Today I am struggling with a prayer that i have been praying for a year now, and am glad this verse was part of my reading. For a year i have been pleading and praying to the Lord for help with something, and there has been no answer. WEll, let me restate, I have not gotten the answer I am looking for. Three times over the last year I felt like the Lord was about to answer, and then the answer seems so far away again. I know I am not the only one out there who feels this way. Today's reading has been very good for me spiritually, when I read these verses.
The disciples had come to Jesus and asked Him exactly how to pray. Jesus gives them the model prayer (Lk. 11:2-4), gives a parable (11:5-9), and really challenges them to trust after they pray (11:9-13). We know the model prayer, so I wish to move on to the parable. The parable is awesome in itself, if we can grasp the concept of persistency in prayer. He speaks of a friend that shows up at another friends door in the middle of the night. The friend knocks on the door because he is hungry, and the homeowner tells him to go away, it's late, and the kids are in bed. Jesus then states that if the friend at the door keeps knocking eventually the homeowner will get up and open the door. I really identified with this, can you? Prayer is knocking at the door, and I have been knocking at the door for a year. However, if i quit knocking on the door then it will never get opened. Makes sense.
Jesus told them and is telling us keep praying, keep praying, keep praying, keep praying, and keep praying.
Because:
13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Lk 11:13, NIV)
Chris
So needed this today....thanks!
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