hearts. Many times our prayers are not answered because we give up too easily. We’ll pray for something once and then forget about it. So keep praying. Keep seeking. Keep knocking. Don’t give up.

Maybe you’re in a situation right now that you think is hopeless. You don’t know what to do. Pray. Pray with fervor. Pray with energy. Pray continually. You don’t know what the Lord will do.

Or maybe you’re saying, “I tried praying, but it seems as though my prayers don’t go any higher than the ceiling. It seems like God isn’t really listening.”

Consider this: Prayer is a privilege that God has given to His children. Only a person who has put his or her faith in Christ can have a prayer life.

However, if you’re a nonbeliever and call out to the Lord to save you and forgive you of your sins, then He will hear your prayer.

But if you’re a nonbeliever living outside of God’s plan and purpose for your life, then you won’t have a prayer life to speak of. You won’t have a relationship and communion with God because you’re separated from Him.

So if your prayers are not answered, it could be that you don’t yet know God. There’s a barrier between you and God called sin. We are all born with a natural tendency to do the wrong thing.

The good news is that God came to this earth and walked among us as a Man named Jesus. He went to the cross and died there for the sins of all humanity. He paid the price for your sins and mine.

You can have a relationship with God in which He will hear and answer your prayers. You don’t have to walk through life filled with fear and terror and dread.

God wants to be involved in your life. He wants to be the one who leads and guides you. But you need to ask Him to forgive you of every sin you have committed, turn from that sin, and follow Jesus Christ.

Chapter 12 of the Book of Acts opens with James dead, Peter in prison, and Herod triumphing. But it closes with Herod dead, Peter free, and the Word of God triumphing. In the end, God will always have His way. Just watch what God can do.

[ Greg Laurie ]

*****************************
“John Calvin (1509-1564) on the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18:1-8)”

Tonight in our Bible study/prayer group, as part of a series on prayer, we discussed Christ’s Parable of the Persistent Widow, also known as the Parable of the Unjust Judge. I was eager when I got home to read the comments of John Calvin (1509-1564) on this passage, and found them very edifying. Below is the biblical text (taken from the KJV), followed by Calvin’s comments:

Luke 18:1-8

1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

Calvin comments:

“We know that perseverance in prayer is a rare and difficult attainment; and it is a manifestation of our unbelief that, when our first prayers are not successful, we immediately throw away not only hope, but all the ardor of prayer. But it is an undoubted evidence of our Faith, if we are disappointed of our wish, and yet do not lose courage. Most properly, therefore, does Christ recommend to his disciples to persevere in praying.

The parable which he employs, though apparently harsh, was admirably fitted to instruct his disciples, that they ought to be importunate in their prayers to God the Father, till they at length draw from him what He would otherwise appear to be unwilling to give. Not that by our prayers we gain a victory over God, and bend him slowly and reluctantly to compassion, but because the actual facts do not all at once make it evident that he graciously listens to our prayers. In the parable Christ describes to us a widow, who obtained what she wanted from an unjust and cruel judge, because she did not cease to make earnest demands. The leading truth conveyed is, that God does not all at once grant assistance to his people, because he chooses to be, as it were, wearied out by prayers; and that, however wretched and despicable may be the condition of those who pray to him, yet if they do not desist from the uninterrupted exercise of prayer, he will at length regard them and relieve their necessities.

The parties between whom the comparison is drawn are, indeed, by no means equal; for there is a wide difference between a wicked and cruel man and God, who is naturally inclined to mercy. But Christ intended to assure believers that they have no reason to fear lest their persevering entreaties to the Father of mercy should be refused, since by importunate supplication they prevail on men who are given to cruelty. The wicked and iron-hearted judge could not avoid yielding at length, though reluctantly, to the earnest solicitations of the widow: how then shall the prayers of believers, when perseveringly maintained, be without effect? If exhaustion and weakness are felt by us when we give way after a slight exertion, or if the ardor of prayer languishes because God appears to lend a deaf ear, let us rest assured of our ultimate success, though it may not be immediately apparent. Entertaining this conviction, let us contend against our impatience, so that the long delay may not induce us to discontinue our prayers.

7. And shall not God avenge his elect?That judge, whom Christ has described to us as altogether desperate, as not only hardened against the contemplation of God, but so entirely devoid of shame, that he had no anxiety about his reputation, at length opened his eyes to the distresses of the widow. We have no reason to doubt that believers will derive, at least, equal advantage from their prayers, provided they do not cease to plead earnestly with God. Yet it must be observed that, while Christ applies the parable to his subject, he does not make God to resemble a wicked and cruel judge, but points out a very different reason why those who believe in him are kept long in suspense, and why he does not actually and at once stretch out his hand to them: it is because he forbears. If at any time God winks at the injuries done to us longer than we would wish, let us know that this is done with a fatherly intention—to train us to patience. A temporary overlooking of crimes is very different from allowing them to remain for ever unpunished. The promise which he makes, that God will speedily avenge them, must be referred to his providence; for our hasty tempers and carnal apprehension lead us to conclude that he does not come quickly enough to grant relief. But if we could penetrate into his design, we would learn that his assistance is always ready and seasonable, as the case demands, and is not delayed for a single moment, but comes at the exact time.

But it is asked, How does Christ instruct his disciples to seek vengeance, while he exhorts them on another occasion, pray for those who injure and persecute you, (Matthew 5:44). I reply: what Christ says here about vengeance does not at all interfere with his former doctrine. God declares that he will avenge believers, not for the purpose of giving a loose rein to their carnal affections, but in order to convince them that their salvation is dear and precious in his sight, and in this manner to induce them to rely on his protection. If, laying aside hatred, pure and free from every wicked desire of revenge, and influenced by proper and well-regulated dispositions, they implore divine assistance, it will be a lawful and holy wish, and God himself will listen to it. But as nothing is more difficult than to divest ourselves of sinful affections, if we would offer pure and sincere prayers, we must ask the Lord to guide and direct our hearts by his Spirit. Then shall we lawfully call on God to be our avenger, and he will answer our prayers.

8. When the Son of man shall come.By these words Christ informs us that there will be no reason to wonder if men shall afterwards sink under their calamities: it will be because they neglect the true remedy. He intended to obviate an offense which we are daily apt to take, when we see all things in shameful confusion. Treachery, cruelty, imposture, deceit, and violence, abound on every hand; there is no regard to justice, and no shame; the poor groan under their oppressors; the innocent are abused or insulted; while God appears to be asleep in heaven. This is the reason why the flesh imagines that the government of fortune is blind. But Christ here reminds us that men are justly deprived of heavenly aid, on which they have neither knowledge nor inclination to place reliance. They who do nothing but murmur against the Lord in their hearts, and who allow no place for his providence, cannot reasonably expect that the Lord will assist them.

