“O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before You.” Psalms 88.1
If the last post was a sketch of various instances where Jesus prayed throughout His life, this is a message from God on the significance of persistence in prayer in our lives.
There are several instances in the Holy Bible that shows the significance of prayer. The parable in Luke 18:1-8is a glorious depiction… Luke 18:1 says “And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.”
Yes He, Jesus, spoke to the crowd through a parable as He used to, during His preaches in the Earthly Ministry…about the need to pray always and the need of a persistent prayer life.
Luke 18: 2-6 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says.”
Here the question is who is my adversary? What are the different adversities that I face in my life? Since, when I am praying to God for a solution? Why is God not answering my prayers?
Jesus says that we are the elected people in the verses that continue.
Luke 18: 7-“And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily.”
Who are the elected people? Does it mean that only Christians are the elected?
James 1.5 says “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.”
Yes, the elected are the ones who seek His wisdom; His wisdom is the Holy Spirit, which was there in its abundance in this universe, from its creation. His wisdom is the Holy Spirit that gave Abraham, the courage to believe in God, and wait till old age for the birth of Issac through Sarah. His wisdom is the willingness to select David as the King of Israel, even though he was tiny and small amongst his brothers. His wisdom is the abundance of intelligence that he showered to King Solomon. His wisdom is the humbleness of the Virgin Mary to accept and believe the good news shared by Angel Gabriel.
Ezra 8:21says as follows: “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.”
The elected are the people who fast and pray, so that we may humble ourselves before almighty and repent for the sins; so that we may seek the right way from God.
The elected are the people who forgive fellow beings… Matthew 5:44 says “I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”
The elected are the people who sing and praise Lord irrespective of the sufferings they face in life. James 5:13 says: “Is any among you suffering? Let him pray. Is any cheerful? Let him sing praise.”
The elected are the people who pray for the soul and health of themselves and others. And it says in James 5:16: Pray for one another, that you may be healed.”
The elected are the people who pray constantly without anxiety, and offer thanks to Lord. Philipp 4: 6-7 says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
This reminds me of the night of Jesus’s agony, the night before the crucifixion. Jesus asked his disciples, “Then he returned and found the three disciples asleep. He said to Peter, Simon, are you asleep? Weren't you able to stay awake for even one hour?”
The elected are the people who shares Jesus’s agony and find delight and His presence in the crucifixions that they face in daily life.
Jesus ends the parable with a question, Luke 18:8 “…Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"
And the question is to all of us. Are you ready to be faithful, till the Son of God offers you resurrection, Resurrection in His Season and His Time?
Last but not the least, the elected are the five wise virgins, who took oil in their vessels with their lamps. So, when the bridegroom arrives, they went with him and entered the Kingdom of God, for the grant wedding feast; and the oil is nothing but faith and preparedness and the lamp is your soul.
Seek His wisdom, fast and pray for you and the world, forgive your enemies, sing and praise in every circumstance, be thankful for the blessings, find delight and His presence in all the sufferings. Moreover be faithful, for Psalms 56: 8 assure “You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.”
For He will answer in His Time and His Season!!
