'"But this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'"
Luke 18:5
Luke 18:5
We can't give up in our prayers. This is a great lesson to me today. Like the woman who wore out the judge with her constant requests, so can wear out Heavenly Father.
This woman believed she deserved justice. She believed in the judge who had power over her circumstance. And because she believed she deserved justice she would not give up until she got it. We must pray likewise, not that we "deserve" certain this or that. We must pray like we believe in the One who has power over our circumstance.
This word was for me today, friends. I have a circumstance but have worn myself out fretting over it instead of "wearing out" the One who has the power of it.
Oh Lord, help me to believe and live out this truth.
9 Comments:
Wendy - Release it to God, and go get some rest. Praying for your answers and peace.
Lynn
Dear Wendy,
"I love the LORD because he hears my voice and my prayer for mercy. Because he bends down to listen, I will pray as long as I have breath!" Psalm 116:2
God listens carefully to every prayer. He may say yes, no, or wait. Thankfully, we know for sure that our Father knows what is best for us.
Jesus said: Always pray, and never give up, (yesterday's reading, Luke 18:1) & Paul says to pray without ceasing in, I Thes. 5:17. Surrender your prayer and know that the One listening knows what you need best of all. He hears.
Today, Luke 17: 11-19
These verses show us clearly that we should never fail to recognize the hand of God in our daily living!
Blessings, Lori - AZ
Good Morning Sisters,
Lori, I was going to mention the same passage as you this morning. For those of you that might have missed the weekend's postings, I shared that I have been reading a book called "Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus." It is SO wonderful! This story of the 10 lepers is one of the stories that is given in a chapter on blessings. In Jewish culture they have blessings for everything. They lived, and live, a life of blessing. What this habit of prayer does is instill a sense of God's continual presence in your life. Here is what the book says about this passage:
"Understanding these blessing customs can also help us make sense of Luke 17:12-19. Jesus has just healed ten lepers, but only one of them, a Samaritan, came back and 'blessed' the Lord in a loud voice. The prayer that he might have said was this: "Blessed is he who does good to the undeserving and has rendered every kindness to me!' This is the blessing people prayed whenever God healed them from a terrible illness or delivered them from great danger. Jesus wondered why the other nine hadn't acted as the Samaritan had. It might seem as though he was annoyed at not being thanked. But Jesus was really asking why the nine former lepers hadn't returned to pray the traditional blessing, thanking God publicly for the great thing he had just done for them."
This habit of continually blessing God teaches us to be every mindful of how much God loves us and how continually he cares for us. It focuses our attention in the right direction!
I hope ladies you all have a wonderful day! Loving the sunshine and weather here in TN!
Brandee
Brandee
This is great insight! It changes the story knowing the deeper meaning.
Thanks for sharing.
Brandee & All~ Yesterday, I was looking up your book to order, and found this song taken from the verse we read last Thursday:
Luke 10:39-"Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord's feet, listening to what he taught."
SITTING AT THE FEET OF JESUS
1. Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
Oh, what words I hear Him say!
Happy place! so near, so precious!
May it find me there each day;
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
I would look upon the past;
For His love has been so gracious,
It has won my heart at last.
2. Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
Where can mortal be more blest?
There I lay my sins and sorrows,
And, when weary, find sweet rest;
Sitting at the feet of Jesus,
There I love to weep and pray;
While I from His fullness gather
Grace and comfort every day.
3. Bless me, O my Savior, bless me,
As *I sit low at Thy feet; [*I’m waiting]
Oh, look down in love upon me,
Let me see Thy face so sweet;
Give me, Lord, the mind of Jesus,
Keep me holy as He is;
May I prove I’ve been with Jesus,
Who is all my righteousness.
This dear ladies is where I want to be found; sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening and anticipating his whispers to me!
Brandee, Looking forward to reading your recommended book. Thanks! Lori - AZ
This is a tough one for me; to continue to pray the same request over, and over, unfortunately, I usually give up way too soon.