Shall he find faith on the earth? Christ expressly foretells that, from his ascension to heaven till his return, unbelievers will abound; meaning by these words that, if the Redeemer does not so speedily appear, the blame of the delay will attach to men, because there will be almost none to look for him. Would that we did not behold so manifest a fulfilment of this prediction! But experience proves that though the world is oppressed and overwhelmed by a huge mass of calamities, there are few indeed in whom the least spark of faith can be discerned. Others understand the word faith to denote uprightness, but the former meaning is more agreeable to the context.”

[ John Calvin ]

*****************************
“Ten Steps to Persistent Prayer”

[ John F. MacArthur ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8tngNmMw3A

*****************************
“GOD SAYS EVERYTHING’S GOING TO BURN–THEN WHAT ON EARTH SHOULD YOU BE LIVING FOR?”

Peter said, if you know in advance that everything around you is going to get dissolved like trash in an incinerator, what should you focus on? In other words, two thousand years ago Peter asked these believers:
What on Earth are You Living For?
Peter heard Jesus warn him that materialism, or the craving after the things riches can buy, first enslaves our hearts (v.19-21); then it takes captive our minds (v. 22-23), and finally conquers our will (v. 24). Peter knew Jesus meant that:
Either we lay up treasures in Heaven that can never be lost (Mt. 6:19-21);
Or we clutter our life on Earth with things& lose our treasures in Heaven.
There is no middle ground Jesus said. We can’t serve two masters (Mt. 6:24).
So Peter is asking them and us: Should we spend our lives collecting and guarding, seeking out and holding onto trash that will only be taken away from us by God and burned (1 Cor. 3:13-15), or eternal treasures that last, stay with us forever, and that we can give as endless offerings of worship to God (Mat. 6:19-21)?
That seems like quite a clear-cut choice, doesn’t it? Which led to the writing down of: Peter’s Lessons on: the End of the World,
Materialism, Contentment & the Un-Cluttered Life.

[ John Barnett ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AjWiaX7xcss

*****************************
“Live on Earth as Citizens of Heaven”
(1 Peter 2:13–17, Part 1)

[ John Piper ]

Presentation: https://www.desiringgod.org/labs/live-on-earth-as-citizens-of-heaven

*****************************
“The Coming Kingdom – Andy Woods”

There is much confusion and great controversy about the coming Kingdom. Many people don’t believe in the Millennium at all, while others think we’re in the Millennium right now! Kingdom Now theology is running rampant, a place where prophetic Israel is nowhere to be found!

[ Prophecy Watchers ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpARh0H2bY4

*****************************
“Gospel of The Kingdom”

In this video, we trace the origins of the word “gospel” and how it ties the story of the Old Testament together with the story of Jesus and his announcement of God’s kingdom. Jesus brought God’s rule and reign to the world in a very upside-down way, which is the best news you could ask for.

[ Bible Project ]

Presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xmFPS0f-kzs

*****************************
“The Coming Kingdom”

In his approach to Jerusalem, Jesus asserted that He was the Messianic king predicted by the Old Testament Scriptures. While many people were passionate about Christ’s “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem, their passion was fueled by a wrong view of Jesus. Alistair Begg warns us that we cannot make a Jesus of our own making; we must allow the Gospel to shape our ideas concerning Jesus’ mission.

[ Alistair Begg ]

Sermon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1FM0H4CdN38

*****************************
“The Coming Kingdom 01. Introduction. Kingdom Confusion. Genesis 1:26-28.”

Introduction to the study with examples of modern-day confusion concerning the kingdom of God. [1 hour 4 minutes]. In this series, we are going through Andy’s book, “The Coming Kingdom: How Kingdom Now Theology is Changing the Focus of the Church.”

[ Andy Woods ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5pDdi7vx1rA&list=PLJ5WZ9aWBhyi3bHbotTG1iONLkMn-Ck-b

*****************************
“The Coming Kingdom”

[ New Hope Central Oahu ]

Promo Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=le9ltojqnnU

*****************************
“The Main Ingredient in Effective Prayer”

It’s tragic how easily we can miss the main ingredient in effective prayer.

In our sin, we’ve been rewired to focus on us — on the steps we should take for our prayers to be heard. We have this bent toward believing that every result is born from method. If something works for somebody, we want to know what that somebody is doing.

We’ve developed the assumption that if we can just strip it all down to a reproducible process to put into action, then the results will multiply. While this applies to certain things, it doesn’t apply to prayer — or at least that’s not the vision the apostle James gives us. The main ingredient in effective prayer is emphatically not us.

Often Misunderstood
Many of us find James 5:16 to be a familiar verse: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” — which is also translated, as an ESV footnote spells out, “The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power.”

“We pray as ordinary people who have an extraordinary God.”TweetShare on Facebook
This is one of those coffee-mug verses. It’s commonly understood like this: Be righteous, and your prayers will work. It’s what I used to think. But that’s the skim-milk meaning. It’s what happens when we fly by the text without questions. Our broken bent is to make the burden of this passage something to do with us. We simply settle to think that, if we want our prayers to be effective, then we need to be righteous.

But this reading doesn’t hold up.

Reading in Context
First, look at the context surrounding James 5:16. James’s whole point is that prayer is effective. He asks in James 5:13, “Is anyone among you suffering?” Then he replies, “Let him pray.” What about cheerfulness? Or sickness? Or sin? In each case, James encourages his readers to pray. Why? Because prayer is effective, which means, God hears his people and acts on their behalf.

Then, in the beginning of verse 16, because prayer is effective (James 5:13–15), he says, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed” (James 5:16). To make it even clearer, he follows this with, “The effective prayer of a righteous person has great power.” That line is the second portion in a double dose of support for our praying. James’s point is to repeat his theme to pray because prayer is effective. His concern is not how prayer is made effective, but that prayer is effective. And then verse 17 comes to ground that point.

What About Elijah?
James 5:17 then brings in Elijah. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently.”

What does Elijah have to do with our praying? Does it mean that Elijah was righteous and his prayers worked, so we should be like Elijah for our prayers to work too? Is that what he is saying?

No way.

“Prayer is effective not because of great men who pray, but because of a great God who graciously hears his people.”TweetShare on Facebook
Look at the book. James says that Elijah was a man with a nature like ours. He was just a man. He was like us. He had a nature like ours. And being just a man, being like us, having a nature like ours, he prayed fervently and God heard. The point is not that we should be righteous at the extraordinary level of an Elijah, but that he was normal like you and me. James doesn’t say for us to be like Elijah for our prayers to be answered, but that Elijah was like us and his prayers were answered — therefore, pray.

Don’t Miss What’s Main
This means that the locus of effective prayer is not us, but God. Prayer has less to do with the specifics of how we say what we say, and more to do with the one to whom we are saying it.

We pray as ordinary people who have an extraordinary God. We’re just normal, you and I. We’re just normal like Elijah. Prayer is effective, not because of great men who pray, but because of a great God who in Christ graciously hears his people.

