“Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.” (Luke 18:1 NIV)
We live in a time where it is tempting to cease praying and give up altogether, don’t we? Perhaps you are more godly then me, but I tend to agree with Olivia Rodrigues: “It’s brutal out there!”
Every day I’m surprised about how much worse the world gets. Things feel increasingly out of control and more and more it looks like the enemy is winning. The human response is to be overwhelmed, isn’t it? How can we make an impact when it seems that the entire human population has gone mad?
First off, let’s remember that we aren’t alone in trusting God. Recall the story of Elijah. He was down in the dumps after doing battle with Baal. He believed he was the only prophet of God left. (1 Kings 19:14) However, things are rarely as hopeless as they feel. The Lord let Elijah know, he was not alone in his faith, there were still seven thousand other believers who had not yet bowed to Baal. (1 Kings 19:18)
What’s more, it was after this low point that God sent Elisha, a young God-fearing man eager to learn from Elijah and carry the torch. I suspect Elisha’s enthusiasm was a great encouragement to the old prophet. It’s helpful to remember we are not sole soldiers in the war against evil. We battle as brothers and sisters.
Secondly, we must not give up on good. Yesterday afternoon my family went to a movies. We watched Free Guy: an interesting tale of a Non Playable Character (NPC) who becomes self-aware amidst a Grand Theft Auto type of video game. (Think uninhibited guns and violence.) The main thrust of the movie was how one seemingly unimportant person choosing good amidst an evil world still makes a difference. Free Guy was a catalyst that ultimately altered his entire game. Choosing good was tough to begin with: he looked and acted different then everyone around him and the other players and NPCs didn’t know how to respond. He suffered for his choices. He died, a lot. Nevertheless, he persisted.
Free Guy encouraged me. As believers, we are called to do battle differently. We are called to keep praying, even when it feels like we’re losing and the world is coming apart at the seams. Remember: in the Kingdom of God, things are rarely as they seem.
Jesus gave this great instruction – keep praying and don’t give up – through the parable of the persistent widow. This tenacious woman (insinuating she was abandoned and alone) pressed on an ungodly and unfeeling judge for justice. Her perseverance paid off. Eventually that magistrate was moved. How much more so can we trust our good, just and compassionate God? He cares deeply and His word states that it is His will that not one would perish.
Keep petitioning heaven, my friend. Keep persisting for the will of God to be accomplished here on earth. Always pray and don’t give up.
“And will not God being about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:7-8 NIV)
Jesus asked a critical question. When He returns, will He find Faith on earth? Will believers still rally around the promises of God? Or will we have given into the overwhelming evil of the world? Will we have given up on the assurances of scripture?
Decide today to keep praying and never give up. Choose to believe that there are others out there; men and women who still trust God. Be the persistent widow, pressing the Judge for justice. Don’t give up and don’t stop praying.
Lord, our world is such a mess right now, it’s hard to know just how to pray. We don’t want to fall back on the will of God, but pray into it. Thy will be done, Lord. We know Your will in part: that mankind would be reconciled to You. Yet the specific day-to-day details are unknown to us. That’s ok, we trust anyway. Today we put the world again in Your capable hands, comforted by the fact that You have made it and You will sustain it. We lift up those suffering and ask for Your comfort; whether from loss or lack or fear or trauma or sins within or sins of others. We pray the world would turn itself back over to You. We remember that humanity began as a theocracy and it will wind up as a theocracy; we trust You for this mess in the middle. We commit ourselves to You until Kingdom come and Your will is done. Amen.