"Why Persist in Prayer"(Luke 18:1-8)

Why Persist in Prayer

Why do we persist in prayers? These days Christians are becoming a prayer-less people. Our forefathers were big on prayers, but these days we are moving away from prayer. for many of us, our parents' and grandparents' prayers helped make us who we are. In today's sermon, pastor Donald looks at the parable of the unrelenting widow from Luke 18:1-8.

When we don't pray, we don't express our dependence on God completely. Many of us pray when there is need or want, but not to express our dependence on God. The Devil wants us to be lazy in prayer life.  It is one thing for us to read the scriptures and to study them, but we need prayer to do God's will. When we seek the Lord, we get the power to follow God. Even if we read the Word, we do not get strength because of our lack of prayer. 

Jesus tells us the parable in which the widow demanded justice and her rights. Probably her share of the property from her deceased husband. The judge gives in because he is sick of being pestered by the widow. Jesus never tells us if the widow was righteous, and yet she gets justice through her persistence. In our present reality, there are many who are not served justice. So why should we continue praying when the righteous do not get justice. However Jesus tells us to persist in prayer. 

How should we prayer persistently? 

1. 1. Jesus identifies the believers as having a special relationship with God (vs. 6-8). Widows were marginalized at that time. It is likely the judge accorded her rights because she wore him down. Now, we are God's people and our welfare is God's obligation. God has committed to our welfare. In God's eyes we are the elected. So how much more will God answer our prayers.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 

John 15:16 ESV 

2. 2. Our role is to claim our heritage. We are expected to know what belongs to us. As the elect, we need to know what to pray for. If you do not know your rights, someone is going to take advantage of you. We are destroyed because of lack of knowledge. If we do not know the promises for us, how can we claim them. 

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge; because you have rejected knowledge, I reject you from being a priest to me. And since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children. 

Hosea 4:6 ESV 

3. 3. God answers the prayers which are within the parameters of His will. The chooser is compelled to choose someone who will fulfil the choosers' purpose. Therefore we need to ask ourselves what God's intention to put us in our current positions. God's will is imbedded in us, and we are responsible to pray and know our purpose. The whole world belongs to God, but he chose us to do His purpose. We fail when we do not identify that purpose. 

And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. 

1 John 5:14‭-‬15 ESV 

4. 4. Finally, the Lord will quickly respond to the prayers of the elect. But then why do some prayers take so long to be answered? God's timing in answering prayer may actually be to teach you patience, or to allow for you to do work for others. Perhaps the delay is needed for an even bigger plan. It is not always about you. God's delay is not an action delay but a purpose delay. 
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"Live in Anticipation of His Second Coming"(Luke 22:14-18)

May 12, 2019 Live in Anticipation of His Second Coming 

Luke 22:14-18

Christians all over the world partake in holy communion. Today Pastor Donald explains how communion is introduced by Jesus to us.

In Luke 22, we read that as Jesus is coming towards the end of His time on Earth, He and others are preparing for the Passover meal. Jesus tells his disciples that He desires to celebrate with His disciples the Passover and He will suffer. Desire is used to describe something that Jesus has been waiting for a long time. 

We know that the Passover celebration commemorates God's divine redemption of the Israelites from the captivity in Egypt. The Israelites could not free themselves from Egypt or even accomplish the punishing tasks inflicted on them by Pharaoh. But God is faithful and keeps His promises.

And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed." 

Genesis 12:2‭-‬3 ESV 

We know in Exodus, the Israelites are spared death by following God's command to put lamb's blood on their doorposts so the Angel of Death would Passover their homes. Very soon afterwards the Israelites left Egypt to go to the promised land, but because of unfaithfulness and disobedience it took much longer and many died in the desert. The Passover was not the redemption but the beginning of redemption. It was not the fulfillment of the promise of the God but a part of the process. 

When Adam sinned in Genesis, humans suffered because of his sin. But at the appointed time, Jesus came on the scene to save us. The Passover is a divine redemption of the Israelites. Jesus states that this is His time to enter and redeem us. 

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

Romans 5:8 ESV 

and

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— 

Romans 5:12 ESV 

Those who partake the communion have not completed the redemption. This is is still a process. We need the Holy Spirit and need to reflect on what Jesus has done for us and how much we continually need Him. There will be many challenges during our journey and therefore we need His spirit to help us to make the right decisions and be aligned with His will. Let us live anticipating His second coming. If we lose focus, we will be led astray. 

I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world." 

John 16:33 ESV 

Many of the children of Israel fell and died horribly in the desert while wondering to the promised land. We too need to be careful and keep our focus on the promise. Jesus promises that he will take us to heaven. There are many temptations and tribulations in the world. We cannot lose hope, but we must move on. this is not our permanent home.  

And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. 

John 14:3 ESV