Never Give Up: Pray!

NEVER GIVE UP! PRAY!

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

Winston Churchill stated: We cannot afford to look back ---we have no right --- to look back, WE MUST LOOK FORWARD…

Churchill gets credit for saying: NEVER, NEVER, NEVER GIVE UP! On October 29, 1941 Churchill said: “never give in, never, never, never, never --- in nothing great or small, large or petty --- NEVER GIVE IN…

Luke 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

Luke 18:1 (NIV) Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Luke 18:1 (NLT) One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

Luke 18:1 (MSG) Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit.

HOW IMPORTANT IS PRAYER?

Daniel would spend a night with the LIONS instead of missing a day of prayer. Prayer seems to catch the attention of a mighty God! Prayer is more than REMINDING GOD of His promises. PRAYER IS A DAILY MENTAL, EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL VENTILATION SYSTEM THAT REMINDS OUR HEARTS: WE BELIEVE, TRUST AND STAND ON THE PROMISES OF GOD.

4 answers to prayer: Seems every prayer is answered. Sometimes the answer is 1. YES! Other times the prayer might bring the answer we dread: 2. NO! Still other times the prayer hears: 3. MAYBE? Still other times the in our prayer: God says: we must 4. WAIT until the timing is right.

Robert J. Morgan recorded that the cover story of the January 6, 1992 NEWSWEEK MAGAZINE was about PRAYER. The article ask if we believed all of the opinion surveys. The surveys revealed PRAYER WAS ALIVE AND WELL. In the USA THE SURVEYS STATED MORE PEOPLE WILL PRAY in any given week than will go to work, exercise or have sexual relations.

A writer named Andrew Greeley suggested 78% of American will pray in any given week. More than 57% of the population will pray at least once a day. They were very surprised that 20% of the agnostic and atheists pray daily?

The article says: there are 2000 books written that year on prayer. There was research that a FAMILY THAT PRAYS TOGETHER HAS A REAL ADVANTAGE over the family that does not pray together.

I WOULD NOT HAVE YOU TO BE IGNORANT: COME LET US REASON TOGETHER ABOUT PRAYER… THERE ARE 2 KINDS OF PRAYER: HEALTHY PRAYER AND UNHEALTHY PRAYER.

I believe God is a rewarder of those that love and serve him. Yet I believe there comes a time when we must QUIT PRACTICING IGNORANCE in our spiritual walk. It is OK to be ignorant, but it is not OK to stay ignorant. We seem to love trophies and applause in the USA church without KNOWING what God’s word really teaches. Ignorance can GROW INTO A CANCER and become SELF-FEEDING.

Today, we are so ANEMIC IN BIBLE STUDY. What do you desire? What does God desire? Will we align God’s word with our actions? TELL ME? Are we happy and have no desire to improve and change? I shall call the SHOWMANSHIP OF SPIRITUAL ENTERTAINMENT and the boasting with what we give and do as a thriving CIRCUS MENTALITY. We boast publicly about fasting and prayer? I acknowledge that seldom is fasting coupled with prayer. Some fasting should be called DIETING?

Many family and spiritual battles should be taken to the private prayer closet, or WAR ROOM BATTLES. OK, let us start giving TROPHIES out for prayer and fasting. While we start that, let us publish TITHING LIST. PERHAPS WE NEED SOME SPIRITUAL EDUCATION AS TO THE POWER OF DOING THINGS GOD’S WAY!

Are we praying in Jesus’ name and practicing sound Biblical principles? Let us reason in a balanced way what God desires.

GOD’S WORD AND GOD’S WORK MUST OPERATE WITHIN SOUND DOCTRINE!

Matthew 6:1 Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven. 2 Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. 3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:

4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. 5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. 6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. 7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.