He’s the main ingredient. So, pray.

[ Jonathan Parnell ]

*****************************
“The Parable of the Persistent Widow, Luke 18:1-8”

And he spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth? – Luke 18:1-8

The object of the parable before us, is explained by Christ Himself. To use the words of an old divine, “The key hangs at the door.” “Jesus told His disciples a parable, to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” These words, be it remembered, are closely connected with the solemn doctrine of the second coming, with which the preceding chapter concludes. It is perseverance in prayer, during the long weary intervals between the first and second comings, which Jesus is urging His disciples to keep up. In that interval, we ourselves are standing. The subject therefore is one which ought to possess a special interest in our eyes.

These verses teach us firstly — the great importance of perseverance in prayer. Our Lord conveys this lesson by telling the story of a friendless widow, who obtained justice from a wicked magistrate — by force of sheer importunity. “Though I do not fear God, nor regard man,” said the unjust judge, “yet because this widow troubles me, I will see that she gets justice, lest by her continual coming she weary me.”

Our Lord Himself supplies the application of the parable, “And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay in helping them?” If importunity obtains so much from a wicked man — then how much more will it obtain for the children of God — from the Righteous Judge, their Father in Heaven!

The subject of PRAYER ought always to be interesting to Christians. Prayer is the very life-breath of true Christianity. It is in prayer, that true religion begins. It is in prayer, that true religion flourishes. It is in prayer, that it decays. Prayer is one of the first evidences of conversion. (Acts 9:11.) Neglect of prayer, is the sure road to a fall. (Matthew 26:40, 41.) Whatever throws light on the subject of prayer, is for our soul’s health.

Let it then be engraved deeply in our minds, that it is far more easy to begin a habit of prayer, than it is to keep it up. The fear of death, or some temporary piercings of conscience, or some excited feelings — may make a man begin praying, after a fashion. But to go on praying, requires saving faith. We are apt to become weary, and to give way to the suggestion of Satan, that “it is of no use.” And then comes the time when the parable before us ought to be carefully remembered. We must recollect that our Lord expressly told us “always to pray — and never give up.”

Do we ever feel a secret inclination to hurry our prayers, or shorten our prayers, or become careless about our prayers, or omit our prayers altogether? Let us be sure, when we do — that it is a direct temptation from the devil. He is trying to sap and undermine the very citadel of our souls, and to cast us down to Hell.

Let us resist the temptation, and cast it behind our backs. Let us resolve to pray on steadily, patiently, perseveringly — and let us never doubt that it does us good. However long the answer may be in coming — still let us pray on. Whatever sacrifice and self-denial it may cost us — still let us pray on. “Pray always.” “Pray without ceasing.” “Continue in prayer.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Colossians 4:2.) Let us arm our minds with this parable, and while we live, whatever else we make time for — let us make time for prayer.

These verses teach us, secondly — that God has an elect people upon earth, who are under His special care. The Lord Jesus declares that God will “avenge His own elect, who cry day and night unto Him.” “I tell you,” He says, “that He will avenge them speedily.”

Election is one of the deepest truths of Scripture. It is clearly and beautifully stated in the seventeenth Article of the Church of England. Election is “the everlasting purpose of God, whereby, before the foundations of the world were laid — He has decreed by His counsel, secret to us — to deliver from curse and damnation, those whom He has chosen in Christ out of mankind — and to bring them by Christ to everlasting salvation.” This testimony is true. This is “sound speech which cannot be condemned.” (Titus 2:8.)

Election is a truth which should call forth praise and thanksgiving from all true Christians. Unless God had chosen and called them — they would never have chosen and called on Him. Except He had chosen them of His own good pleasure, without respect to any goodness of theirs — there would never have been anything in them to make them worthy of His choice. The worldly and the carnal-minded may rail at the doctrine of election. The false professor may abuse it, and turn the “grace of God into a license for sin.” (Jude 4.) But the believer who knows his own heart, will ever bless God for election. He will confess that without election — there would be no salvation.

But what are the marks of election? By what tokens shall a man know whether he is one of God’s elect? These marks are clearly laid down in Scripture.

Election is inseparably connected with faith in Christ, and conformity to His image. (Romans 8:29, 30.) It was when Paul saw the working “faith,” and patient “hope,” and laboring “love” of the Thessalonians — that he knew their “election of God.” (1 Thessalonians 1:3, 4.)

Above all, we have a plain mark described by our Lord, in the passage before us. God’s elect are a people who “cry unto Him night and day.” They are essentially a praying people.

No doubt there are many people whose prayers are formal and hypocritical. But one thing is very clear — a prayerless man must never be called one of God’s elect. Let that never be forgotten!

These verses teach us, lastly — that true faith will be found very scarce at the end of the world. The Lord Jesus shows this, by asking a very solemn question, “When the Son of Man comes — shall He find faith on the earth?”

The question before us is a very humbling one. It shows the uselessness of expecting that all the world will be converted before Christ comes again. It shows the foolishness of supposing that all people are “good,” and that though differing in outward matters — they are all right at heart, and all going to Heaven. Such notions find no approval in the text before us.

Where is the use, after all, of ignoring facts under our own eyes; facts in the world — facts in the churches — facts in the congregations we belong to — facts by our own doors and firesides?

Where is faith to be seen? How many around us really believe what the Bible contains? How many live as if they believed that Christ died for them — and that there is a coming judgment, a Heaven, and a Hell? These are most painful and serious inquiries. But they demand and deserve an answer.

Have we faith ourselves? If we have — then let us bless God for it. It is a great thing to believe all the Bible. It is matter for daily thankfulness — if we feel our sins, and really trust in Jesus. We may be weak, frail, erring, short-coming sinners — but do we believe? That is the grand question. If we believe — then we shall be saved. But he who does not believe — shall not see life, and shall die in his sins, under God’s wrath. (John 3:36; 8:24.)

[ J. C. Ryle ]

*****************************
“Why the Coming Kingdom of Christ Is Really Bad News”

[ John Piper ]

Teaching: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKa2QIwOXQs

*****************************
“Grace Centers of Hope”
‘Soup kitchen’/Homeless shelter since 1942

MISSION:
Grace Centers of Hope is Oakland County’s oldest and largest homeless shelter providing hope and help since 1942. Today, Grace Centers of Hope is considered one of the leading faith-based organizations in Southeastern Michigan daily confronting issues of homelessness, addiction, poverty and spiritual emptiness. On any given night, Grace Centers of Hope will accommodate between 150-200 men, women and children. Each year we serve over 100,000 meals and provide over 55,000 nights of stay. Grace Centers of Hope is a Christian organization committed to positively changing the lives of the homeless, addicted and unwanted through the Gospel of Jesus Christ, personal accountability, life skills education and work-related programs.

