Consistency in Prayer

"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"Luke 18:1-8)
 

Thought For Today:

Have you ever gotten to a point where you wondered why you should pray? I'm sure that many have. Especially when they feel that the wicked are getting the upper hand or they feel that God isn't answering them in a timely matter. What I find is that those who feel this way are usually focusing on themselves and their needs and not the needs of others. I find in scripture that Jesus prayed for himself once in the garden before his crucifixion. He prayed, "O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. But He concluded, nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt." Jesus had a consistent prayer life, but it primarily focused on others. Even Paul told Timothy to pray for others ( 1 Timothy 2:1-5). Jesus said that if we pray, we will gain strength. In today's passage, Jesus encourages us with two important points about prayer, faith, and consistency. The Berlin Wall came down because people were consistent. When people really want something, if they are consistent long enough, they will get people to hear them. Faith causes us to believe that Jesus will answer. And consistency says, "I won't give up until I am heard." If we aren't consistent in our prayer life, we will not maintain the momentum of faith needed to stay connected with Jesus Christ.