“KEEP PRAYING” Luke 18:1-8
FBCF – 2/25/24
Jon Daniels
INTRO – Who is the most powerful person you know?
- A community or governmental leader – a President, King, Prince, Prime Minister
- A judge or Supreme Court justice
- A parent or grandparent
- A coach or teacher or professor
- A businessperson or corporate executive
All of those have some power in their realm of influence. But I would submit to you today that the most powerful person you know is the person who prays. Alfred Lord Tennyson – “More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of.”
- The movers & shakers of the world attempt to change things by their influence.
- Politicians attempt to change things by passing new laws.
- Investors attempt to change things by their financial dealings.
- And while all of these have their place, the way true, lasting change happens is when God’s people do one thing consistently, fervently, & persistently - & that one thing is prayer.
- Luis Pulau – “You can read all the manuals on prayer and listen to other people pray, but until you begin to pray yourself you will never understand prayer. It’s like riding a bicycle or swimming: You learn by doing.”
This will be a simple sermon. It will be on a subject that you’ve heard many preachers & ministers preach & teach on.
- Rickey Blythe: “Prayer is the Christian’s greatest secret weapon that can be launched anywhere, at any time, & hits its target every time.”
- Joe Cole: “If Jesus needed to pray, why in the world would I think I can do anything without it!”
- Steve Stone: “Prayer provides two-way communication with God, so we can discover His will for our lives, then act on that will to impact His Kingdom on earth.”
- Dwayne Parker: “Prayer is essential because it is my connection to the Heavenly Father through which I experience an intimate relationship with Him.”
- Michael: “Prayer is a lifeline, without it, we are utterly hopeless.”
- Matt: “Prayer is important because it allows us to experience the joy of speaking with our Father, the peace when He listens to & answers our cries, & the power when we see the realization of our prayers manifesting into our lives & the lives of others.”
- Mark Sandifer: “Prayer allows me to draw closer to God and His will for my life.”
- Cindy: “Prayer works!”
I will make some points in this sermon that you’ve most likely heard before – even from me from this pulpit on Sundays & on Wednesdays. There are tons of books that have been written on this subject – in my own personal library, I have at least 34 books on prayer & I read 16 of them last year.
So why preach on it again? Simple: Your life depends on it.
- The vibrancy, depth, & passion of your spiritual life depends on it.
- Your marriage depends on it…singleness…family…school studies & activities…work/business/finances…church FAMILY…mental health…future…EVERYTHING in your life depends on it.
EXPLANATION – Luke 18:1-8 (p. 877)
APPLICATION – Christ-followers must persevere in prayer!
3 simple questions to consider today:
WHY DO WE PERSEVERE IN PRAYER?
B/c of its imperative – The Word teaches us this so clearly!
- V. 1 – JESUS taught them that “…they ought always to pray…” “always” means FOREVER! – constant prayer – continuous prayer
- Paul – “Pray w/out ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
- David – “Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I am calling on you constantly” (Psalm 86:3).
- Peter – “…be earnest & disciplined in your prayers” (1 Peter 4:7).
- Epaphras – “…he prays constantly & earnestly for you…” (Colossians 4:12).
We persevere b/c of the alternative – The alternative is to “lose heart” – to quit, to faint, to give up.
- PRAY OR QUIT – YOUR CHOICE!
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN WE PERSEVERE IN PRAYER?
Strength happens – The widow in this parable was weak & helpless against her adversary. She didn’t have a husband to stand up against this enemy. She was on her own, vulnerable, &, if she was childness, she suffered double adversity.
Prayer brings the strength of the Almighty God of the universe into our lives & into our situations. Seemingly hopeless situations are impacted w/ the power of God. Just as the widow needed strength against her adversary, so you & I need the strength that only God can give us against our adversary.
- Ephesians 6:10ff – Paul starts w/ an admonition to “be strong IN THE LORD, & in the strength of HIS might. Put on the full armor of God…” – Lists the pieces of armor. Then v. 18 – “Pray on every occasion, as the Spirit leads. For this reason keep alert and never give up; pray always for all God's people.”
- Strength comes from the Lord as we keep on praying!
Success happens – Justice granted to widow b/c of her perseverance & persistence. Let me be clear:
- Jesus NOT saying that God is reluctant to answer our prayers. He’s contrasting this evil judge w/ our perfect Heavenly Father who loves to take care of His children when they cry out to Him.
- Judge unfair; God is fair.
- Judge had no personal interest in the widow; God is personally & intimately involved in our lives as His children.
- Judge answered the widow to shut her up; God answers us so we will continue to come to Him in prayer.
- V. 7 – “…don’t you think that God will surely give justice to his people who plead with him day and night?” (TLB) Of course He will!
Stories happen – Don’t you know this widow had a story to tell after this judge helped her! One of the greatest opportunities we have is testimonies that we can share of how God has moved & answered our prayers.
- Tammie Palmer – “Bless Every Home” app - I have been praying for Tammie & her daughter for 2 years & didn't even know who they were. (https://app.blesseveryhome.com)
WILL JESUS FIND FAITH AS YOU PERSEVERE IN PRAYER?
V. 18 doesn’t really feel connected to this parable. But it certainly is. Of all the things we do in our life as a Christ-follower, prayer may be the most faith-driven component in our lives. We are talking to & listening to a God that we can’t see, but to a God that we absolutely believe is listening to us & answering us according to His will & for His glory & for our good.
You want to know how you can know that Jesus will find faith in YOU when He comes back? Keep on praying & watch your faith grow.
CONCLUSION – Email blog post from Chuck Lawless, Evangelism & Missions Professor, SEBTS – “A Simple Word of Hope for All of Us Praying a Long Time for Non-Believing Loved Ones”:
Just a simple thought today. At this time three years ago, I and others had been praying for my mom’s salvation for more than 46 years. As I recall, nothing in those days suggested that mom was ready to follow Christ. She knew the facts of the gospel, but head knowledge alone is not life-transforming.
Within just a month back then, though, my mom had turned to Christ. It did not happen in a church worship service. It didn’t take place in a church building. No other believers were immediately with her when she became a believer. Rather, she simply cried out to Jesus the best way she knew how, God heard, and she reported to us what had happened. Her life was so dramatically changed for the six months she lived following her conversion that we could not doubt her faith was real.
• God knew how He was working in her heart, but we did not fully grasp that.
• He knew His timing. We did not.
• He was not surprised by her commitment, but we were—gratefully so, but still caught by surprise after praying so long for her.
• Frankly, we even at first wondered how genuine her faith was, but God made that clear, too.
In the latter part of February 2021, we were still praying and hoping. By the end of March of that year, though, God had moved mightily in Mom’s life. In February, we were just weeks away from a miracle we were too little expecting; in March, we could only rejoice in gratitude.
Perhaps your loved one for whom you’ve been praying a long time is only a month or less away from turning to Christ, even if you don’t recognize that movement today. Who knows—perhaps a display of the life-changing power of the grace of God is just around the corner.
May God let it be for you and your loved one!
(https://chucklawless.com/2024/02/a-simple-word-of-hope-for-all-of-us-praying-a-long-time-for-non-believing-loved-ones/)
