I had lunch yesterday with a friend who shared some words with me that are sticking. We’ve been praying for the Penn State campus (students and other associated people) for the past 2 weeks, and Matt has been part of an on-campus ministry for years. As we sat at the table letting our delicious Chinese food settle (it should be noted that we only ate one plate each–both of us are former chubby guys who used to put a hurtin on a buffet!) the conversation turned to how he could be praying for me.
I shared a little, then we stretched our legs and walked outside to enjoy the sunshine. Matt quoted a passage from Isaiah 62:
I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.
He reminded me that the Lord wants us to be persistant in prayer. Jesus told the parable of the persistant widow–she got her request met partly due to her incessant asking (Luke 18). Isaiah challenges his listeners to pray, to give the Lord no rest.
I don’t know if there’s a theme here–last night I was thinking about crying like a baby. Tonight I’m picturing a pesky child asking over and over and over for the same thing.
When we know that the things we’re praying about–people to find life and faith and hope in Jesus, the restoration of broken lives, the breaking of spiritual strongholds, the transformation of a city–when we know that those things are close to the heart of God, we need to dig in. It’s easy, I suppose, to lose heart. To get discouraged by a lack of visible progress. To either simply go through the motions or stop praying altogether.
But tonight I am encouraged to keep praying, keep asking God to breakthrough in my life, in my family, in my community. He is the Lord–there is nothing too big for him, nothing beyond his scope or power. I believe that God wants to breakthrough–to bring life, help, healing, and hope to my family, to Happy Valley, to Penn State. Just because I haven’t seen much/any progress doesn’t mean that God isn’t working behind the scenes, under the surface.
What prayers are you getting tired of praying? What have you been asking God to do that isn’t happening? If you truly believe that God wants to breakthrough in that area, keep on praying. Find a friend who will pray with you. Don’t give up. Keep pestering the Lord. Give him no rest…
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