Perseverance in Prayer: Luke 11:5-8
“5)Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6) for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7) and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8) I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.” Luke 11:5-8
In this story, Jesus stressed the importance of persistence in prayer. It might be noted that the man had a genuine need. He had company drop in unannounced. According to custom, the host was obligated to feed weary travelers.
This put him in a place of urgent need, because he had no bread. All stores were closed. His only recourse was to go to his neighbor and entreat help.
Initially, the neighbor was unwilling to help because it was an inconvenience. But because of persistence, he got up and provided what was needed.
It is not a coincidence that this story follows shortly after the story of the Good Samaritan and what it means to be a loving neighbor. When a neighbor is in need, it calls for action. Sometimes we will be asking, but many times we will be providing for others.
But in this story, Jesus was talking about persistence in prayer. He was stressing the importance of persistence with God. If the need is genuine, don’t give up! God is better than any friend and He has unlimited provisions to meet every need. Jesus is the Provider.
There is a prevailing nature to some kinds of prayer. Most people give up on God to quickly. They run to other sources for provision. This bypasses the refining process.
God allows us to wait for numerous reasons. He may be exposing wrong motives. He may be purifying our hearts. He may be testing our faith. He may have other solutions that we are not seeing. He might be teaching us what it means to wait on God! He might be teaching us the importance of perseverance.
But here is the important key, as we wait on God, He reveals His heart and mind to us. Perseverance is not about getting what we want, it is about getting to know the heart, mind and will of God. Perseverance is about spending quality time with God.
Sometimes provisions come quickly. Sometimes they take years. Perseverance conforms us to Gods time table, will and character. He is always listening, teaching, pruning and providing. He never slumbers or sleeps.
The timetable to pray is always “now.” The timetable for faith is always “now.” The timetable for deep communion with God is always “now.”
Don’t wait for a crisis to pray. Don’t wait for an emergency to get to know God. Build a deep relationship with Him now.
Another word for perseverance is “abide.” According to John 15:7, one key to answered prayer is abiding. Don’t be a stranger to God and expect Him to meet your every demand.
There is much to this story. Don’t give up on God. Instead, use your need as an invitation to get to know God! Your relationship with God is your greatest need. It is much more important than a few loaves of bread.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
“5)Then He said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6) for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7) and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8) I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.” Luke 11:5-8
In this story, Jesus stressed the importance of persistence in prayer. It might be noted that the man had a genuine need. He had company drop in unannounced. According to custom, the host was obligated to feed weary travelers.
This put him in a place of urgent need, because he had no bread. All stores were closed. His only recourse was to go to his neighbor and entreat help.
Initially, the neighbor was unwilling to help because it was an inconvenience. But because of persistence, he got up and provided what was needed.
It is not a coincidence that this story follows shortly after the story of the Good Samaritan and what it means to be a loving neighbor. When a neighbor is in need, it calls for action. Sometimes we will be asking, but many times we will be providing for others.
But in this story, Jesus was talking about persistence in prayer. He was stressing the importance of persistence with God. If the need is genuine, don’t give up! God is better than any friend and He has unlimited provisions to meet every need. Jesus is the Provider.
There is a prevailing nature to some kinds of prayer. Most people give up on God to quickly. They run to other sources for provision. This bypasses the refining process.
God allows us to wait for numerous reasons. He may be exposing wrong motives. He may be purifying our hearts. He may be testing our faith. He may have other solutions that we are not seeing. He might be teaching us what it means to wait on God! He might be teaching us the importance of perseverance.
But here is the important key, as we wait on God, He reveals His heart and mind to us. Perseverance is not about getting what we want, it is about getting to know the heart, mind and will of God. Perseverance is about spending quality time with God.
Sometimes provisions come quickly. Sometimes they take years. Perseverance conforms us to Gods time table, will and character. He is always listening, teaching, pruning and providing. He never slumbers or sleeps.
The timetable to pray is always “now.” The timetable for faith is always “now.” The timetable for deep communion with God is always “now.”
Don’t wait for a crisis to pray. Don’t wait for an emergency to get to know God. Build a deep relationship with Him now.
Another word for perseverance is “abide.” According to John 15:7, one key to answered prayer is abiding. Don’t be a stranger to God and expect Him to meet your every demand.
There is much to this story. Don’t give up on God. Instead, use your need as an invitation to get to know God! Your relationship with God is your greatest need. It is much more important than a few loaves of bread.
Daily Bible Commentary By Terry Baxter: Cofounder of GoServ Global
Sent from my iPhone
