Persistence In Prayer

 

 Luke 11:5-13

Ask And You Shall Receive

⁵ Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; ⁶ a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ ⁷ And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’ ⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

⁹ “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.

¹¹ “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? ¹³ If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Our Gospel today underscores the need to be persistent in our prayer, to trust that our loving God will eventually answer us. grant our request or give us something even better than what we seek. We need not fear being repetitious, indeed, we are encouraged to do so to show our trust and confidence in our loving God who knows our needs already and who is there to give us what is best for us.  And sometimes that is simply a deeper faith and not the particular "loaf" we are asking for. May we be encouraged by verse 9 and make it our mantra for today. 

Bro. Rene

Dear God, may I never lose heart or become discouraged when I pray, trusting that your answer will come in a way that is even better than what I am asking for. Amen.