Good morning, Lord Jesus. I listen for Your leading, as I wait in the silence before You. …
“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 get 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; 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’ ” (Luke 11:5-10).
There are so many facets to prayer, so many facets to faith. And one of those facets is persistence. Sometimes the answer to our prayers does not come right away. Sometimes it seems You call us to persist—to keep on asking, keep on searching, keep on knocking. And we can be timid or tenacious. We can give in to disappointment or keep pressing through in desperation. I think too often we give up too soon. In zeal for unwavering, expectant faith in prayer, we can forget that it’s “through faith and patience” that we “inherit the promises” of the Kingdom of God (Hebrews 6:12).
I got a phone call last night from my friend in Georgia and the young man we prayed for at the men’s retreat who was in a wheelchair from muscular dystrophy. The night we all prayed for him, his pain went away and he was able to move his knees with greater flexibility. He said he could the Holy Spirit at work in his knees as we prayed. But he didn’t get up that night. Well, he persisted in prayer. And last night, after more healing prayer ministry, he said he jumped up out of that wheelchair! Praise God! They were driving home full of praise and joy!
I don’t know the reasons why all our prayers are not always answered. I don’t know why everyone is not always healed. I don’t know why healing does not always come as soon as we pray the first time, or the second time, or the third. I have much to learn. But I do want to learn and grow, in both faith and patience, not settling for anything less than all You want us to know and to have in this adventurous journey of obedience and faith. Instead of spending my time and energy about complaining and questioning all that it seems You’re not doing, I want to spend my time and energy praising You for all that You are doing. Thank You, Jesus, for this exciting and encouraging report, inspiring me to keep persisting with patience in my prayers of faith, with thanksgiving and joy. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
Be encooured today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
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