Hard
Questions – Message 3
“Then Jesus
told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not
give up.”
Luke 18:1
(NIV)
The
Persistent Widow
(Lk. 18:1-8)
“... Stay
alert and be persistent in your prayers.”
Eph. 6:18
(NLT)
I. WHY KEEP
ON PRAYING UNTIL I GET AN ANSWER?
1.
PERSISTENT PRAYING FOCUSES YOUR ATTENTION.
“Here’s what
I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to
role-play before God. Just
be there as
simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God,
and you will begin to
sense His
grace.”
Matt. 6:6
(Mes)
“Focusing on
the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self
ignores God, ends up
thinking
more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what He is doing.”
Rom. 8:7
(Mes)
2.
PERSISTENT PRAYING CLARIFIES YOUR REQUEST.
“The Holy
Spirit helps us in our distress. For we don’t even know what we should pray
for, nor how we should
pray. So the
Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that can’t be expressed in words.”
Rom. 8:26
(NLT)
3.
PERSISTENT PRAYING TESTS YOUR FAITH.
“Fire tests
the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.”
Pr. 17:3
(NLT)
“When your
faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when
your endurance is fully
developed
you will be strong in character and ready for anything.”
James 1:3-4
(NLT)
4.
PERSISTENT PRAYING PREPARES YOUR HEART FOR THE ANSWER.
“... God can
do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.”
Eph. 3:20
(NCV)
II. HOW LONG
SHOULD I KEEP ON PRAYING?
“Pray all
the time...”
Eph. 6:18
(LB)
“Pray continually...”
Rom. 12:12
(GWT)
“Never stop
praying...”
1 Th. 5:17
(ICB)
I CAN STOP
PRAYING WHEN...
GOD HAS CHANGED THE SITUATION.
GOD HAS CHANGED ME.
III. WHAT DO
I DO WHILE I’M PRAYING?
• WAIT PATIENTLY
”Be still in
the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act.”
Ps. 37:7
(NLT)
• WAIT EXPECTANTLY
“I wait
expectantly, trusting God to help, for He has promised.”
Ps. 105:5
(LB)
“The Lord
says, ‘No one who waits for My help will be disappointed.’”
Isa. 49:23
(GN)
“Pile your
troubles on God’s shoulders – He’ll carry your load, He’ll help you out.”
Ps. 55:22 (Me
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