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Luke 11:5-10 (ESV)
5 And he said to them, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, 6 for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything’? 8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. 9 And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.
Luke 18:1-8 (ESV)
18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
I. We ought always to PRAY and not lose HEART.
A. Prayer is a GIFT for us.
B. God is not honored by those who are not willing to persist.
II. What the Lord EXPECTS of us:
A. Never HESITATE.
B. Never GIVE UP.
C. Allow in your heart and mind that GOD may have a BETTER ANSWER.
1. Beyond the limits of THOUGHT
2. Beyond the limits of TIME
3. Beyond the limits of SIGHT
D. God may have a better answer; He most surely has a GOOD ANSWER.
III. But when Jesus comes again, will He find faith on earth?
We ought to persist in the prayer,
“LET YOUR KINGDOM COME!”