Pastor’s Bible Reading Schedule: Joshua 20-22; Luke 18
Devotional Thought:
Title: “Prayer is a Privilege” Luke 18
In this chapter we find an emphasis being put on prayer by our Lord. “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” (vs. 10)We have two parables that teach the disciples about prayer. Parables are earthly stories with heavenly meanings; therefore, it is important for every child of God to understand the spiritual lesson from these parables. The first parable is about a woman who is persistent in getting the judge to hear her prayers. This woman had obstacles to overcome, in her culture that made it difficult to get her matter heard. First, she was a woman and they were not allowed into the court. Second, she was a widow so she had no husband to voice her case. Thirdly, she was poor so she did not have clout or money for bribes in order to get her case heard. Jesus was teaching the disciples that there would always be things that will challenge their persistence in prayer. Their flesh was the main culprit and it would faint and quit if the challenges were too severe. We have the same flesh and we struggle with the same tendency. Prayer is much more than the words of our lips; it is the communication of the desires of our hearts, and our hearts are constantly “desiring” before God, even if we never speak a word. So, to “pray without ceasing” means to have such spiritual desires in our hearts, in the will of God that we are constantly in loving communion with the Father, petitioning Him for His blessing. The lesson Jesus is giving is a contrast in order to encourage the hearts of His disciples to pray. If a widow can get what she needs from a selfish judge, how much better is it for us as God’s children to approach our Heavenly Father who loves us? Do we pray in faith believing God will do what is right, what is best, and what is necessary in answering our prayer? The first lesson is about persistence in our prayer life. The second parable is about petitions in our prayer life. The prayer of this Pharisee was an exercise in promoting self, pretending superficially, and practicing superiority. However, it is contrasted with the prayer of the publican who prayed with humility, honesty, and without honor. The publican was not praying for anyone to hear but the Lord. He was not interested in the opinions of others about his prayer, but he was concerned that God heard the content of his prayer. The Pharisee was on a selfish mission while the publican only wanted the Savior’s mercy. Therefore, we learn in these two parables that there is a balance between communicating to God how long we petition to Him, and how we petition to Him. Prayer is our personal, private, and privileged opportunity to spend time with our loving Heavenly Father who delights in communicating with His children. Have you practiced this wonderful privilege, with a proper priority, with a spiritual passion, so God can answer in showing His Personal provision? Our God knows best what we need, when we need it, and if we really need it. What a privilege to pray to Him!
Personal Requests:
• Lord, please help me to never try to impress man, but rather to live to obey you. Help me to be only motivated about what you know about me rather than what man may think about me.
• Lord, please help me to exercise importunity in my prayer time with you. May I properly express the passion of my heart, but may it always be balanced with submission to your will.
• Lord, thank you for loving me and providing this wonderful avenue of help because I constantly need mercy and grace.