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#DailyDevotion Jesus Encourages Us To Pray Unceasingly

#DailyDevotion Jesus Encourages Us To Pray Unceasingly

Luke 18 Jesus told them a parable to show that they should always pray and not get tired of it:

Jesus often told parables to teach the people. Most often he used them to keep people confused. Sometimes though, he didn’t use them in this way. The way you can tell is if he explains them immediately afterwards he intends for the meaning to be clear. The parable that follows, which I’ll discuss more tomorrow is one of those parables.

Luke though lets the cat right out of the bag at the beginning when he says Jesus tells them the parable so they should always pray and not get tired of it. For whatever reason, the Lord created us to be in communion with him through prayer. Now prayer isn’t just talking with God, though you may certainly talk to him all you want. But in prayer you tell God what is troubling you and your seeking relief from it. You are asking God your Father to do something for you. Sometimes it just may wisdom in dealing with some situation or someone. Other times you may need material goods. Still other times you are interceding for another person. You ask God for things that you think you need in life trusting that he hears you and will answer your prayer with a resounding yes. You have good reason for expecting a yes to your prayer that is offered in faith, in Jesus’ name which are according to God’s will.

Jesus tells us, Matt. 77“Ask, and it will be given to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8Anyone who asks receives; anyone who searches finds; and anyone who knocks, the door will be opened for him.” That should encourage us to pray thinking and believing our Father will hear our prayers and answer them with yes. Jesus continues in chapter 21 of Matthew 22 Anything you ask for in prayer, believe, and you will get it.” If this is true, and it is for Jesus does not lie, then we should be all the more emboldened to pray.

Jesus tells us to pray in his name, John 1413“I will do anything you ask in My name in order that the Son may glorify the Father. 14If you ask Me for anything in My name, I’ll do it.” So first, to pray in Jesus’ name, is to actually use his name, but not like a secret code or as in magic. Now to pray in his name is to pray trusting in him and in his promises. This isn’t a chemistry formula either. When using Jesus’ name you are believing his word here that he will do what you ask the Father for. Jesus continues in John 157 “If you stay in Me and My words stay in you, ask for anything you want, and it will be done for you.” Praying in the name of Jesus means abiding in Jesus’ word. To stay or abide in Jesus is to listen to, believe and trust what Jesus says. If you won’t listen to Jesus’ words, believe and trust in them, don’t think just popping his name at the end of pray will do anything but condemn you for your lack of faith. Remember the sons of Sceva in the book of Acts who tried to exorcise demons from a man and they attack him. They were using Jesus’ name superstitiously.

1 John 321 “Dear friends, if our conscience doesn’t condemn us, we can talk boldly to God 22and get from Him anything we ask because we keep His commandments and do what pleases Him. 23He orders us to believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and to love one another as He has ordered us to do.” When we pray, we need to pray with a clear conscience and faith. We have a clear conscience when we trust we are forgiven our sins for Jesus’ sake. We have a clear conscience when we have reconciled ourselves to our fellows whom we have harmed (at least as best as we could on our parts). We can pray boldly because we are keeping his commandments which is trusting in Jesus’ name for salvation and loving one another. Such things we will do as his people.

John also tells 1 John 514 “We have confidence in God that if we ask for anything according to His will, He listens to us. 15And if we know that He listens to us whatever we ask, we know that we will get what we ask Him for.” To pray according to his will is to pray what the Father has promised us.

Heavenly Father, with such bold promises from your Son Jesus Christ, enliven faith in us to pray unceasingly, with faith in Jesus trusting you hear us and will give us what we ask according your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.

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Rev. Guillaume J. S. Williams, Sr.

The Reverend Guillaume Williams is the Pastor of Hope Lutheran Chapel of Osage Beach, Missouri. His pastoral ministry with Hope began in 2005 where he preaches the Christ crucified.

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