Shalom,
In this year 2022 we really need God’s help to love Him more so that He puts the desire in our heart to serve Him more prior to His second coming. Frankly, some of our attitudes don’t show genuine love; therefore, we are ups and downs in our worship and ministry. However, He has helped us to pass the days with the intention that we will be more attracted to Him and love Him more.
We must keep our hearts in the right attitude anytime and anywhere, even in our relationship with others. How about our attitude in prayer? On His journey from Galilee to Judea, Jesus told two parables, where He set out on His way to Jerusalem for He would be taken up to Heaven (Luke 9:51).
The Word of God last week reminded us to be ready to welcome the coming of the Son of Man. Related to it, our attitude in prayer really matters. What kind of prayer’s attitude which is right and pleasant to God?
- Pray unceasingly (Luke 18:1-7).
“Then Jesus told His disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”
To pray unceasingly means praying without despair, in zeal and spirit. It is not because being pushed by someone (pastor) but by Jesus Himself. Then Jesus showed two contradictive persons. Who were they?
- A judge at the era of Roman’s colonialism. He must have been a Roman judge because he didn’t fear God nor respect man (v. 2).
- A Jewish widow (v. 3) who surely feared God. She came to the judge pleading for her rights.
This Roman judge kept the law of Roman’s kingdom while the Jewish widow kept the law of God. This widow realized that her nation was subdued to Romans and she was facing a Roman judge. As a colonialist, the jugde usually didn’t care for the welfare of the Jews. But this widow never gave up, she kept coming to the judge for her rights. This woman ignored all the sharp diffrences between the judge and her. She kept coming and urged the judge. And it made him feel uncomfortable (vv. 4-5).
What did Jesus say then? “And will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off?” (v. 7).
Weren’t we, the Gentiles by birth, separated from Christ, having no covenant of the promise and without God (Ephesians 2:11-12), contrary to the (fair) Judge above all judges who is God? Fortunately, by Christ’s sacrifice, we become His chosen people (v. 13). Hence, in our life’s struggling we know exactly that only God’s grace guarantees that our prayers are justified and we are made accountable to become His chosen people. Now Christ abides in us and with us (Immanuel). We have hope for the bright future and ready to welcome His coming.
Introspection: How is our attitude in prayer? Is it as same as those who have no hope? Or on the contrary, we are persevering in prayer no matter what happens, such as when we receive unfairness in relationship with others, become a minority, and were helpless? Never give up, instead, cry out to the Lord and ask for His defence! His grace stregthens us (Romans 8:31-34). He will justify us in His time.
Since the era of the apostles and church fathers, the oppression, persecution, abuse, unfairness have happened to believers in this world until now (Revelation 6:9-11). But Jesus had endured that unfairness. So, though we are treated unjustly, actually we only follow His footprints. And now we are at the end of age to welcome the coming of the Son of Man. Its logic consequence is that the number of the believers who are slained must be fulfilled. We don’t know what will happen but the Word of God has told us beforehand. Pay attention, in facing off unfairness from man, do not repay it hastily nor find the way out by ourselves. This kind of behavior will ruin our strength to encounter the persecution which God has stated. Remember, God is different from human judges since He loves His chosen people. He didn’t spare His own Son for our sake, how come that He will not defend us? He knows our situation. If we overcome and our name is written in the book of life, we will be dressed in white (Revelation 3:5). Because of that, no evil power can touch us including the seal of Antichrist.
If the Roman unjust judge defended the Jewish widow, how much more our God would help us? By His Son’s blood, we are redeemed. Let’s not be messed up with the unbiblical issues. We must know our position. Facing such situation, let’s improve the quality of our prayer. Let’s welcome the second coming of the Son of Man as a just Judge in unceasing prayer.
- Pray with firm faith (Luke 18:8).
“I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son on Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
What kind of faith mentioned here? Faith is related to the coming of the Son of Man. So this kind of faith is not for physical things such as healing, problem-solving, etc., which will not stand until the second coming of the Son of Man. Let’s not limit our faith only to physical needs; instead, let’s enlarge it to spiritual area that brings us relief. In so doing, we will have peace and our mind will focus on His coming.
God’s chosen people are gifted with every spiritual blessing in Heaven (Ephesians 1:3,4). Hence we need to grapple it in prayer by faith continously so no worldy thing will hinder us to receive that spritual blessing. If we welcome His coming by faith, He will defend us and solve our problems. We are chosen by Him and receive the sprinkling of His blood which means suffering the persecution because of Him. Because the spiritual blessing can never perish, spoil nor fade kept in Heaven and given by God for us ( 1 Peter 1:1-5), it’s imposibble that He will not listen to our daily prayer. Although God doesn’t answer us till our last breath, let’s rejoice always (v.6) for this is to prove the genuineness of our faith (v.7). If it’s God’s will we die in persecution, our soul is kept in God’s hand because we are His chosen people.
It’s necessary to know that God has the authority to fulfill the number of believers who die in slain. Let’s not accuse that He doesn’t help them because He knows men one by one. He knows all our plans before the creation and even knows what will happen to us (our future). The most important is we must know to place ourselves as His chosen people who have received His grace and mercy in this life by living in holiness and keeping the right attitude in prayer to Him as the Judge above all judges.
Take note, faith that is not related to His second coming will not stand the test. If our faith is persistent like refined gold, we will receive the reward, honor and glory at the time Christ reveals Himself.
- Pray with self-introspection (Luke 18:9-14).
“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector...”
Both were Jews, the chosen people of God who were both facing the same Judge of judges that is God who can see heart and mind. The tax collector took the improper benefit from his own people. Then God judged those who practiced prayer as His chosen men and those who didn’t. It was proven that the prayer of the Pharisee wasn’t right before God though it seemed the content of the prayer dan his prayer’s manner was good (vv. 11-12). It was not like the tax collector, who humbled himself and had self introspection, considering himself as being unworthy before God (v.13).
Prayer with self-introspection is very important because all men have sinned. Especially because we were unchosen people who were numbered as His chosen people only by the sacrifice of Christ. That’s why we need to be careful so we will not be arrogant and regard we are justified by God because of our deeds in spiritual activities, for example: being diligent to worship and minister, giving the tithes on time, giving the offering. All our works cannot replace the sin offering because only the stainless blood of His Son can.
Application: We should not judge others who fall into sin. It’s better that we pray for them and introspect ourselves because one day we may commit sin too, maybe the same sin. But whatever it is, death is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23).
Let’s improve our passion in prayer and the persistence of our faith in Heavenly things and always have self-introspection in approaching the second coming of the Son of Man and the just Judge who will give us the everlasting reward—to live together with Him forever. Amen.