OUR DAILY BREAD : THE SQUEAKY WHEEL

[cimi]

THURSDAY MAY 7


THE SQUEAKY WHEEL

READ:
James 5:16 NIV
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The prayer of a
righteous person
is powerful and
effective.
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The squeaky wheel gets the oil" is a popular proverb. As a child I rode my bicycle for long distances between home and school, and the squeaky sounds of the wheels drew my attention to the need to lubricate them.

In Luke 18, the widow's persistent request to the judge for justice against her adversary made her sound like a "squeaky wheel" until she got the result she needed. Luke explains that Jesus told this story to teach us the need to pray continually and not to give up, even if it appears that the answer to our prayer is delayed (vv. 1-5).

God is certainly not an unjust judge who must be harassed before He responds to us. He is our loving Father who cares about us and hears us when we cry to Him. Regular, persistent prayer draws us closer to Him. It may feel like we are a squeaky wheel, but the Lord welcomes our prayer and encourages us to approach him with our cries. He hears us and will come to our aid in ways that we may not expect.

As Jesus teaches in Matthew 6:5-8, constant prayer does not require long periods of "vain repetitions." Rather, as we bring our needs before God "day and night" (LUKE 18:7) and walk with the One who already knows our needs, we learn to trust God and wait patiently for His response. Lawrence Darmani

**To read more about prayer, check out the online booklet When God isn't
Answering Your Prayer at discoveryseries.org/hp112. _______________________________________________
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***************************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 18:1-8***********************
1 Then [Jesus spoke a parable to them, that men always
ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: "There was
in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard
man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came
to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.'

4 "And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within
himself, "Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet
because his widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her
continual coming she weary me.' "

6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And
shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night
to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He
will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man
comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Parables have often been defined as "earthly
stories with heavenly meanings." Usually taken from the
everyday things of life, they contain memorable truths encased
in ordinary illustrations. One of the primary features of Luke's
gospel is its emphasis on the teachings of Jesus through parables.
Luke records 27 of Jesus' parables, more than any other gospel
account. These include the good Samaritan (CH.10), the mustard
seed (CH. 13), and the prodigal son (CH 15). Matthew contains 22
parables, while Mark includes only 9. Interestingly, John's gospel
contains no parables at all.