OUR DAILY BREAD : ALWAYS PRAY AND DON'T GIVE UP

[cimi]

MONDAY FEBRUARY 1


ALWAYS PRAY AND DON'T GIVE UP

READ:
Luke 18:1
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Jesus told his
disciples a parable
to show them
that they should
always pray and
not give up.
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Are you going through one of those times when it seems every attempt to resolve a problem is met with a new difficulty? You thank the Lord at night that it's taken care of but awake to find that something else has gone wrong and the problem remains.

During an experience like that, I was reading the gospel of Luke and was astounded by the opening words of chapter 18: "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up" (v.1). I had read the story of the persistent widow many times but never grasped why Jesus told it (vv.2-8). Now I connected those opening words with the story. The lesson to His followers was very clear: "Always pray and never give up."

Prayer is not a means of coercing God to do what we want. It is a process of recognizing His power and plan for our ives. In prayer we yield our ives and circumstances to the Lord and trust Him to act in His time and in His way.

As we rely on God's grace not only for the outcome of our requests but for the process as well, we can keep coming to the Lord in prayer, trusting His wisdom and care for us.

Our Lord's encouragement to us is clear: Always pray and don't give up! _____David McCasland

**Lord in the difficulty I face today, guard my heart,
guide my words, and show Your grace,
May I always turn to You in prayer.
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Prayer changes everything.

***********************Today's Bible Reading __ Luke 18:1-8***************************
1 Then Jesus told his disciple a parable to show them
that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said:

"In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared
God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a
widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea,
'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself,
'Even though I don't fear God or care what people think, 5 yet
because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets
justice, so that she won't eventually come and attack me!' "

6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.

7 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? 8 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?"

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>INSIGHT<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
The parable of the judge and the persistent
widow is one of the most challenging parables to interpret. The
judge represents God, yet the judge is described as uncaring
and unjust. Those terms certainly do not describe our heavenly
Father. So how is this to be read? Most parables are intended to
communicate one big idea rather than have meaning in every
detail. In today's passage the big idea is not the character of the
God to whom we pray, but the value of persevering in prayer.
When considering a parable, the simple guideline of looking for
the one central idea can be helpful. ____Bill Crowder