Jesus Speaks

JESUS SPEAKING

            And he said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Please, lend me three loaves; ‘for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’?  I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, but because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs.  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.  For everyone who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Luke 11: 5-10.)

INSPIRED THOUGHTS

           In Middle Eastern culture, welcoming visitors in to your home meant providing for all of their needs.  Guests were given food, shelter, and protection.  Failure to do so was considered a great disgrace.  In this parable, a tired and wearied traveler arrived at his friend’s home late in the evening.  The host, lacking the proper sustenance, approached his neighbor, hoping to acquire some food.  The sleeping man, irritated by the untimely appeal, denied his initial request.  However, the neighbor’s persistence eventually paid off.  In this parable, the request for food is a reference to prayer.  The unrelenting neighbor symbolizes those who pray without ceasing; and the man who supplied the food represents God, who enjoys and rewards those who tirelessly continue in prayer. 

            At the age of 23 an inquisitive youth from Gloucester, spied an advertisement in a Boston newspaper that read, “Wanted:  young man as an understudy to a financial statistician.  P.O. Box 1720.”  He responded to the ad by way of letter; but he received no reply.  He wrote a second letter, and then a third; still no reply.  So he made his way down to the post office and requested the name of the owner of Box 1720; but the clerk refused.  He then met with the Postmaster, but he too refused (claiming it was illegal to provide him with that information.)  The young man remained determined; he arose early in the morning, hopped on the first train to Boston, and entered the post office.  He stood patiently with his eyes fixed on box 1720.  After quite some time, a man appeared; he opened the box, grabbed the mail and left.  The young man followed him to his brokerage firm; he entered and asked to speak to the manager.  He told the manager that he had written three letters, before going to the post office where he was refused any further information.  The manager asked, “But how did you find out that I was the advertiser?”  The youth replied, “I stood in the lobby of the post office for several hours, watching Box 1720.  When the man came in and took the mail from the box, I followed him here.”  The manager said, “Young man, you are just the kind of persistent fellow I want.  You’re hired.”

            Similarly, God rewards those who are persistent in prayer.  All too often, our prayers are erratic and inconsistent.  Although we make our requests known to God, we frequently get discouraged when He doesn’t answer them immediately.  In turn, many simply stop asking.  If we have need of something, we must relentlessly make our requests known to God.  We may not receive the blessing on the 1st day, the 10th day, or even the 100th day; but if we are persistent, it will come.  We must never stop asking, never stop seeking, and never stop knocking.  God is listening; and He is willing and able to give us the desires of our heart.

            “Lord Heavenly Father, hear our prayers.  We stand at the door and knock; we will not relent until You bless us.  May we remain persistent in our prayers; may we be graced with patience and the strength to endure.  Transform our hearts and minds; provide for our needs; and fill us with the fullness of Your mercy and love.  We adore You Father, we praise You, and we thank You, and we ask and pray all of these things according to Your will, in Jesus Christ’s name.  Amen.”  God bless all of you.