<\/p>\n
\u201cThen He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart\u201d (Luke 18:1).<\/p>\n
SOMETIMES WHEN GOD APPEARS UNWILLING TO GRANT OUR REQUESTS, THE RESULT IS THAT WE ARE LED TO SEEK HIM MORE FERVENTLY. When our prayers are not instantly answered, we should not jump to foolish conclusions about God Himself. It may be that He is waiting for us to find out, by our continual prayer, just how deep our desires really are. Our prayers may be answered much later than we had hoped \u2014 and in ways much better than we had imagined. When that happens, we\u2019re able to enjoy a deeper appreciation of God\u2019s goodness.<\/p>\n
In Luke 18, Jesus told His disciples the story of a widow who refused to give up when a judge did not grant her petition for help, but continued to plead until finally the judge answered her request. Jesus\u2019 point was that we \u201calways ought to pray and not to lose heart\u201d (v.1). The desired answer to our prayers may not be immediately forthcoming, but we should not suppose that God doesn\u2019t hear or that He doesn\u2019t care. His delay may actually mean that He cares more than we think. It is His wisdom, no doubt, that prevents Him from rushing into quick fixes to our problems when they need a more long-lasting solution. In any event, Jesus assured us that God\u2019s ears are open to those \u201cwho cry out day and night to Him,\u201d even though \u201cHe bears long with them\u201d (v.7). From us, God is looking for persistent faith and persistent prayer.<\/p>\n
In one of his well-known metaphors, Spurgeon said, \u201cThe spade of agony digs deep trenches to hold the water of life.\u201d It is a fact that our hearts often need to be prepared<\/em> before God can bless us. We have too little grasp of mercy\u2019s value, and we need to be taught<\/em> truly to enjoy the good things God is able to do.<\/p>\n So hunger is not always a bad thing. There is an old saying that \u201chunger is the best sauce.\u201d And Jesus said, \u201cBlessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled\u201d (Matthew 5:6). Perhaps our hunger needs to grow more intense before we can properly appreciate the feast. If so, God may withhold the feast until we are ready.<\/p>\n \u201cStanding outside mercy\u2019s gate, we grow more passionately earnest in our pleading. First we ask, then we seek, and finally we plead with cries, tears, and a broken heart\u201d (Charles Haddon Spurgeon).<\/p>\n Gary Henry \u2013 WordPoints.com + AreYouaChristian.com<\/p>\n