Honey From The Rock

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Honey From The Rock
Psalm 81:16

"Sweet Stuff From God's Word"

A daily Bible study with Victor Knowles
Copyright 2007

PRAY WITH PERSISTENCE

This entry was posted on 11-18-2008 and is filed under uncategorized.

Jesus said, "When you pray..." (Luke 11:2). When you pray, pray with persistence. To illustrate, He told a story about a man who was visited by a friend at midnight. The home owner was already in bed. He heard a knock on the door. It was his friend who had received unexpected company. His friend was asking for some bread. Three loaves to be exact (that teaches us to be specific when we pray). From inside the house, where it was quiet and warm, the home owner replied, "Don't bother me. The door's locked, my children are all down for the night; I can't get up to give you anything" (Luke 11:7, The Message). The KJV says, "My children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee." That word picture always makes me laugh. The poor man was covered up with children. He could not rise!

But Jesus said the home owner would and did get up and gave the man all the bread he wanted - not because he was his friend but "because of his persistence" (NASB). The man threw the covers back, threw the children off, and went rummaging through his bread box and probably gave him more than the three requested loaves of bread. Not because he was his friend (what friend comes knocking on your door and midnight?) but because of the door knocker's persistence! The Message reads, "If you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he'll finally get up and get you whatever you need." Our Lord concluded by saying, "Ask and you'll get; seek and you'll find; knock and the door will open." Notice that the three commands form an acrostic: ASK. Yes, let us ASK and let us ASK with persistence.

Prayer: Our Father in Heaven, we thank You that You never grow weary of hearing requests from Your children. As one of them, I come to You this day asking for ______________. Thank You for hearing my request in Jesus' precious name.