Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your love and grace over us, families and loved ones. We reverence You for Your presence in our midst, for in Your presence there is fullness of Your glory. Receive our glory, honour, adoration and praise, Amen!
Dear friends in Christ, what a privilege to be call Abba, Father and get answers from the throne. Lord, we thank You for the grace. Father, receive our prayers in Jesus Name.
Beloved, we will be considering the place of “importunity” in prayer. The passage we use in the model of intercessors (Lk 11:5-8) told us that the friend granted him his request because of importunity. Also in Lk 18:1-8, the lawyer only responded to the widow’s perseverance in order words, the widow’s importunity brought justices to her.
A glance at the last topic “model of intercessor” “Which of you shall have a friend at midnight, and shall say to him, Friend, lend me three loaves?” This friend is none other but our God. Do let us learn that in the darkness of midnight, at the most unlikely time, and in the greatest need, when we have to say of those we love and care for, “I have nothing to set before them,” we have a rich Friend in heaven, the Everlasting God and Father, who only waits to be asked aright. Let us confess before Him our lack of prayer. Let us admit that the lack of faith, of which it is the proof, is the symptom of a life that is not spiritual, that is yet all too much under the power of self and the flesh and the world. Let us in the faith of the Lord Jesus, who spake this parable, and Himself waits to make every trait of it true in us, give ourselves to be intercessors.
Let every sight of souls needing help, let every stirring of the spirit of compassion, let every sense of our own impotence to bless, let every difficulty in the way of our getting an answer, just combine to urge us to do this one thing: with importunity to cry to the God who alone can help, who, in answer to our prayer, will help. And let us, if we indeed feel that we have failed, do our utmost to train a young generation of Christians, who profit by our mistake and avoid it. Moses could not enter the land of Canaan, but there was one thing he could do: he could at God’s bidding “charge Joshua, and encourage him, and strengthen him” (Deut. 3:28). If it is too late for us to make good our failure, let us at least encourage those who come after us to enter into the good land, the blessed life of unceasing prayer. Read about Christ’s prayer to God and encouragement to us the Saints:
“I pray not that Thou shouldst take them out of the world.” John 17:15
It is a sweet and blessed event which will occur to all believers in God’s own time—the going home to be with Jesus. In a few more years the Lord’s soldiers, who are now fighting “the good fight of faith” will have done with conflict, and have entered into the joy of their Lord. But although Christ prays that His people may eventually be with Him where He is, He does not ask that they may be taken at once away from this world to heaven.
He wishes them to stay here. Yet how frequently does the wearied pilgrim put up the prayer, “O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at rest;” but Christ does not pray like that, He leaves us in His Father’s hands, until, like shocks of corn fully ripe, we shall each be gathered into our Master’s garner. Jesus does not plead for our instant removal by death, for to abide in the flesh is needful for others if not profitable for ourselves.
He asks that we may be kept from evil, but He never asks for us to be admitted to the inheritance in glory till we are of full age. Christians often want to die when they have any trouble. Ask them why, and they tell you, “Because we would be with the Lord.” We fear it is not so much because they are longing to be with the Lord, as because they desire to get rid of their troubles; else they would feel the same wish to die at other times when not under the pressure of trial. They want to go home, not so much for the Saviour’s company, as to be at rest.
Now it is quite right to desire to depart if we can do it in the same spirit that Paul did, because to be with Christ is far better, but the wish to escape from trouble is a selfish one. Rather let your care and wish be to glorify God by your life here as long as He pleases, even though it be in the midst of toil, and conflict, and suffering, and leave Him to say when “it is enough.”(Job 14:14)
Our intercession is not for our will to be done but for the will of God, even as Christ prayed in the garden. Do you noticed in all prayer made by Christ received an immediate answer? Howbeit, that every request got an answer? First, He never prayed amiss. Secondly, He prayed believing. Faithful one’s, how well do you know Your God? How far can you relay on Him that changeth not, Dependable God, Omnipotent and Omnipresence God? The immortal and invisible God? Read more of this kind of faith below:
“These all died in faith.” Hebrews 11:13
Behold the epitaph of all those blessed saints who fell asleep before the coming of our Lord! It matters nothing how else they died, whether of old age, or by violent means; this one point, in which they all agree, is the most worthy of record, “they all died in faith.” In faith they lived—it was their comfort, their guide, their motive and their support; and in the same spiritual grace they died, ending their life-song in the sweet strain in which they had so long continued.
They did not die resting in the flesh or upon their own attainments; they made no advance from their first way of acceptance with God, but held to the way of faith to the end. Faith is as precious to die by as to live by.
Dying in faith has distinct reference to the past. They believed the promises which had gone before, and were assured that their sins were blotted out through the mercy of God. Dying in faith has to do with the present. These saints were confident of their acceptance with God, they enjoyed the beams of His love, and rested in His faithfulness. Dying in faith looks into the future. They fell asleep, affirming that the Messiah would surely come, and that when He would in the last days appear upon the earth, they would rise from their graves to behold Him. To them the pains of death were but the birth-pangs of a better state.
Take courage, my soul, as thou readest this epitaph. Thy course, through grace, is one of faith, and sight seldom cheers thee; this has also been the pathway of the brightest and the best. Faith was the orbit in which these stars of the first magnitude moved all the time of their shining here; and happy art thou that it is thine.
Look anew to-night to Jesus, the author and finisher of thy faith, and thank Him for giving thee like precious faith with souls now in glory.
Beloved, your faith in God will not only enthrone you; it will also establish you. Be more in praying and believing and Your Father in heaven will honour you as He did the Saints of old.
Come with faith and you will be blessed; come believing and the Lord will perfect all that concerns you.
Remain blessed in the Lord.
Evang. Ifeoma Ohondu
