THE SECRET TO ANSWERED PRAYER

TOPIC: The Secret to Answered Prayer

FOUNDATION SCRIPTURE: Luke 18:1-8 (AMP), 1. Now Jesus was telling the disciples a parable to make the point that at all times, they ought to pray and not give up and lose heart, 2. saying, "In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and had no respect for man. 3. There was a [desperate] widow in that city and she kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice and legal protection from my adversary.' 4. For a time, he would not; but later, he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5. yet because this widow continues to bother me, I will give her justice and legal protection; otherwise by continually coming she [will be an intolerable annoyance and she] will wear me out.'" 6. Then the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says! 7. And will not [our just] God defend and avenge His elect [His chosen ones] who cry out to Him day and night? Will He delay [in providing justice] on their behalf? 8. I tell you that He will defend and avenge them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [this kind of persistent] faith on the earth?"

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Persistence in Prayer

It can be intimidating to go before an unfair judge that has no regard for God or man. But the widow kept coming. She kept speaking her request. Her persistence annoyed the judge to the point that he eventually gave in.

The judge made a statement that’s worth noting. He said that her continual coming wearied him.

The word translated “weary” comes from the Greek word, “hupopiazo” (pronounced hoop-o-pee-ad’-zo), which means to annoy into compliance. My children employed this technique when they were young. They kept coming and asking until I got so annoyed that I just gave in to them.

I learned persistence in prayer from my toddlers, who prayed persistently to me for whatever they desired.

I began to approach God like that loving Father that would not always give immediate attention to my prayers because He was on a business call; I kept coming and asking, refusing to give up though I felt like it sometimes.

God answered some of my prayers right away, but others took a while. I just kept coming before Him and speaking my request. There was one prayer that I finally received the answer to, although it took two and a half years.

It works just like Jesus said if we would work it and consider that we never know what is happening in the unseen realm.

In Daniel 10:1-14, Daniel prayed and fasted for three weeks. Then an angel appeared to him, saying that God heard his prayer and sent the answer on the first day he set his heart to seek the Lord, but the Prince of Persia withstood him for 21 days. After which, Michael, one of the chief Princes, came to help him.

So, there are battles in the spirit realm over our prayers, and Daniel is an example of how persistence guarantees we will receive an answer. He was delayed but not denied.

Jesus encouraged us always to pray and not give up, which means there will be occasions when we feel like it. “Don’t lose heart; become super annoying if you have to,” Jesus said. Then he asked, “when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

Will he find us being persistent in prayer and not giving up?

Remember this: Pray and don't give up. Become super annoying if you have to.

ASSIGNMENTS:

1.Pick up those prayers you gave up on and begin petitioning God again for them.
2.Record the date you started praying and the date you received the answer. (You will find that God is a prayer answering God.)
3.Then, quiet your mind, be still, wait on God for at least 5 minutes, and immediately write down your thoughts afterward.

PRAYER: Father, give me the grace to pray and not give up. Increase my faith to believe I received it when I prayed, in Jesus' Name, Amen.

GET THE BOOK: Lessons for My Children from my conversations with multimillionaires by Jason Hale.
LINK: https://www.amazon.com/Lessons-My-Children-conversations-multimillionaires/dp/0998194018

QUOTE: “Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.” Mark 11:24

DAILY BIBLE READING: 2 Samuel 19-20, Psalm 55, Matthew 28

PROPHETIC WORD/DECLARATION: I declare an end to every season of giving up, every season of frustration and unanswered prayer.

Today's devotional was written by Jason Hale of Jason Hale Ministries.

If this devotion has blessed you, please leave a testimony in the comments.

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