Friday Open Heavens - Pray Without Ceasing

                             
Memorise: And when he was at the place, he said unto them, Pray that ye enter not into temptation. Luke 22:40
Read: Luke 18:1-8 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?

In 1st Thessalonians 5:17, the Holy Spirit says this to us “Pray with ceasing”. This statement is not a piece of advice but rather a command. The reason why we should obey this command is revealed in the words for our Lord Jesus Christ to His disciples in Luke 22:40b “Pray that ye enter not into temptation.”

The disciples did not take this admonition seriously for obvious reasons of the sorrow that overwhelmed their hearts after their Master’s valedictory speech. This is a lesson to us all that we should not allow circumstances weaken our prayer lives. The result of their prayerlessness was catastrophic. Most of them lacked the courage to stand firm when their Master was arrested. They would have obtained the needed courage in the place of prayer. They therefore could not resist the temptation of running away. Peter, the one who had appeared to be the boldest among them turned out to be bold only in the flesh; he ended up denying his master three times. He had no spiritual courage to follow through with his boast of readiness to die with the Master (Matthew 26:35). What a great lesson to us all! The arm of flesh will always fail (Jeremiah 17:5)

There are many lessons we can learn from the story of the widow in today’s Bible text; first of which is that the judge intervened in her case not because he was interested in her. Rather, it was her relentless prayer that compelled him to act and avenge her of her enemies. Secondly, this woman did not change her prayer at any time. In other words, she was consistent in her prayer, and so there was no need for additional witnesses to be called in, or for more evidence to be presented. Many people gamble in their lives, not knowing exactly what they need. They are unstable like the waves of the sea, being driven by the wind. Concerning such people, Apostle James in James 1:7-8 writes:

“For let not that man think he shall receive any thing of the Lord. A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ through this story assures us that our heavenly Father, unlike the unjust judge, will answer us speedily, but on one condition: if we pray in faith and trust in His justice. Therefore, ask of the Father today in faith, and you will receive beyond your wildest imagination. 

Prayer Point: Father, avenge me of every adversary of Your plan and purpose of my life this year.

Bible in one year: Luke 6, Isaiah 24:1-20