By Pastor John Mateos Ong & Pastora Monique Lopez Ong
SCRIPTURE:
Luke 1:5-13 says:
“Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
OBSERVATIONS:
-Man was a friend of the owner of the house
-The man specifically asked for 3 loaves of bread
-It was not for him but for a visitor. He was ashamed that he had no food
-The house owner did not want to give.
-His reason? It’s late, the doors are locked, kids are asleep and I can’t get up.
Man bugged him.
APPLICATION:
When God does not answer, PRESS IN!
Prior to this parable, the disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray, and this is where Jesus taught them the Father’s prayer. Jesus used this parable because He wanted to illustrate that if we really pray, God will hear us. When we feel that God does not answer, what does God want us to do? PRESS IN! What does that mean?
1. Persistence
The Lord loves it when we come to Him as children. He is a very good Father. He desires to give and bless us with the things that we need. His answer may be very different than what we want or need but He loves it when we persist on our prayers because He sees our heart. Persistence means daily praying even when we do not see the answer yet.
Prayer is for everybody. God wants us to come and pray to Him. It is a command:ask, seek and knock. God is giving you an invitation. Ask in His name so you can receive. You probably experienced disappointment when asking for something with people here on earth. But God will never disappoint.
Disclaimer:
Persistence does not always get us what we ask for. Especially when what we ask for is not aligned to His will.
a. God will change you. Everyone who prays changes.
b. Your eyes will see the light when God works in your life. Then even your prayer changes. God will not answer prayers that are not aligned to His will.
Persistence is a warfare weapon. We live in a fallen world. In the spiritual realm, we have an enemy who is attacking and we have God on the glorious side. Sometimes when we are praying, the enemy is trying everything to hinder our prayers. So be persistent. Daniel 10:12-12 says “Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer. But for twenty-one days the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia blocked my way. Then Michael, one of the archangels, came to help me, and I left him there with the spirit prince of the kingdom of Persia.” In all honesty, we can look at it and say nothing is happening in this world. Eyes on Jesus, feet on the ground. There is an enemy that is striking. We should pursue in our prayers because God is at work.
2. Intimacy
The things that are happening around us sometimes becomes an excuse for us not to be intimate with the Lord. We can read the Bible and pray anywhere. Now is the time to be more intimate with God. When we are intimate with God, it becomes easier for us to come to Him and ask. It is also easier for us to love Him because we get to know His character. Also, we get to know His will. This will make it easier for us to submit to Him too. Romans 12:2 says, “Be transformed with the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” And His will is far better than what we want for ourselves because it is the best.
Romans 8:32 says, “He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all - how will He not also, along with Him graciously give us all things?” Don’t you think all the other things that we ask for are small in comparison to Him giving us His Only Begotten Son?
3. Not doubting (when we ask)
James 1:6 says, “But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, driven and tossed like the wind.” When you pray, are you really praying in faith? Or do you doubt?
Faith is the currency of heaven. We need money here on earth. We need faith to move in heaven. Be more persistent in prayer. Be more intimate with God. Start with your family. Read the Bible. Meditate on His word. Break bread. 1 John 5:14 says, “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.”God sent us His only begotten Son when we were sinners. He will always hear our prayers .Press in more
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