Journal Entry ~ 11/27/17

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. - Luke 18:1

I just love the reminder that God chose us in the middle of this parable:  And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? - Luke 18:7.  He didn't choose us because of anything we did, or because we were somehow good enough...no, He chose us when we were dead in our sins. He chose us because He loves us, and He wants the very best for us. The reminder in the middle of this passage is perfect. He reminds us that He chose us and He loves us in the middle of a parable about persisting in prayer and not losing heart because He wants us to remember if He loved us enough to save us from the greatest depth, then He loves us enough to save us from our current trial. No matter what we face, He promises us here that He will bring justice to His elect.   We may be facing insurmountable odds, but we can know that ultimately, He will bring justice. What peace that should bring us in times when we face unfair circumstances, when we’re wrongly accused, when the trials seem to land at the wrong address, when others always seem to have it easier....we can know with confidence that He will bring justice into our lives. 

Our flesh can get so discouraged, feel defeated, and believe that the promises He made us will not be fulfilled. The world will fill us with lies and convince us He is not for us. But right here, He reminds us that we are chosen. He didn't chose us to let us flounder or fail, He chose us so that His light may shine through us.  He chose us because He loves us. We have no reason to be discouraged in our trial, He has been with us all the while and He promises He has a plan for our good. Even when His answers are delayed, even when His answer is no, He is at work fulfilling His promise to us. We only need to be persistent and not lose heart.

Sometimes we feel it’s time to stop praying when God isn't granting us our request, especially if it’s been a long time. We can feel defeated, as if there’s no point in continuing to come before Him with the same request because nothing will change. Sometimes we even feel the Holy Spirit whisper to us, "My grace is sufficient" and we know He will not remove the thorn in our lives because it keeps us humble, so we just give up praying for a change. We think, “I must just have to live with this, so I might as well learn to accept it.”  We stop praying for a change, we stop hoping He will work, and we try to be content with our circumstances. But this isn’t what this parable is teaching us. God wants us to persist in prayer - until the very end. That’s why the parable ends with: Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" - Luke 18:8. If what you are praying for is in line with God’s Will, if what your heart desires would bring glory to His Kingdom, then any prompting to lay down that prayer is not from Him. The enemy wants you to stop persisting in prayer, not God. He is very clear in this passage that our faith and our endurance is fueled by persistent prayer until He returns.  

He wants us to persist in prayer like the widow in this parable, as if there is no other option than to continually come before the judge and beg for justice. When He has allowed us a burden in life, He wants us to continually come to Him in prayer, even if it feels like we’ve been coming too long, even if it feels like things will never change. Doing so causes us to continually humble ourselves, to admit our weakness, to evaluate our hearts, and it places Him on the throne of our lives. He will grant us our request if we continue to pray and not lose heart...but we need to remember He will do it on His timetable, not ours. 

Press on, ladies ~ you are loved 💗
Many of you know I have been trying to raise money to replace the uncomfortable caregiver's chairs in the infusion center at Illinois Cancer Specialists.  It is important to me that our caregivers are able to sit comfortably for hours while we receive our chemo treatments ~ we need our caregivers to be at their best so they can care for us at our worst.  Please consider donating ~ every little bit helps!  Here is the link:



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