Bible Prep: Luke 18:1-8
"We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there's nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. Most of us would prefer to spend our time doing something that will get immediate results. We don't want to wait for God to resolve matters in His good time because His idea of 'good time' is seldom in sync with ours." ― Oswald Chambers
Prayer should always be our first line of defense, not our last resort. Luke 18:1 encourages us never to give up praying, "... We ALWAYS ought to pray and not lose heart." But do you find it easy to become weary in your prayer life, almost as if your prayers don't make a difference? Are you discouraged because you have prayed for years without seeing answers? Do you find yourself saying, "What's the use in praying for America? Look at the rapid decline in Christian morality and values." Do you wonder, "How did our nation get to where we are today? For example,
- Six out of 10 Gen Zs say that lying to protect your personal best interests is morally acceptable.
- One out of 5 Gen Zs (21%) identify the Bible as their primary source of moral guidance. That is notably lower than the proportion of adults from older generations (29% of Millennials, 34% of Baby Busters, and 37% of Baby Boomers). (George Barna, "40-Year Drop in Biblical Worldview)
If we focus on statistics like the ones above, we can easily become discouraged. Even though it may seem that our prayers are not being answered, we must not lose heart. The parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8 teaches us the value of perseverance in prayer. God hears every one of our prayers. He calls us to unite and fill the heavens with our prayers-day and night. Even when it appears that God is delaying answering our prayers, the truth is God is acting in His perfect time. He does not operate in our time but in His perfect time.
"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12
HERE GOES... Together, across America, let's ALL PRAY...
Dear Father,
Your Word says that if we delight ourselves in You, You will give us the desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4). Please direct our paths in Your ways everlasting so that Your will becomes our delight. Fill us with the power of Your presence and bind us together as a people of one nation under God. And through each day, to You, be the glory for all goodness and blessings that come our way. (If My People, pg.15) Through Your Spirit, strengthen believers in Jesus to "always pray and not lose heart." Together, we ask that the next generation (Gen Z, ages 12-27) seek identity, purpose, and fulfillment through a relationship with Jesus. We pray that this generation in America will fall in love with the God of the Bible. May Your Holy Spirit draw their hearts to Your Word. We ask that these future leaders of tomorrow build a strong foundation based on the biblical principles laid out in the Bible. We pray in Jesus's name. Amen.
From My Heart to Yours,
Carla McDougal