Not To Faint

"Not to Faint"

Text: Luke 18:1-8

Introduction:

-The title of our study comes from verse 1 of our passage, "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;"

-We want in our study to look at some things that the Christian is "not to faint", give up or quit doing.

I. PRAYER

-Luke 18:1 - Tells us that men ought always to "pray", and not to faint.

-The Christian is to never quit praying.

-Real prayer takes effort.

-Did you ever notice when you get on your knees and begin to prayer that your minds starts wandering, or the phone rings, the baby starts crying, kids start fighting, or someone comes to the door.

-The reason for this is that the flesh and devil hates it when the Christian gets down on his knees and means business with God.

-We know that the devil trembles when he sees the child of God on his knees.

-Man’s army travels on its stomach but God’s army is to travel on its knees.

-Over in Ephesians 6, where the Apostle Paul lists the armor of God that the Christian is to put on to stand against the wiles of the devil.

-At the very end of the list, Paul instructs us in verse 18, "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit,...".

-Prayer is along with the Word of God, the sword of the Spirit are our weapons to use in the spiritual battle.

-My dear friend if we are going to accomplish anything for God.

-If we are going to fight the spiritual battle and be victorious then everything we do must be bathed in prayer.

-Whether it be witnessing, teaching, preaching, singing, studying the Bible, bathe it in prayer. Amen!!!

-Paul tells us to pray about "everything".

-That is why so many Christians are full of worry because they have not taken the problem to the Lord.

-Philippians 4:6, "Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God."

-Notice the results if we prayer about "every thing".

- "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:7).

-My dear friend if you are feeling overwhelmed with anxiety and fear, don’t pop a pill, get down on your knees and turn whatever is troubling you over to the Lord and He promises to give you the "peace that passeth all understanding."

-Paul tells us the Christian’s attitude should be one of constant prayer.

-1 Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray without ceasing."

-Much can be accomplished by prayer.

-In James 5:16-18, we are told the results of Elijah’s prayer life.

-"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.

-We are told in James 5:16, "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

-In other words, the child of God that means business with God in prayer gets results.

-Then in James 5:17, Elijah is given as an example of this.

-But notice in verse 17, something interesting it says about Elijah.

-The Word of God says that Elijah was "...a man subject to like passions"

-In other words, he was human being.

-If you cut him, he would bled.

-He was subject to all the illnesses that we are.

-He was subject to headaches, stomach aches, tooth aches.

-But because he was a child of God who meant business with God, he got results.

-Elijah through prayer was able to turn off and on the water from heaven. Amen!!!

-As we go back to our passage in Luke 18, Jesus reminds us sometimes it takes awhile to get a hold of God.

-Luke 18:7 - "which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?"

-Sometimes, God wants to see if you really mean business about a thing.

-But Jesus says, if the unjust judge heard the woman in Luke 18:1-5, because he knew she would keep after him.

-So, God will hear his children, if we keep after Him on a thing.

-We may not get an answer right away from God.

-We are not to faint, not to quit, not to throw in the towel. Amen!!!

-But to keep on keeping on until he says, yes or no.

II. WELL-DOING

-Galatians 6:9 - "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not."