Article: https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=5309

[ Data from 11/1/2019 ]

 

*****************************
*****************************
*****************************

SONGS:

*****************************
*****************************
*****************************

“Pray Until Something Happens”

If there’s a problem that you can not solve
And The more you try – you get deeper involved
If in your mind there is no peace – And you want to put your mind at ease
Here’s the solution and what you should do –
Get on your knees and pray til you get through
You just pray (Pray) Pray (Pray)
(All) Until something happens that’s what you’ve got to do (repeat)

Prayer is the keys to the kingdom, your faith unlocks the door
If you pray and nothing has happened,
Then you might need to pray you some more,
Just Pray to the father, Jesus the son
The Holy Ghost will show you how prayer should be done
You just pray (Pray) Pray (Pray)

(All) Until something happens that’s what you’ve got to do (repeat)

Heyyy you just pray (Pray until something happens) x 4

(Drive )Pray (Pray) Pray (Pray) Pray (Pray) Pray (Pray)

Pray in the morning, m pray in the evening, For the good for the bad, pray when you’re your happy, Pray when you’re sad, oh pray x4 Pray to the father, pray to the son, Pray to the Holy Ghost, they all make one, pray, pray, pray our father in heaven, holy is your name Pray

You just pray, (Pray) Pray (Pray) until something happens x 2
That’s what you need to do.
(Drive) Heyyy you just pray (Pray until something happens)
Pray pray pray pray pray

[ Dottie Peoples ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1rLC7tbOLOc

*****************************
“Pray Until Something Happens (P.U.S.H.)”

[ The Wrights ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=So9MFEDgYiw

*****************************
“Pray Until Something Happens (PUSH)

[ Mal Williams ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yF2a_bhYOKU

*****************************
“Push: Pray Until Something Happens”

[ Alycia Levels ]

Album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y_1OTCUVBA0&list=OLAK5uy_mTKPrleX-ij2HEBjCw02V12oMLXMXJ6_o

*****************************
“PUSH (Pray Until Something Happens)”

You need to pray until something happens
Something happens
You need to pray until something happens
Something happens
Pray!

His ear is not deaf that he cannot hear us
He will answer all your prayers
His hand is big enough to save us
He will answer
All your prayers
You need to pray
Until something happens

Something happens (until you receive your miracle)
Something happens (open up your month and pray)
You need to pray until something happens
Something happens
Something happens

[ Takalani Chairo Ndou” ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QtBnvaKTZNw

*****************************
“P.U.S.H. (Persist Until Something Happens)”

Life is hard
Nothing’s free
It takes
Tears and pain
Days go by
Alone
I need to move on
Life is short
I must learn
The past is long gone
I feel strange
Filled with rage
I need to escape

AYO

PUSH, PUSH, PUSH
PUSH Yourself through
Bring up your light
And jump in the fire
PUSH, PUSH, PUSH
Reach the sky high
Never look back
Fight, fight for your life
PUSH, PUSH, PUSH
PUSH Yourself through
Bring up your light
And jump in the fire
PUSH, PUSH, PUSH
Reach the sky high
Never look back
The adventure begins

Here I am
No more games
My fate is
Not lost
Hungry heart
Brave and strong
Just keep craving more
Do my best, never less
One chance
No regrets!
Feel my heat
Feel the flame
I’m not not the same

AYOO!

PUSH, PUSH, PUSH
PUSH Yourself through
Bring up your light
And jump in the fire
PUSH, PUSH, PUSH…

[ Maxximo – “P.U.S.H. (Persist Until Something Happens)” album ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1sLPAChDrRg

*****************************
“P.U.S.H. “Pray Until Something Happens”

[ BOSS (MARVELL) feat. Raven Spades ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkChkIqICSc

*****************************
“Push (Pray Until Something Happen)”

There is no mountain too high
we can’t reach the top
there is no ocean too wide
that we cannot across

With Jesus there is nothing
we can’t do
cause Jesus He will answer
when we call

Pray Until Something Happen
Pray we will never stop to
Pray Until Something Happen
Pray let us all together
Pray…

[ Welyar Kauntu ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1DP6sTo0tE

*****************************
“Konfia riba dj’E (P.U.S.H.) – Pray Until Something Happens”

[ Agrupashon Together – “MAS DI BO” album ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxuTHKsM8z0

*****************************
“Amazing Grace”

Amazing grace
How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me
I once was lost, but now I’m found
Was blind, but now I see

‘Twas grace that taught my heart to fear
And grace my fears relieved
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

The Lord has promised good to me
His word my hope secures
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy reigns
Unending love, amazing grace

The earth shall soon dissolve like snow
The sun forbear to shine
But God, who called me here below
Will be forever mine
Will be forever mine
You are forever mine

[ Chris Tomlin – “Holy Roar” album ]

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y-4NFvI5U9w

 

*****************************
*****************************

APOLOGETIX SONGS

*****************************
*****************************

“Don’t Stop Till Egypt”
(Parody of “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey)

Just a small town girl – living in a Roman world
She took a late-night trip out of Bethlehem
Just a bitty boy – born to make the world rejoice
He took a late-night trip out of Bethlehem

The king is in an OK mood – until the wise men leak the news
For a while they can spare their lives
If they run, and run, and run, and run

Angels racin’, comin’ down to pull them out
There’s bad folks searchin’ in the night
Flee, wise people
Heaven sends a warning, Joseph
Hide Him somewhere near the Nile

Well, King Herod, he ain’t quite thrilled
“Every baby must be killed!”
He’ll do anything – he’s cold as ice – what’s one more crime?
Run from Him – One with you’s
The Son of God, the King of the Jews
For His kingdom never ends
It goes on and on and on and on

Angels racin’, comin’ down to pull them out
There’s bad folks searchin’ in the night
Flee, wise people
Heaven sends a warning, Joseph
Hide Him somewhere near the Nile

Don’t stop till Egypt – go down to the pyramids
Flee, wise people, oh oh oh
Don’t stop till Egypt – go down, yeah
Flee, wise people, oh oh oh

[ ApologetiX – “Wise Up and Rock” album ]

*****************************
“Handle With Prayer”
(Parody of “Handle with Care” performed by The Traveling Wilburys)

Winds beat up and batted us round
Waves swept up but I did not drown
What a blessing to find solid ground
Man, though, we were scared

Then two crazed, unchainable
Men with demons followed us all
Yeah, they were more than horrible
And though we were scared

I saw fired-up demons moaning
Christ still had control of them
But He showed these Gadarenes He cared

Everybody
God’s Son brought us to Legion
Let’s just watch Him — exorcise — them demons

Christ did not stop and we made it through
I’ve seen something really cool
He made them enter some swine, too
Man, though we were scared
LEAD

When stuck in those hogs they realized
That they needed exercise
Over the slope the herd would dive
And then we were spared

I saw fired-up demons moaning
Christ still had control of them
But He showed these Gadarenes He cared

Everybody
God’s Son brought us to Legion
Let’s just watch Him — exorcise — them demons

I’ve seen those guys when they’re possessed
But they’re cleaning up and they’re both dressed
Matthew 8 tells us the rest
And Luke 8, it’s there.

