Day 185 - The Power of Persistence
Cathy Anderson
“Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” - John 18:1-8 NIV
If we have hope and faith in people in positions of authority to carry out justice on our behalf, we can certainly trust our Heavenly Father to carry out justice on our behalf! These verses also speak to being persistent in our asking. When you pray, claim victory over the enemy and give glory to God even before it comes to pass. Every time a situation comes to mind, claim the victory!
Within this Scripture, the verse that shouts the challenge to me is the “however” at the end:
“However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
It takes faith to believe that He hears and answers. He is looking for that purity of heart, where His children know He loves them completely and is listening!
Next Steps
- Think about it: Do you have faith?
- Think about it: Do you have unbelief in an area of your life? If so, pray this: “Lord, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24)
- Action Step: Ask God if there is a person in your life that you consider an adversary. Simply file your petition (tell God about it!). Leave the courthouse (your prayer time) believing He will handle it!