Don’t Give Up Luke 18:1-8
1. In Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of an widow who refuses to give up.
• She approaches a judge again and again, asking him to grant her justice against her opponent. This poor soul had several things working against her, when came to court of law.
• 1.) She was a woman and women were not allowed to speak in court.
• 2.) She was a widow and she had no husband to speak for her.
• 3.) She was a widow and they were often oppressed and often taken advantage of.
• 4.) She was a widow and being a widow was synonymous with being poor. She had no money with to help her in law of justice.
• The judge refuses at first but finally decides to give her what she wants
• he fears that she will wear him out with her persistence.
• Jesus makes the point that God, like the judge, will "grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night," and he encourages his followers to be like the widow, praying persistently and faithfully.
2. Persistent prayer is the way to pray.
• Jesus does not want us to be casual about prayer, but serious, intentional, determined and disciplined.
• Julian of Norwich says prayer "is yearning, beseeching and beholding" –an activity which involves desiring, begging, imploring ... and finally seeing God, face to face.
3. God wants us to be diligent in our lifting of requests to the Lord.
• It is in our prayers that we grow closer to the One who is the source of every good and perfect gift.
• John Wesley, the great Methodist preacher, encountered many times of refusal, and denial, during his early years in the ministry. He logged a few of these instances in his diary:
• Sunday A.M., May 5: Preached in St. Anne’s. Asked not to come back. Sunday P.M., May 5:Preached in St. John’s. Deacons said, "Get out, and stay out!"
• Sunday A.M., May 12: Preached in St. Jude’s. Can’t go back there either.
• Sunday P.M., May 19: Preached in St. Somebody Else’s. Deacons called special meeting, and said I couldn’t return.
• Sunday A.M., May 26: Preached on street. Kicked off street.
• Sunday A.M., June 2: Preached at the edge of town. Kicked off highway. Sunday P.M.,
• June 2: Preached in a pasture. Ten thousand came.
• George Mueller said,” "The great fault of the children of God is, they do not continue in prayer; they do not go on praying; they do not persevere!")
4. Persistent is “Don’t Give Up”
• Don’t give up If We if we ask God for bread God will not give us a stone,
• Don’t Give Up if we ask for fish God will not give us a snake
• Don’t Give up trust the Lord who will help, granting us justice and mercy, fullness of life and everlasting salvation.
• Don’t Give UP Daniel prayed morning noon and night and God delivered from the mouth of lions
• “Try again; you have millions of alternatives. Fill yourself with the bullets of hope and you will kill failure with one shot.” Israelmore Ayivor, Dream Big
• I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.
– Michael Jordan
