They Must Pray and Not Be Discouraged
Luke 18:1 Lexham English Bible
18 And he told them a parable to show that they must always pray and not be discouraged,
The word discouraged here means to be disheartened — to be or become discouraged or disheartened; lose spirit. [1] Have you ever felt discouraged when it comes to prayer? Have you ever felt like you have waited so long that you simply desire to throw in the towel? This is what it means to lose heart. It means to lose hope. One of the enemy’s strategies is to attack the faith and trust in Almighty God. He desires to destabilize and paralyze our faith.
But Jesus tells this parable about the widow and the unjust judge to teach the disciples and us a valuable lesson. If it is recorded in scripture, it was not only for them, but it was for all who would follow Jesus and desire to accomplish His will and further His kingdom. Prayer is one of the greatest privileges we have on this earth. I mean stop and think about this: we have an opportunity to have a personal audience with Almighty God. The one who created all things desires to meet with us personally and to not only hear our concerns, but to move concerning His will and purpose as it relates to our concerns.
But the reality is that there is a demonic realm of fallen angels who have rebelled against the rule and reign of God and because we have given allegiance to them, we have no become their target. But here is a truth we must realize: because of Jesus Christ we carry kingdom authority. We carry the trump card. We always have check mate. Not because of our strength and power, but because of who Jesus is and what He has accomplished for us. We must not forget the promises of Matthew 18:18-20: 18 “Truly I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will be released in heaven. 19 Again, truly I say to you that if two of you agree on earth about any matter that they ask, it will be done for them from my Father who is in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am there in the midst of them.” Jesus not only shows us here the importance of unity and agreement, but He also shows us that we have authority. What happens in our prayer time on this earth, impacts what takes place in the spiritual realm. It is through prayer that we ultimately take the fight to the kingdom of darkness. God is calling us to impose the authority found in Christ. But the devil will do all that He can to paralyze our faith and keep us from the place of prayer.
Over and over again God calls us to pray. May we heed the call. May our faith not be built on what we feel, what we see, or what we hear. May it be built upon the truth of God’s word and His promises that He will fulfill by His power and His might. Let us not forget that God is all powerful. He is sovereign. That simply means He is fully in control, and He is greater than all. He will fulfill every promise of His word because of who He is.
He has given us His word to reveal who He is. His word is not given to prove that He exist, it is given to reveal who He is. May we stop listening to the voice of the enemy and simply set our faces to seek the Living God and see His will not only accomplished in our lives, but our families, our marriages, our churches, our cities, our states, and our nations.
God has called us to be an overcoming people. To be a bride who carries His kingdom authority. May we be a house of prayer. May we pray and not be discouraged and give up hope. May we trust the Living God and remember that He will work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purposes. Continue to pray day and night my friend. May Jesus be our model and example. His life was bathed in prayer and may ours be as well.
Prayer
Father help me. Help me in my weakness and unbelief. Help me in my fatigue and discouragement. Fix my eyes upon you. Silence the voice and lies of the enemy. Deliver me from the hand and purposes of the devil. Father this day may my life be a house of prayer. May you use me as you used Daniel to impact the course of history. Help me to understand the authority I have through Jesus and to use that authority daily in the place of prayer. In the mighty name of Jesus, Amen!
[1] Rick Brannan, ed., Lexham Research Lexicon of the Greek New Testament, Lexham Research Lexicons (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020).
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