Keep Praying and Don't give up!

Dear Lord God, 

My Author and Finisher of my Faith, Thank You for beginning a good work in me, and being faithful to complete it. Thank you for being greater than any spiritual force roaming this earth; greater than anything or anyone waging war in the heavenlies. Oh Lord, do not let me grow weary in doing good. Remind me of Your rewarding character. Refuel my faith with holy passion. Keep me on paths of righteousness, For Your name's sake. Be the Lifter of my head. Be the Joy that gives me strength. Be the Lamp to my feet. I will not be discouraged. I will not be afraid. I am confident You are with me wherever I go. Oh Faithful One, Help me to press on toward the goal, so I win the prize You have set apart for me. I can do all things through You, Jesus. You give me strength to never give up. In Jesus name, character, and identity I pray, AMEN.

Are you going through one of those times when it seems every attempt to resolve a problem is met with a new difficulty? You thank the Lord at night that it’s taken care of but awake to find that something else has gone wrong and the problem remains. During an experience like that, I was reading the gospel of Luke and was astounded by the opening words of chapter 18: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (v. 1). I had read the story of the persistent widow many times but never grasped why Jesus told it (vv. 2-8). Now I connected those opening words with the story. The lesson to His followers was very clear: “Always pray and never give up.” Prayer is not a means of coercing God to do what we want. It is a process of recognizing His power and plan for our lives. In prayer we yield our lives and circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to act in His time and in His way. As we rely on God’s grace not only for the outcome of our requests but for the process as well, we can keep coming to the Lord in prayer, trusting His wisdom and care for us. Our Lord’s encouragement to us is clear: Always pray and don’t give up! (By David C. McCasland)

Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. Luke 18:1