"Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up...." (Luke 18:1, NIV) "Watch therefore, and pray always...." (Luke 21:36, NKJV)
As far as I can tell, prayer is the only reality about which Jesus said, "always." Now modern Christendom has a lot of "always," but prayer is not one of them.
Of course prayer is fundamental to our "New-Creation" walk in Christ. But there have been people in history, e.g., Anna, "....who served God with fastings and prayers night and day," and rail on them all some may wish, but many in the monastic communities, whose call was very similar. We will have no idea in this life how much Christianity owes to some of those isolated intercessors and many others whose life "work" was prayer. This word, however, is not just to "full time intercessors;" there is no mention of such in Scripture. This word of Jesus is to, "his disciples[,] a parable to show them...." If you and I are disciples of Jesus, this word is our word.
What have you given up on? Again, the Word of our Lord Jesus Christ, this time from the KJV, "And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint, i.e., "to grow weary...." Now some may attempt to give a "how" to this, but it is always interesting to me just how little, if any, explanation Jesus gives about His commands. But I can give you this encouragement today: "Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary....He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40, NLT)
Father, in Jesus' Name, it is so foolish for me to ever give up or faint or become weary. You don't. Amen.
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As far as I can tell, prayer is the only reality about which Jesus said, "always." Now modern Christendom has a lot of "always," but prayer is not one of them.
Of course prayer is fundamental to our "New-Creation" walk in Christ. But there have been people in history, e.g., Anna, "....who served God with fastings and prayers night and day," and rail on them all some may wish, but many in the monastic communities, whose call was very similar. We will have no idea in this life how much Christianity owes to some of those isolated intercessors and many others whose life "work" was prayer. This word, however, is not just to "full time intercessors;" there is no mention of such in Scripture. This word of Jesus is to, "his disciples[,] a parable to show them...." If you and I are disciples of Jesus, this word is our word.
What have you given up on? Again, the Word of our Lord Jesus Christ, this time from the KJV, "And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint, i.e., "to grow weary...." Now some may attempt to give a "how" to this, but it is always interesting to me just how little, if any, explanation Jesus gives about His commands. But I can give you this encouragement today: "Have you never heard? Have you never understood? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary....He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." (Isaiah 40, NLT)
Father, in Jesus' Name, it is so foolish for me to ever give up or faint or become weary. You don't. Amen.
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Update on upcoming mission coming later today.
When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2
