AP

Luke 11:8-9  I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.  So I say to you:  Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.

There is an important lesson for me to learn here from my loving Saviour, Jesus, concerning my prayer life.

The English translation tends to miss the fact that the Greek verbs, ‘ask’, ‘seek’ and ‘knock’ are in the form that literally means ‘keep on asking’, ‘keep on seeking’, ‘keep on knocking’.  A short parable of Jesus, reported by Luke in 18:1-8, about a very persistent widow and a lethargic judge makes the very same point

 I have been conscious recently of wonderfully answered prayer at a number of levels, and this is further incentive for me to be more persistent, even ‘shamelessly audacious’ in my praying – that I should ‘always pray and not give up’ (Luke 18:1), and to do this trusting that “God will bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night’ (Luke 18:7).

I need also to keep in mind that this last statement of Jesus carries with it the caveat that my Sovereign Heavenly Father knows where true justice lies, that ‘whate’er my God ordains is right’, and therefore that the best answer to my prayer might not always be exactly what I had in mind!

It seems that the ‘shameless audacious’ persisting must go hand in hand with humble, submissive trusting!

In fact, I find all the lyrics of Samuel Rodigast’s hymn very helpful, so I’ll share them here:

“Whate’er my God ordains is right, in his love I am abiding; I will be still in all he does and follow where he’s guiding.  

He is my God, though dark my road, he holds me that I shall not fall and so to him I leave it all.

“Whate’er my God ordains is right, he never will deceive me; he leads me by the proper path, I know he will not leave me.  

I take content, what he has sent, his hand can turn my griefs away and patiently I wait hia day.

“Whate’er my God ordains is right, here shall my stand be taken: Though sorrow, need, or death be mine yet I am not forsaken.  

My Father’s care surrounds me there; he holds me that I shall not fall and so to him I leave it all.

“Whate’er my God ordains is right, though now this cup, in drinking, bitter it seems to my faint heart, I take it all unshrinking.  

My God is true, each morn anew sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart and pain and sorrow shall depart.”

– Bruce Christian