[ ApologetiX – “Nichey” album ]

*****************************
“Livin’ on a Prayer”
(Parody of “Livin’ on a Prayer” by Bon Jovi)

(Once upon a time – God so loved the world … )
Johnny used to work on the docks
Fishin’s been his life since John was a pup
It’s tough – to stop
He would work with Simon and James
Workin’ for his dad – he made fish fillets
For lunch – mmm – for lunch
He says
We gotta hold on to what we’re taught
Because we may be Christians doesn’t mean we forgot
We got deep water and nets and rods
So now
We’re fishin’ for God
Oh … the pathway’s clear
Oh … fishin’ on a pier
Hey, my man, the lake is right here
Oh … fishin’ on a pier
Karl has got a six-string that rocks
Now Keith’s on the bass
And the dude who plays the drums is tough
Mmm … Fred’s tough
Jesus gave us somethin’ to say
Cause Christ’s in our lives … now we’re fishers
Parody’s our bait … some say
We gotta hold on to what we’re taught
He called us as musicians and we’re praisin’ our God
We got deep water
And lots of rock and roll
We’re fishin’ for God
Oh … the pathway’s clear
Oh … fishin’ on a pier
They’re my band, the lake is right here
Oh … fishin’ on a pier
Fishin’ on a pier
LEAD
We gotta hold on – steady your rod
We fish for the guys that are called out by God

[ ApologetiX – “Spoofernatural” album ]

*****************************
“Offer Your Prayer”
(Parody of “Scarborough Fair/Canticle” by Simon & Garfunkel)

Are you goin’ to offer your prayer:
“Lord, please save those near me in time”
Remember He truly wanted you there
To be someone through whom love would shine

Tell Him to make you a candle on earth
(Shinin’ bright on a hill as you speak for His grace)
“Lord, please save those near me in time”
(Straight as an arrow that points them to Christ)
That all may see your righteous good works
(Blameless and steadfast — a child of the Almighty)
Then they’ll see the true Lord behind
(Despite a world that is cloudy and cold)

Help, Lord, to find me good favor with man
(God, as I do Your will while sprinkling Your seeds)
“Lord, please save those near me in time”
(Clutching the plow while sowing in tears)
To teach them Our Father’s amnesty plan
(Our souls You cleanse, abolishing our sin)
Then they’ll see the true love of Christ

Father, send reapers with their sickles from Heaven
(Here below saving a harvest of millions)
Lord, please save those near me in time
(Send them, oh Lord, as You told us You will)
And gather them all – an abundance of brethren
(As a bride for the Christ, Your one and own begotten)
Then they’ll see the Truth and the Life

Are you goin’ to God with your prayer:
“Lord, please save those near me in time”
Remember He truly wanted you there
He wants us – His true love to shine

[ ApologetiX – “Unconditional Releases” album ]

*****************************
“Pray Now”
(Parody of “All Star” by Smash Mouth
(Luke 11:9, Luke 18: 1-8, James 4:1-3, Matt. 6:33, Matt. 7:7, Luke 17:5,Matt. 17:20)

Somebody once told me “The Lord is not your roadie
“You ain’t the star so do it yourself.”
I said, “Look, it’s kind of dumb
If if there’s things that I need done
It’s a shame not to call on the Lord’s help.”

Well, my prayers start comin’ and they don’t stop comin’
I read through the rules and I think I found somethin’
Didn’t make sense not to get more done
I pray real hard cause the Heavenly Son
Showed what to do, said knock and seek
So what’s wrong with praying and asking
You better go look in Luke, bro
11:9 if you don’t know

Pray now – it’s a lost art – get your day underway
Pray now – get a jump start – get a move on – get faith
God is listenin’ you know – only you can start prayin’ though

There’s a cool case so you’re prayin’ gets bolder
You look it up Luke 18 yeah, let’s go there
When the meanest of men met the widow
Judge he was, you know if you have the right scripture
But I see his patience is gettin’ pretty thin
The woman gets annoyin’ so he might as well give in
The world’s like that – how about the Lord
God already likes ya – and you’ll never get ignored

Pray now – it’s a lost art – get your day underway
Pray now – fourth chapter – let me show ya – in James
God is listenin’ you know – only you can start prayin’ though

Somebody once asked Jesus give us the capacity
To get ourselves a faith that is great
He said, “Well, why ya want help?
“You could move a little hill yourself
“If you would all use a little faith.”

Well, my prayers start comin’ and they don’t stop comin’
I read through the rules and I think I found somethin’
Didn’t make sense not to get more done
Pray it smart cause the Heavenly Son
Showed what to do, said knock and seek
So what’s wrong with praying and asking
You’ll never know if you don’t go
You better try if you don’t know

Pray now – it’s a lost art – get your day underway
Pray now – get a jump start – get a move on – get faith
God is listenin’ you know – only you can start prayin’ though

[ ApologetiX – “Spoofernatural” album ]

*****************************
“Smooth Grandmama”
(Parody of “Smooth Criminal” by Michael Jackson)

As he came up to the window, heard the sound of Barry Manilow
He came into her apartment, smelled the Ben Gay and the chocolate
She was sitting at the table, he could see she had a Bible
So she ran into the bedroom, got her teeth down and her perfume

Granny, are you OK, you OK, you OK, Granny? (4X)

Granny’s not an old maid, she’s a zealot with a bold faith
She’s a kind-hearted widow and she bought you a Nintendo, last week
You came into her apartment, left the mudstains on the carpet
And then she ran into the bedroom, she was knelt down, it was for you
Granny likes to crochet, and croquet, and quote Dear Abby
Granny causes road rage in the slow lanes, she’s no Andretti
Granny’s got the whole day to go pray for all her family
You’ve been hit by, you’ve been struck by, a smooth grandmama

So she came into the hallway, it was Sunday, had a snack made
Then the book of Revelation was the topic of conversation
Granny says, you know, babe, the Lord says in verse 3:20
He’s standing at the doorway, so don’t waste a moment, honey
And you gotta go pray or else, babe, He won’t gain entry
Then you told her OK, I want saved, I’ll go pray, Granny

Granny told you, OK, first you tell Him that you’re sorry
Believe He died for your sins, though
And accept Him and repento — Whammy!
He came into your heart then, you were prostrate on the carpet
Then she ran you to the next room
You were sat down, there was more food
Granny karaokes to old tapes of Sandi Patty
You’ve been hit by, you’ve been struck by, a smooth grandmama

