Faithful in Prayer

As I was led to study Luke 18:1 today from a sermon preached last Sunday, I finally grasped a concept.
The NIV version reads, “Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” I have read this before. I have heard it growing up in church, but today it really meant something to me.

If you attended Sunday school as a child you most likely would have learned that Jesus hears our prayers. We encourage our young ones to talk to Jesus at any time, anywhere. He is always listening and always there for us. As a child that brings us comfort. I can remember being six years old and loving Jesus so much. He was my hero. I talked about him all the time, I prayed a lot, and I felt I had a best friend in Jesus. Slowly and sadly, I forgot how I first felt at six.

Today, this passage has illuminated that for me again. Recently I prayed with a group of friends and I was led to pray,” help me to believe like I did when I was six”. This morning that prayer has been answered. I truly feel in my heart again that Jesus is my hero, best friend, and that I can talk to Him all the time. I am once again comforted by these thoughts.

By reading further into Luke 18 and reading verse 8 we see that persistent prayer is counted as faith. I never saw those words before until today. Even though I knew the Parable of the Persistent Widow and knew I should pray continually, I always felt a little guilty. I felt that I was lacking faith by not believing that God would answer my prayer the first time. That was a lie I believed. The Word tells me the truth. It tells me that I should and I need to go to God my Father in prayer always, and persevere until Jesus returns.

Also how I pray is a big part of it. I need to go to Him with a joyful heart and with hope. I need to be faithful in my prayers. (Romans 12:12). I need to have confidence that if I am asking something that is in His will, that He will answer my prayer, BUT in His time. Praying in this way makes all the difference. Your heart will be right and you will feel that God-confidence rising up in you.

My prayer for you today is that this encourages you to begin praying, begin petitioning your Father in Heaven for His will in your life, and that you never give up. If you need to, find someone you trust to pray with you and encourage each other that God is hearing your prayers, and He is taking care of all you ask.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” (Romans 12:12 NIV)