Convicted in MN
Morgen
Morgen, We must not give up! Believe me, I've been there...23 years I've been praying that my sweet husband would be saved. And believe me, I've had years where I've just thought, it's not going to happen! Why bother praying! But, I now know without a doubt, it's the enemy putting those thoughts into my mind! Now, I look at prayer differently...more like it is a privilege to offer up requests to my Father, and I have such a joy knowing, that they will be answered according to His Will, because He is sovereign. He knows what is best and He has a plan. I trust that His plan is better than I could ever dream up. He never sleeps, His eyes are never shut and He can see everywhere. I'm glad that my perfect Father has it all under control. All in His perfect time. This just gives me absolute joy and peace. No worries, because it is all ready taken care of. I pray more and now whole-heartedly know my prayers are in His hands.
Sometimes he answers my prayers so fast! But, other times He makes me wait and wait and wait, and in doing so, he builds my character to be more like Him. He doesn't spoil me by giving me everything I want. He, bit by bit is transforming me. I've got a long way to go tho! :)
Keep praying Morgen! God hears your every word and so does the enemy.
Love, Lori-AZ
Lori,
Great insight! I too have a persistent prayer for a family member, and I too have learned that the answer to my prayer is not about them, but about me. I am learning to listen in a new way!
So my passage today was John 11:51-52
51 He did not say this on his own; as high priest at that time he was led to prophesy that Jesus would die for the entire nation. 52 And not only for that nation, but to bring together and unite all the children of God scattered around the world.
Caiaphas; the High Priest for that year... He didn't say this on His own accord; He was not in favor of Jesus "dying for an entire nation;" He just wanted Him dead! There are a lot of hidden things in these two simple verses. Matthew Henry writes pages on this, but here are a few of the highlights:
1. When did being High Priest become a rotating job? This was traditionally a post passed on to the heir of Aaron, but by this time, it was a political position and was rotated frequently.
2."He prophesied, being high priest that year; not that his being high priest did at all dispose or qualify him to be a prophet; we cannot suppose the pontifical mitre to have first inspired with prophecy the basest head that ever wore it; but, being high priest, and therefore of note and eminence in the conclave, God was pleased to put this significant word into his mouth rather than into the mouth of any other, that it might be the more observed or the non-observance of it the more aggravated." (Matthew Henry)
3. "But in this of Caiaphas there was an extraordinary direction of Heaven prompting him to say that which was capable of a very sublime sense. As the hearts of all men are in God’s hand, so are their tongues. Those are deceived who say, "Our tongues are our own, so that either we may say what we will, and are not accountable to God’s judgment, or we can say what we will, and are not restrainable by his providence and power.’’ Balaam could not say what he would, when he came to curse Israel, nor Laban when he pursued Jacob." (Matthew Henry)
4. Lastly, Caiaphas includes the concept that Christ will not just die for the Nation of Jews, but for all the children of God scattered around the world! Clearly this is prophesy straight from God and not from the evil heart of this man.
It is sad and glorious at the same time! It is also thought provioking how God uses man to work His plan to fulfillment. John Piper wrote a book on this subject that is really interesting. It is called "Spectacular Sins and Their Global Purpose in the Glory of God". In addition to Brandee's book, I recommend this as well. It shines a new light on the events in the Bible that really are spectacular sins and how God is really working in them.
Be blessed today,
Karen
Wendy, I hear your exhaustion, surrender and desire. I recognize it because I have felt it. Continuing in prayer for you.
I think the thing that spoke to me the most today was the story of Lazarus. Before Jesus did anything, He prayed. He said, "Father, thank you for hearing me." He thanked the Lord first. I often don't thank the Lord until I see results...the results I want to see. Praying the Lord will give me a grateful heart.
Dad's surgery went well today. I am rejoicing in all that the Lord has done. I was on my knees thanking the Lord early this morning before going to the hospital for 8am, knowing that whatever my day held, my dad was/is in God's hands.
Appreciated all your comments today. So tired tonight. It's been a long day, but God is good.
Blessings,
Joy
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