Be Persistent

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’”
Luke 18:1-5 (NKJV)

He spoke in parables to His disciples and a discerning world, so that those who hear and can connect the dots may pick up actionable intelligence and knowledge and use to navigate the tortuous terrains of the world. This certain widow never gave up on her case before an unjust judge. She kept at it even in the face of rejection, glaring failure and loss, she kept on keeping on. The race of life isn't a 100m dash, but a marathon for those with stamina to endure and keep at the goals and will of God for their lives. The parable speaks to our persistence in prayer. Prayer in a world that have grown cold and hostile to prayers in public spaces and counting.... Prayer remains one of the potent tools of the believer, and to lay down the banners of prayers is to surrender to the adversary without a fight.

6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:6-8 (NKJV)

We must not grow weary, neither must we faint or become weak in lifting up holy hands and praying to the God the Father in all our days, for the influence of the world will get stronger and drain and sap the energies of the believing world unless the faithful stays strong, faithful and persistent. We ought to pray and not lose heart, it is the Lord's mandate for us.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

Make it about Him, not you

“Thus you shall speak to Hezekiah king of Judah, saying: ‘Do not let your God in whom you trust deceive you, saying, “Jerusalem shall not be given into the hand of the king of Assyria.” Look! You have heard what the kings of Assyria have done to all lands by utterly destroying them; and shall you be delivered? Have the gods of the nations delivered those whom my fathers have destroyed, Gozan and Haran and Rezeph, and the people of Eden who were in Telassar? Where is the king of Hamath, the king of Arpad, and the king of the city of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?’”
2 Kings 19:10-13 (NKJV)

Sounds familiar, hun? You've watched all the cable news and networks and the airwaves. Its the news of the terror in the air, the pervading recession, the lost jobs, punctured destinies, shattered nest eggs, market implosions, a comatose but slowly recovering world economy, daily threats of losing the remnants of your treasures. And as if the rain of dread and the deficiency of 'good news' isn't enough, then you receive the letter like Hezekiah below....

And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the LORD, and spread it before the LORD. Then Hezekiah prayed before the LORD, and said: “O LORD God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O LORD, and hear; open Your eyes, O LORD, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, LORD, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O LORD our God, I pray, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the LORD God, You alone.”
2 Kings 19:14-19 (NKJV)

For every turn in our life there is an action needed for breakthrough. You can only smile in front of a closed door when you have the key. Halleluyah!!!!! Hezekiah upon receiving the letter did not reach out to anyone like he did previously (read 2 Kings 19), he took the world's letter to the Living God and stated his case. Hezekiah made it about God not himself or his nation. With a steady relationship with your Creator, make this your core strategy to deal with all issues of your time.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi

They said Shut-up!!!

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart
Luke 18:1 (NKJV)

These were the words of the Lord Himself, that all men ought to pray and never lose hope or resign to any situation as helpless. Yes we will go through seasons of vulnerability, times we know we won't make it unless God intervenes. Yes during these times, even in our weakness we ought not cease in our prayers and supplications. The blind man on the road to Jericho was told to shut up. Contrary to the obstacles and human roadblocks before him, this brother was relentless. Relentless in his spirit, prayers, fasting, and seeking of the Lord to the point the Lord stood still and responded to him.

Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!” So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him.
Luke 18:35-40 (NKJV)

The prayer-less option is not option us, and when the world in all its scheme becomes a constraint or obstacle, we must not relent, we can't be shutdown. The one fight we can't give up on is this. On our knees we will do battle until Heaven stands still on our behalf.

Be encouraged,

Afolabi