05 Real Prayer is Persistent

River Church Sermons

True Stories

Pt 5: Real Prayer Is Persistent

By Louie Marsh, 9-8-2024

1) When I pray I must not LOSE heart.

1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. Luke 18:1 (ESV)

1 Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart. 2 Corinthians 4:1 (ESV)

What Does This Tell Me?

· Praying isn’t EASY.

13 As for you, brothers, do not grow weary in doing good. 2 Thessalonians 3:13 (ESV)

· Prayerlessness is usually a HEART issue.

4 Delight yourself in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 (ESV)

2) In prayer I should BASH ON regardless!

Ted Sutton’s saying.

2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” Luke 18:2-5 (ESV)

· The judge doesn’t care -but God LOVES me.

20 Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me! Psalm 66:20 (ESV)

· The widow is so aggressive the judge is SCARED of her.

That word is from ὑπώπιον, the part of the face under the eyes, and means to strike under the eye; to give one a black eye. "Lest at last she come and assault me." So Goebel and Meyer, and so Wyc., "Lest at the last she, coming, strangle me;" and Tynd., "Lest at the last she come and rail on me." Word Studies in the New Testament.

17 pray continually; 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

3) God will act in my life at just the RIGHT time.

6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily…” Luke 18:6-8a (ESV)

13 But as for me, my prayer is to you, O LORD. At an acceptable time, O God, in the abundance of your steadfast love answer me in your saving faithfulness. Psalm 69:13 (ESV)

4) If Jesus came today, would he find me in PERSISTENT PRAYER?

…Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” Luke 18:8 (ESV)

11 Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! 1 Chronicles 16:11 (ESV)