Heavenly Persistence

Luke 11:1-13:

Jesus was praying in a certain place, and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray just as John taught his disciples.” He said to them, “When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves forgive everyone in debt to us, and do not subject us to the final test.” And he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend to whom he goes at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, for a friend of mine has arrived at my house from a journey and I have nothing to offer him,’ and he says in reply from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been locked and my children and I are already in bed. I cannot get up to give you anything.’ I tell you, if he does not get up to give the visitor the loaves because of their friendship, he will get up to give him whatever he needs because of his persistence. “And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks, finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. What father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? Or hand him a scorpion when he asks for an egg? If you then, who are wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?”

Blog:

It is hard in this life to be persistent in many things.  At times it may seem that the weight and cares of the world are forever weighing us down.  And, “down” is where the devil wants everyone – “down” on earth and then, in the next life, “down” in hell.  Jesus is the Ultimate Spiritual Encourager, and He continues each and every day to show Believers the Hope that is only found in Him.  And, He has given us the Perfect Prayer to Pray – the Our Father.  By persistently Praying the Our Father and living out Its principles, we can make our way back to Heaven step by step, little by little, kneeler by kneeler across the Blessing of a lifetime.  We see many examples in the Gospels of this type of persistence – the Friend in need of 3 loaves of bread at midnight (Luke 11:1-13) and the Canaanite woman looking for Jesus’ table scraps (Matthew 15:26-28) are just a couple examples.  Jesus reminds us about the Heavenly Payday that awaits those that persistently seek the Lord and His Infinite Forgiveness – and, it doesn’t matter how we do it (knocking, seeking, Praying, asking, etc.)…it just matters that we try with a Pure Heart and Good Intentions.  On this side of Heaven, we are all sinners and fall short of the Glory of God, but, as Children of the One, True, Living God, we are “different” than the non-believers (who God is also providing for).  So, let’s all knock, seek, Pray, and ask our way back Home.  For God’s Promise awaits all those who love Him.