Granny had a roast made and potatoes that were homemade
And she buys Poppin’ Fresh Dough
So she baked you some crescent rolls, man, eat!
You came into her apartment, and the blessings only started
And then your Granny took and fed you
You were stuffed now; it was her food
Granny brought you cold grapes and poached eggs and bowls of candy
Granny brought you milkshakes and fruitcake, keep Rolaids handy
Granny’s artichokes make your throat gag so don’t take any
And before you go, babe, you must take a roast beef sandwich

[ ApologetiX – “Grace Period” album ]

*****************************
“Read Ephesians”
(Parody of “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith)

Read Ephesians, Read Ephesians
Talk about Paul, apostle of Christ
This is the fifth epistle he writes
Says that our struggle ain’t against flesh and blood Says that we need the armor of God
One piece of the armor is a plate for your breast Says to put on the breastplate of righteousness Truth for a belt and shoes for your feet
The preparation of the gospel of peace
Read Ephesians, Read Ephesians
Put on the salvation helmet, then
The shield of faith, you can use it when
The devil starts shootin’ his fiery darts
And the sword of the Spirit – that’s the Word of God Standing firm, ‘cause our struggle is against
The forces of darkness and wickedness
Talkin’ ‘bout somethin’ that’s gonna help you stand With prayer and petition every time that you can

[ ApologetiX – “Radical History Tour” album ]

*****************************
“Come To Father”
(Parody of “Come Together” performed by the Beatles and Aerosmith)

Don’t become all flattered because
You do stuff stuff only to get
Viewed by rivals as one holy roller
You’ve got prayer down to a “T”
Got to keep it covert when you’re doing good deeds

Keep prayer clandestine
You should go and look till you’ve got
Someplace secret you can go to Father
Because He sees you secretly
Public pride can fail you if you’re not too discreet
Come to Father right now … covertly

No big productions – He wants smallness from you
Because God knows what you need before you ask Him
He don’t need Thou’s and Thy’s and Thee’s
Told you if you’re honest; He’ll fulfill all your needs
Come to Father right now … honestly

Pray Holy Father, way up there in Heaven
Let Your kingdom come and let your will be done and
Please forgive our sins, fulfill our needs
God, don’t lead us to temptation, save us from evil
Come to Father right now … on your knees

[ ApologetiX – “Orchard Avenue” album ]

*****************************
“Hit ‘em with Your Slingshot”
(Parody of “Hit Me With Your Best Shot” by Pat Benatar)

Yeah, you’re real tough looking and you’re strong as a tree
But, hey, a little bark doesn’t bother me
That’s what David said while he threw it
Could’ve been you – just let God do it

Hit ‘em with your slingshot
Why don’t you hit ‘em with your slingshot
Hit ‘em with your slingshot
Fire away!

Someone is a comin’ who don’t fight fair
That’s O.K. – we have got prayer
God brings down the tall and vain
I get my facts from First Pete and James

Hit ‘em with your slingshot
Why don’t you hit ‘em with your slingshot
Hit ‘em with your slingshot
Fire away!

Yeah, you’re real tough looking and you’re strong as a tree
But, hey, a little bark doesn’t bother me
Before I couldn’t ever watch when a big stiff raged
But now I make sure I look him in the face

Hit ‘em with your slingshot
C’mon! Hit ‘em with your slingshot
Hit ‘em with your slingshot
Fire away!

Hit ‘em with your slingshot
Why don’t you hit ‘em with your slingshot
Hit ‘em with your slingshot
Fire away!

[ ApologetiX – “Loaded 45s” album ]

 

*****************************
*****************************

DEEP THOUGHTS:

*****************************
*****************************

“Persistence and endurance will make you omnipotent”
[ Casey Neistat ]

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
[ Calvin Coolidge ]

“Are you continuing to grow and expand in life, of have you gotten comfortable? Keep stretching. See how far you can go.”
[ Marvis M ]

“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.”
[ Colin Powell ]

“Persistence and resilience only come from having been given the chance to work though difficult problems.”
[ Gever Tulley ]

“It’s easy to stay motivated when you first start something, or when you’re seeing results. The trick is staying motivated when you’re not yet seeing results. The important thing to remember is that even if you don’t see it yet, every workout is bringing you closer and closer to the goal you set for yourself when you first started. Push past wanting to give up and just keep going.”
[ Author unknown ]

“Success is not the absence of failure; it’s the persistence through failure. [ Aisha Tyler ]

“Patience, persistence and perspiration make an unbeatable combination for success.”
[ Napoleon Hill ]

“Energy and persistence conquer all things.”
[ Benjamin Franklin ]

“Paralyze resistance with persistence.”
[ Woody Hayes ]

“Success is almost totally dependent upon drive and persistence. The extra energy required to make another effort or try another approach is the secret of winning.”
[ Denis Waitley ]

“Persistence is a state of mind, therefore it can be cultivated.”
[ Napoleon Hill ]

“It’s hard to beat someone who never gives up. Don’t ever quit. You only fail if you give up.”
[ Jesse LeBeau ]

“As long as we are persistence in our pursuit of our deepest destiny, we will continue to grow. We cannot choose the day or time when we will fully bloom. It happens in its own time.”
[ Denis Waitley ]

“The secret to my success is persistence.”
[ Jinder Mahal ]

“I’ve known entrepreneurs who were not great salespeople, or didn’t know how to code, or were not particularly charismatic leaders. But I don’t know of any entrepreneurs who have achieved any level of success without persistence and determination.”
[ Harvey Mackay ]

“The most interesting thing about a postage stamp is the persistence with which it sticks to its job.”
[ Napoleon Hill ]

“Persistence is incredibly important. Persistence proves to the person you’re trying to reach that you’re passionate about something, that you really want something.”
[ Norah O’Donnell ]

“Persistence pushes me to be bold and seek out the opportunities I’ve wanted. It starts by envisioning what you want, no matter how big or small, and believing that you can achieve it.”
[ Belinda Johnson ]

“Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try Again. Fail again. Fail better.”
[ Samuel Beckett ]

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.”
[ Confucius ]

“Great success is built on failure, frustration, even catastrophy.”
[ Sumner Redstone ]

“Failing is one of the greatest arts in the world. One fails toward success.”
[ Charles Kettering ]

“Failure provides the opportunity to begin again, more intelligently.”
[ Henry Ford ]

“The fastest way to succeed is to double your failure rate.”
[ Thomas Watson Sr. ]

“Only those who dare to fail greatly can achieve greatly.”
[ Robert F. Kennedy ]

“I don’t believe I have special talents, I have persistence… After the first failure, second failure, third failure, I kept trying.”
[ Carlo Rubbia ]

“There is something to be said for keeping at a thing, isn’t there?”
[ Frank Sinatra ]

“Patience with others is love. Patience with self is hope. Patience with God is faith.”
[ Adel Bestavros ]

“Patience is the best remedy for every trouble.”
[ Plautus ]

