Always Pray

Luke 18:1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, and ‘Get justice for me from my adversary’. 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' "6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

Jesus is preparing His disciples for the fact He will soon be departing from His physically public ministry, and will be transferring Himself to a privately personal ministry. Since His ministry will soon be resident within each human heart who allows Him a home there, the practice of prayer becomes the primary means of personal contact, replacing His physical touch.

And so Jesus says, “Pray always and do not lose heart.”

This is vitally important instruction, as it seems we are most likely to lose heart when we have matters in our life we are least convinced prayer can handle. Jesus says, on the contrary, there are no matters in our life which cannot be handled by prayer, and that there is no difference in Jesus’ ability to handle our prayer requests than there would be if He was physically present.

We know of and long for Jesus’ physical presence. I would give anything I own to be able to have been one of those who had the opportunity to follow Jesus on the earth as He walked and worked in His public ministry some 2000 years ago. I long for the day when Jesus will return for His church, because I know there are no problems which currently exist that the rapture will not solve.

Essentially, Jesus is saying to His disciples, “Continue to talk to Me as if I were still with you – and the reason is because - I AM.”

What a friend we have in Jesus. What a friend in Christ we share. There is nothing beyond our reach, when we offer it in prayer. Would you be confident of His ability to heal should He be physically present? Be just as confident now. Would you be confident of His ability to save should He be physically present? Be just as confident now.

Most importantly, “Do not lose heart.” In the Gospel of John, in the sixteenth chapter, Jesus explains it is to our advantage that He be with the Father. “The Helper will not come to you unless I go away,” says Jesus, in John 16:8, and He continues, “but if I depart, I will send Him to you.” No matter where you are, or what you are going through, Jesus is presently with you in Spirit. When He returns, will He find us trusting in that fact? Will He really find faith on the earth?
- Pastor Bill