It’s quite interesting that the faith of Luke 18:8 entails more than we can conceive. However, before the parable that prompted that question, we’re made to understand that Jesus gave a parable in an attempt to make us understand ‘prayer’. Well, you never can tell, but could that be the reason? If it is, does it mean we haven’t seen so much because we’ve prayed little or not even at all? Was Jesus saying we activate such faith by persistent prayer? Let’s see for ourselves.
TEXT: Luke 18:1, Isaiah 62:1-7, Luke 11:5, Titus 3:2-6
Friends, faith is practical, faith works with prayer. In Isaiah 62, the bible enjoined the watchmen of Israel to give God no rest until He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth. Guess what? God doesn’t quench a smoking flax. Although the Laodicea church age was said to have a problem of Luke-warmness, should they yield themselves to God, the little fire left has potential with God to be rekindled to becoming a great one that burns for Him. You don’t have to be lukewarm, Christ is looking for those who would grant him permission on the earth through their prayers.
The disciples were told to wait in Jerusalem until they are endued with power from on high. That power wouldn’t have come if they had not waited. How much can we emphasize the essence of prayer to activating the faith needed to wrought deliverance on the earth? Consider Elijah, who was an anointed prophet of God and had God’s backing, however, for that rain to fall, Elijah had to pray -such persistent prayer, till there was a miracle in the sky. If you do not bring your strong reasons to God, you may not experience justice. No wonder the bible told us that ‘Elijah was a man of like passion’. If we pay the price he paid, we will get the result he got. It’s not by claiming, we claim so much what we have not. What we need is to lock ourselves in the room with God till there’s an evidence provable that He has answered. You cannot be in haste with God.
Until we take away the various distractions that have plagued us -especially as youth -we may never experience the true power of transformation. Until we are ready for change, God may not show up. God cannot be mocked. You need to seek him to find him. What you need is a conversion, not emotion. If Christ comes to your life, will he find that faith in you? If you are not ready to die, you cannot be a believer. Every lamb that’s washed signifies that such lamb is going to die. Perhaps you’ve been washed, but you have refused to die.
This is a wake-up call to us who have given up on prayer, a man who God can find on his knees is stronger than ten thousand trained soldiers. Men ought always to pray and not to faint.