“One day… we shall gratefully see that God’s great refusals were sometimes the truest answers to our prayers.”
[ P. T. Forsythe ]

“The point of prayer is not to get answers from God; the goal of prayer is perfect and complete oneness with God.”
[ Oswald Chambers ]

“God will lead you where He wants you to be, but you have to talk to Him daily to see where He want you to go. The key is prayer.”
[ Author unknown ]

“It’s possible to move man through God by prayer alone it’s possible to move man through God by prayer alone.”
[ Hudson Taylor ]

“When I am in the presence of God, it seems profoundly unbecoming to demand
anything.”
[ Francis Schaeffer ]

“Prayer is more than a wish; it is the voice of faith directed to God.”
[ Billy Graham ]

“When we shoot an arrow, we look to the fall of it; when we send a ship to sea, we look for the return of it; and when we sow seed, we look for a harvest; and so when we sow our prayers into God’s bosom, shall we not look for an answer?”
[ Richard Sibbes ]

“Satan can’t keep God from answering our prayers, but he will keep us from asking.”
[ Adrian Rogers ]

“Prayer is the only pathway to discovering who God created us to be, everything else is just a guessing game.”
[ Corky Calhoun ]

“Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?”
[ Corrie Ten Boom ]

“Pray when you feel like praying. Pray when you don’t feel like praying. Pray until you do feel like praying.”
[ Elizabeth Elliott ]

“Next to the wonder of seeing my Savior will be, I think, the wonder that I made so little use of the power of prayer.”
[ Dwight L. Moody ]

“Prayer is a war-time walkie-talkie, not a domestic intercom for ringing up the butler to change the thermostat. It is a war-time walkie-talkie to call in firepower because the enemy is greater than we are. If you try to turn this into a domestic intercom to bring another pillow, it malfunctions, and you wonder why. It’s not made to be an intercom. Its made to be a war-time walkie-talkie.”
[ John Piper ]

“In reality the denial of prayer is a denial of God Himself, for God and prayer are so inseparable that they can never be divorced.”
[ E. M. Bounds ]

“Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.”
[ John Bunyan ]

“I ought to pray before seeing any one. Often when I sleep long, or meet with others early, it is eleven or twelve o’clock before I begin secret prayer. This is a wretched system. It is unscriptural. Christ arose before day and went into a solitary place. David says: ‘Early will I seek thee’; ‘Thou shalt early hear my voice.’ Family prayer loses much of its power and sweetness, and I can do no good to those who come to seek from me. The conscience feels guilty, the soul unfed, the lamp not trimmed. Then when in secret prayer the soul is often out of tune, I feel it is far better to begin with God—to see his face first, to get my soul near him before it is near another.”
[ Robert Murray M’Cheyne ]

“Prayer honours God, acknowledges his being, exalts his power, adores his providence, secures his aid.”
[ E.M. Bounds ]

“When I come to God in prayer, he always looks to what the aim of my petition is. My comfort? My joy? Or that He be glorified. We need to learn that it is God’s plan to bless me in order that I maybe a blessing. Prayer is answered not to be consumed on self but to be passed on.”
[ Andrew Murray ]

“Prayer will make a man cease from sin, or sin will entice a man to cease from prayer.”
[ JohnBunyan ]

“The act of praying is the very highest energy of which the human mind is capable; praying, that is, with the total concentration of the faculties.”
[ Samuel Taylor Coleridge ]

“Faith is the foundation of prayer, and prayer should be nothing else but faith exercised.”
[ Thomas Manton ]

“We must wrestle earnestly in prayer, like men contending with a deadly enemy for life.”
[ J.C.Ryle ]

“That which God abundantly makes the subject of his promises, God’s people should abundantly make the subject of their prayers.”
[ Jonathan Edwards ]

“By intercessory prayer we can hold off Satan from other lives and give the Holy Spirit a chance with them.”
[ Oswald Chambers ]

“Oh, to pray so as to be known in hell! / Oh, to pray so that demons have to quit their prey! Oh, to cause pandemonium in perdition when we intercede! / Oh, to liberate the captives when we make intercessions with tears! / Oh to push the devil around instead of his pushing the Church around! / Oh, to know the groan.”
[ Leonard Ravenhill ]

“A great part of my time is spent in getting my heart in tune for prayer. It is the link that connects earth with heaven.”
[ Robert Murray M’Cheyne ]

—————————

RELATED SCRIPTURE VERSES:

Persistence

Galatians 6:9
And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.

Luke 11:9-10
And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Luke 18:1-8
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” …

Proverbs 24:16
For the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

Luke 11:5-10
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. …

2 Thessalonians 3:13
As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good.

Hebrews 12:1-2
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

James 1:1-27
James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. …

Philippians 3:14
I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15:58
Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.

1 Thessalonians 5:17
Pray without ceasing,

Philippians 1:6
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

Revelation 2:10
Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.

1 John 5:15
And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.

James 1:12
Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.

Hebrews 11:6
And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.

2 Kings 2:1-15
Now when the Lord was about to take Elijah up to heaven by a whirlwind, Elijah and Elisha were on their way from Gilgal. And Elijah said to Elisha, “Please stay here, for the Lord has sent me as far as Bethel.” But Elisha said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they went down to Bethel. And the sons of the prophets who were in Bethel came out to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he said, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.” Elijah said to him, “Elisha, please stay here, for the Lord has sent me to Jericho.” But he said, “As the Lord lives, and as you yourself live, I will not leave you.” So they came to Jericho. The sons of the prophets who were at Jericho drew near to Elisha and said to him, “Do you know that today the Lord will take away your master from over you?” And he answered, “Yes, I know it; keep quiet.” …

Romans 2:7
To those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life;

Ephesians 6:18
Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Proverbs 12:27
Whoever is slothful will not roast his game, but the diligent man will get precious wealth.

John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Matthew 15:22-28
And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” …

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

Genesis 32:24-28
And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day. When the man saw that he did not prevail against Jacob, he touched his hip socket, and Jacob’s hip was put out of joint as he wrestled with him. Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And he said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then he said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed.”

2 Timothy 3:16-17
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.

1 Thessalonians 5:21
But test everything; hold fast what is good.

James 1:2-4
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Romans 12:12
Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.

1 Chronicles 16:11
Seek the Lord and his strength; seek his presence continually!

Hebrews 13:15
Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;

Romans 5:3-4
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

1 Kings 18:41-46
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink, for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel. And he bowed himself down on the earth and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again,” seven times. And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising from the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. And Ahab rode and went to Jezreel. …

Hebrews 10:36
For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.

