Prayer

Don’t Forget to Pray!

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And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. Luke 18:1

Did you ever feel like just giving up on something you have been praying for? There are times I can’t even think of a single reason why God would want to listen to me when there are people with far greater needs and who have much more faith than me. And so Jesus knowing how easy wat is for us to give up praying told a story about a widow and a judge. This widow had a lot in common with most of us. She wasn’t well connected, rich or powerful and besides everything else, the only person she could turn to for help was a corrupt politician!

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In face of that most of us would have thrown in the towel, moved away or started complaining to our neighbors. But she wouldn’t quit. Instead, every morning she went down to the judge’s house and knocked on his door. She knew that he was not a good guy and that he didn’t want to help her out. But despite the odds she kept asking him, “I need a protection from abuse order from my enemies.!” Now some would not have wanted to keep bothering the judge. Maybe we would have tried to make friends with him first. But she decided that driving him crazy was the quickest way to get his attention just long enough so he would just do his job! And guess what? Despite all the odds the judge finally threw up his hands one morning shouting; “Oi vey! Alright already! I’ll give you what you want!”

Then Jesus reminds us that when we pray God is not like that judge at all. Instead God who is our judge is good! He wants to listen! God loves to answer our prayers. So why should we ever give up? Why should we should ever think He doesn’t care? God is listening and if we are faithful to knock on His door every morning He will answer us one day in ways far greater than we can ever imagine!

Don’t Forget to Pray by Peter Caligiuri © 2020 All rights reserved

Jesus is Right on Time!

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Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”          John 11:21-22 ESV

Just like Martha we spend a lot of time worrying when Jesus is going to show up. I have an expectation that He must do something but no matter how much I fuss or complain about my problem, Jesus sticks to His own timetable. But if we will we still believe like Martha, then He just might surprise you with a miracle. Someone once said, “The hurrier I go the behinder I get.” Though it sounds funny it is no fun experiencing it. After all they had done for Jesus, Martha and Mary were probably shocked when He didn’t come to help their brother. Maybe they began to wonder if Jesus was as kind and loving as they thought. But they both knew in their hearts that Jesus hadn’t forgotten them. Even though Martha couldn’t understand she still believed that somehow He could still come to help. At the deepest point in her sorrow she still believed that it was not too late!

Part of our struggle is that God doesn’t have the same goal that we do. When Jesus waited an extra few days while Lazarus died it must have seemed cold hearted. After all hadn’t he already healed hundreds of other people? Why wouldn’t He come as fast as possible to heal one of His closest friends? But God had something better in mind. He didn’t just come for healing…He came for resurrection!

Let’s Talk

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So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.  John 21:15

There is an old gospel song that says, “So let us have a little talk with Jesus” When we think of having this short conversation it mostly comes to our minds what we will say. But there are times when we need to let Jesus talk first! Our verse today is about a conversation that Jesus had been trying to have with Peter for years. In the past sometimes Peter got it, like the time when he said, “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God!” But sometimes Peter didn’t know what to say and yet he talked anyway. (Sound familiar) And sometimes Peter just liked to boast such as when he said;

“…Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” Matthew 26:33

Even though Peter felt that because of his failure his life was over Jesus still loved him and still had a job for him to do. That was good news for Peter as well as for all the rest of us.

If you are reading these words it’s a sure thing that your life isn’t over either and Jesus wants to with you. It doesn’t matter how recently we have messed up or even how many times we have failed. God’s plan depends only on our willingness to listen and then do what He says; “Do you love Him? Then go take care of some of His lambs!”