APRIL 16 "IT'S CONFIRMED, GOD PUTS US OFF SOMETIMES"

If you've ever felt or suspected that sometimes God puts you off, you may have had that suspicion confirmed in today's reading. Jesus acknowledges through this parable that often we can be asking for  something and being put off, not just by this Judge, but by God himself. Jesus doesn't say "He doesn't put people off" but He does say, "He will not put you off forever". Jesus says, that our persistence in prayer will work. Asking once, twice is not enough. Even Elijah prayed a few times for rain until his pray was answered. We sure kept asking our parents for something when we were kids, until we wore them down and they gave in. Why don't we take that same approach with our Father in Heaven? We pray for a few weeks for finances, see no change and give up. We pray for an unsaved loved for a while, see no change in him/her and we give up. We pray a couple of times for a pain to go away or a healing, no change, we give up. The list is endless of things we have prayed for and given up because we didn't get it right a way or in a time frame we thought reasonable. Now we have from the mouth of God himself,  Jesus acknowledging, "He is putting you off, but He will not continue to do so indefinitely, if you persevere in prayer He will grant you your request. The reasoning Jesus gives us is "Am I not a just God?"  "Why would I withhold something good from you". The lesson today is not "prayer works" (as the bumper sticker reads), but "persistent/persevering prayer works!"  What have you given up praying about, whom or what? Maybe it's time to start praying again and staying the course this time; until the answer comes.

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