Ephesians 1:4
Even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love

Hosea 6:3
Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”

James 5:11
Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

James 1:4
And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Romans 5:4
And endurance produces character, and character produces hope,

Romans 5:3-5
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

Romans 1:1-32
Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord, through whom we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith for the sake of his name among all the nations, …

Matthew 24:13
But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Titus 2:2
Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

2 Timothy 2:12
If we endure, we will also reign with him; if we deny him, he also will deny us;

Colossians 1:11-12
May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

Genesis 18:23-33
Then Abraham drew near and said, “Will you indeed sweep away the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there are fifty righteous within the city. Will you then sweep away the place and not spare it for the fifty righteous who are in it? Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” And the Lord said, “If I find at Sodom fifty righteous in the city, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” Abraham answered and said, “Behold, I have undertaken to speak to the Lord, I who am but dust and ashes. …

1 Timothy 4:16
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

2 Thessalonians 3:5
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ.

Revelation 3:11
I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

Revelation 2:2-3
“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false. I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.

James 1:3
For you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness.

1 Timothy 6:12
Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

1 Corinthians 13:7
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

John 15:7
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

Luke 21:19
By your endurance you will gain your lives.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Revelation 3:10
Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.

2 Peter 1:5-7
For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

James 5:16-18
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.

Colossians 4:2
Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving.

John 3:16-17
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

Luke 18:1
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

Luke 13:6-9
And he told this parable: “A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’”

Revelation 2:2
“‘I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.

1 Peter 5:7
Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

2 Thessalonians 1:4
Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.

Ephesians 6:1-24
Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, …

Galatians 2:1-21
Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you. …

1 Corinthians 16:13
Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

Romans 5:3
More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance,

Mark 10:46-51
And they came to Jericho. And as he was leaving Jericho with his disciples and a great crowd, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, the son of Timaeus, was sitting by the roadside. And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” And many rebuked him, telling him to be silent. But he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” And Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.” And they called the blind man, saying to him, “Take heart. Get up; he is calling you.” And throwing off his cloak, he sprang up and came to Jesus. …

Mark 7:13
Thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And many such things you do.”

Matthew 15:21-28
And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon. And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and was crying, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely oppressed by a demon.” But he did not answer her a word. And his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying out after us.” He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” …

Matthew 10:22
And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Job 17:9
Yet the righteous holds to his way, and he who has clean hands grows stronger and stronger.

2 Chronicles 15:7
But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.”

2 Kings 13:15-19
And Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. Then he said to the king of Israel, “Draw the bow,” and he drew it. And Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. And he said, “Open the window eastward,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot,” and he shot. And he said, “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Syria! For you shall fight the Syrians in Aphek until you have made an end of them.” And he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground with them.” And he struck three times and stopped. Then the man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck five or six times; then you would have struck down Syria until you had made an end of it, but now you will strike down Syria only three times.”

Genesis 32:12
But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude.’”

Revelation 2:19
“‘I know your works, your love and faith and service and patient endurance, and that your latter works exceed the first.

2 Peter 1:6
And knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness,

Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself, so that you may not grow weary or fainthearted.

2 Timothy 3:15-16
And how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness,

1 Thessalonians 5:17-18
Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 1:3
Remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Colossians 1:23
If indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it.

Romans 7:1-25
Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress. Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. …

Acts 14:22
Strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.

Luke 8:15
As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.

Ezekiel 18:25-32
“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die. Yet the house of Israel says, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ O house of Israel, are my ways not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? …

Psalm 37:24
Though he fall, he shall not be cast headlong, for the Lord upholds his hand.

1 John 2:19
They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us.

2 Peter 1:1-21
Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours by the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ: May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, …

1 Peter 4:12
Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.

Hebrews 11:1-40
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. For by it the people of old received their commendation. By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible. By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks. By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. …

Luke 18:9-17
He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ …

Luke 11:5-13
And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. …

Psalm 23:1-6
A Psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. …

*****************************
*****************************

“A quick summary of the Christian “Gospel”:
JESUS’ PROPITIATION made our SINS FORGIVEN and IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS to us so that we have GOD’S ACCEPTANCE into His Heaven and receive ETERNAL LIFE.”
[ Mark Besh ]

*****************************
*****************************

Hope you enjoyed some of these insights—share them with your friends and colleagues—so we can have a larger ’pool’ to receive from, and more to share with! Also, remember to include your name as the “source,” if some of this wisdom is of your doing—I would like to give credit where credit is due!

 

*****************************
*****************************

FOCUS VERSES:

*****************************
*****************************

“But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
[ Isaiah 40:31 ]

“If I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear me.”
[ Isaiah 66:18 ]

“There is power in persistent prayer.”
[ Micah 7:7 ]

“If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.”
[ Psalm 66:18 ]

“He who shuts his ear to the cry of the poor will also cry himself and not be answered.” [ Proverbs 21:13 ]

Ask, and It Will Be Given
“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 11 If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!”
[ Matthew 7:7-11 ]

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”
[ Matthew 28:19-20a ]

“I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”
[ Mark 11:23-24 ]

“And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”
[ Mark 11:25 ]

“I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God.”
[ Luke 4:43a ]

Perseverance in Prayer
“And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; for a friend of mine has arrived, and I have nothing to set before him.’ And he answers from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.

“So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. Is there anyone among you who, if your child asks for a fish, will give a snake instead of a fish? Or if the child asks for an egg, will give a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”
[ Luke 11:5-15 ].

“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
[ Luke 18:1-8 ]

“Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be made full.”
[ John 16:24b ]

“We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”
[ Romans 8:28 ]

“Rejoice in hope, be patent in tribulation, be constant in prayer.”
[ Romans 12:12 ]

“Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, “Dress yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” And he went out and followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter’s voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. They said to her, “You are out of your mind.” But she kept insisting that it was so, and they kept saying, “It is his angel!” But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he departed and went to another place.”
[ Acts 12:6-17 ]

“Never give up! Though our bodies are dying, our spirits are being renewed every day.”
[ 2 Corinthians 4:16 ]

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”
[ 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ]

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
[ Galatians 6:9 ]

“For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
[ Philippians 1:21 ]

“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”
[ Philippians 4:6 ]

“And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
[ Philippians 4:19 ]

“We desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.”
[ Hebrews 6:11-12 ]

“For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. For, ‘Yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay; but my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him’. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.”
[ Hebrews 10:36-39 ]

“And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to his will He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of Him.”
[ 1 John 5:14-15 ]

“You ask and you don’t receive, because you ask to consume it on your own desires.”
[ James 4:3 ]

Mark

*****************************
*****************************

If you have a ‘neat’ story or some thoughts about an issue or current event that you would like me to try to respond to, I would be glad to give it a try…so, send them to me at: mbesh@comcast.net

Disclaimer: All the above jokes & inspirations are obtained from various sources and copyright are used when known. Other than our name and headers, we do not own the copyright to any of the materials sent to this list. We just want to spread the ministry of God’s love and cheerfulness throughout the world.

·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((‘>
><((((‘> ·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·..><((((‘> ·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.. ><((((‘>
·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·..><((((‘>
><((((‘> ·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.·´¯`·.¸¸.><((((‘>