Jesus had just finished teaching His disciples the pattern for how to pray, and now He instructs them to persist in prayer for others by telling them a parable of a man willing to get up even at midnight to meet the needs of his friend.  This man sacrificed his own comfort and sleep to provide for another. Jesus provided this parable as a perfect illustration of true intercession, and to show that those who persist in prayer will not walk away empty-handed.  The promise of persistent praying is in the answer that is guaranteed to come.  Jesus calls us to continue in prayer until we receive the answer, because prayer is meant to have an answer. Sometimes the answer is delayed, but we are called to persist just the same; until we are prepared to receive what He has purposed.

 

Many of us make new year's resolutions to start a new diet or begin a new exercise regime so we can shed excess weight and begin the year physically fit.  We've subscribed to the advertisements that guarantee inches lost and strength gained, if we will simply follow the prescribed program.  Jesus provides for us the ultimate guarantee of victory and success, if we are willing to surrender to His instruction and become trained in prayer.  By following our Master's daily exercise regime, willing to rise early, and diligent in seeking Him throughout the day, we will become more spiritually fit and strengthened,  sculpted into useful vessels through which He can channel His grace into the world. Prayer is not only meant to obtain the strength and blessing we need for our own lives, but the greater lesson the Lord desires us to learn in prayer is how to intercede for others. 

The Lord's great desire for His children is for us to experience deeper fellowship with Him so that we will learn to trust Him more; allowing Him to pour His love into our lives so that we can be used to pour out His grace into the lives of others.   It is in conversation of prayer - our asking and His giving - that He expresses His love for us; a love He has no desire to withhold, but we often miss out on because we have become lazy and unskilled in this most holy discipline of prayer.  

 

This calls for confidence and diligence on behalf of His children; believing that our prayers are actually heard and will receive an answer.  The power of prayer rests in the assurance that we will be heard and answered.  Our Heavenly Father is not a rude operator on the other end of the line who is willing to accept our call but hanging up the phone before giving an answer.  On the contrary, He waits patiently for us, watching over us while we send out our SOS in a sea of emails, text messages, and phone calls, because we're just too accustomed to getting instant answers to our many questions and problems.  Sometimes we give up far too quickly in our praying, often as soon as we submitted our request, all because we are too impatient to wait for what God has promised.

 

God explicitly said, "Ask and you will receive."  He wants His children to come confidently and boldly before His throne (Hebrews 4:16), and receive the answer He has waiting for us.  It is His will to answer our request.  He will always answer.  Every so often, however, when our request is not according to His Word, He may ask us to withdraw our request; calling us to be more diligent in the study of His Word. It is here, in the teaching of His Word and the guidance of the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth, that we gain confidence in knowing the will of God and praying according to His will.  The more we are trained in this discipline to know His will, the greater boldness we will have to come before His throne and make our requests. He is a gracious, loving, and benevolent heavenly Father who is waiting for us to ask so He can answer. It is His loving nature to bless His children.  He has made the answers we are looking for entirely dependent upon our prayers. We are to be conduits of His blessings to all those in need, but we are stopping up the pipes.   He won't give until we are willing to ask.  The responsibility of asking rests with us, the response of blessing will come from Him - in His perfect timing!