How To Pray Week 6

[editor]

CHAPTER VI
ALWAYS PRAYING AND NOT FAINTING
In two parables in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus teaches with great emphasis the lesson that men ought always to pray and not to faint. The first parable is found in Luke 11:5-8, and the other in Luke 18:1-8.
"And He said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him: 'Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?' And he from within shall answer and say: 'Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give thee.' I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth." (Luke 11:5-8)
"And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men always ought 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 to 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 troubleth 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 cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:1-8)
In the former of these two parables Jesus sets forth the necessity of importunity in prayer in a startling way. The word rendered "importunity" means literally "shamelessness," as if Jesus would have us understand that God would have us draw nigh to Him with a determination to obtain the things we seek that will not be put to shame by any seeming refusal or delay on God's part. God delights in the holy boldness that will not take "no" for an answer. It is an expression of great faith, and nothing pleases God more than faith.
Jesus seemed to put the Syro-Phoenician woman away almost with rudeness, but she would not be put away, and Jesus looked upon her shameless importunity with pleasure, and said, "O woman, great is thy faith; be it unto thee even as thou wilt." (Matt 15:28) God does not always let us get things at our first effort. He would train us and make us strong men by compelling us to work hard for the best things. So also He does not always give us what we ask in answer to the first prayer; He would train us and make us strong men of prayer by compelling us to pray hard for the best things. He makes us PRAY THROUGH.
I am glad that this is so. There is no more blessed training in prayer than that that comes through being compelled to ask again and again and again even through a long period of years before one obtains that which he seeks from God. Many people call it submission to the will of God when God does not grant them their requests at the first or second asking, and they say:
"Well, perhaps it is not God's will."
As a rule this is not submission, but spiritual laziness. We do not call it submission to the will of God when we give up after one or two efforts to obtain things by action; we call it lack of strength of character. When the strong man of action starts out to accomplish a thing, if he does not accomplish it the first, or second or one hundredth time, he keeps hammering away until he does accomplish it; and the strong man of prayer when he starts to pray for a thing keeps on praying until he prays it through, and obtains what he seeks. We should be careful about what we ask from God, but when we do begin to pray for a thing we should never give up praying for it until we get it, or until God makes it very clear and very definite to us that it is not His will to give it.
Some would have us believe that it shows unbelief to pray twice for the same thing, that we ought to "take it" the first time that we ask. Doubtless there are times when we are able through faith in the Word or the leading of the Holy Spirit to CLAIM the first time that which we have asked of God; but beyond question there are other times when we must pray again and again and again for the same thing before we get our answer. Those who have gotten beyond praying twice for the same thing have gotten beyond their Master,
(Matt 26:44). George Muller prayed for two men daily for upwards of sixty years. One of these men was converted shortly before his death, I think at the last service that George Muller held, the other was converted within a year after his death. One of the great needs of the present day is men and women who will not only start out to pray for things, but pray on and on and on until they obtain that which they seek from the Lord
—How To Pray

[editor]

God has indeed taught me well on this subject. I am just going to add to of the parables here from that study site.

17. Lending Friend A man goes upon a sudden need to borrow some bread from a neighbor at an unseasonable time of night, not for himself, but for his friend who has come unexpectedly to him. The neighbor was put off because of the hour, but the man persists in his knocking until the neighbor arises because he was displeased with it. Although men are displeased with persistence, God is pleased with it. Jesus uses this parable to direct us in prayer. We must come to God with the same boldness and confidence in His ability to help us and to help others. We must come for those things which are needful. We must come to Him for prayers for others, rather than just ourselves. When we are in a strait, we must realize that Providence has led us into it. God is infinitely more kind than the neighbor and if the neighbor will arise out of anger, how much more will God arise out of mercy. God promises to give us what we ask of Him according to His will. When we ask the things of God’s Kingdom, He is pleased to answer. Jesus encourages us to pray under the consideration of our relationship to God as Father. He says in effect, “If earthly fathers answer their children with good things and affection, and are not unnatural to their children with evil things, how much more will God your Father give you the Spirit? God shall give you good things.” He directs us to ask for the Holy Spirit in order to pray well and the good things that we are to pray for. We then shall have speed in this prayer for the Father already has the answer awaiting the request. It is in His promise to you to bestow good things upon you. If our earthly parents, though wreaked with humanness be so kind to us, how much more shall our heavenly Father, holy, give us His Holy Spirit. Has anyone been afraid of the responsibility of asking for the Holy Spirit or the gifts of the Holy Spirit? Can you get any assurance from this parable that you will not be deceived by receiving a scorpion when you asked for an egg? Has God ever answered a prayer not the way you wanted, only after time has passed that you found out it was a better answer than what you had asked for?

48. Widow And The Judge
Jesus taught this parable to teach us that we must be praying people, and never grow weary in our prayers. He further shows the power of perseverance. He gives us a case of an honest cause before an unjust judge. The judge was of bad character: He neither feared God nor regarded man. Those that do not respect God also do not respect others. The poor widow cried to the judge day after day for relief against her enemy. According to the judge’s usual practice, he would not relieve her for quite awhile, perhaps because she had no bribe to give him. The judge became weary in her troubling him and finally heard her cause and did her justice. Here is the application for this parable for the encouragement of God’s praying people. Jesus assures us that God at length will be gracious to us; that He would avenge His own elect. God will preserve and protect those that cry out to Him in prayer day and night. In Isaiah 42:6-7, God’s praying people are told to give Him no rest. We may bear long in a particular circumstance, but God exercises patience towards the adversaries of His people. The widow came to a judge who wanted her to keep her distance; we come to a Father that bids us to come boldly to Him. The judge was unjust; the Father is righteous. The widow had no one to speak on her behalf; we have Jesus Christ who intercedes for us. The widow could call upon the judge only during certain hours; we may cry out to God continually. Her provoking the judge wearied him; God is pleased with our fervent, effectual prayer. Jesus continues, “However, when I come will I find this type of faith on the earth?” Christ Jesus always asks us, “Is there faith in that request?” It is here foretold that He shall find but little faith when He comes, or few with faith. If He delays His coming, will man deny his faith? Is there any particular prayer request that you have grown weary in? Do you believe that God is going to still answer it?

[ann]

Is there any particular prayer request that you have grown weary in? Do you believe that God is going to still answer it?

There have been many requests that I have had to pray about for years. God is faithful and has answered many of them. I have many lost loved ones that I am praying for and intend to continue to until I see them saved. I believe He will grant my requests.
I am continuously asking the Lord to direct my steps and I know that He does. Not always as quickly as I'd like, but in His perfect timing.

[editor]

Good, Ann, that we know God is faithful to answer!