#4 - The Persistence of Prayer - Pr. Opanda Wamalika | Morning Devotion

Welcome to today's devotion. >> [clears throat] >> Let us pray. Our Father and our God, we thank you for pleasing that we appear before you this morning and listen to your word. Speak to us, Lord, even now in Jesus' name. Amen. Today, I'm talking about persistence in prayer. Don't forget the fact that our foundational scripture has been Ephesians chapter 6 verse 18, which provides seven privileges of prayer. Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplications for all the saints. Praying always, that is persistence in prayer. With all prayer, that is the possibility of prayer. And supplication, that's the petition of prayer. In the spirit, the power of prayer. Being watchful to this end, that is the precision of prayer. I'm sorry, we shall not have precision of prayer. This is a series of seven presentations. I see interesting. With all perseverance, that's tomorrow's presentation, perseverance in prayer. And supplications for all the saints, that is purpose of prayer. So, Paul was so intellectually gifted and spiritually, so to speak, he could compri- compress many ideas in one text. That's why you can in theology study only Pauline theology and you'll not exhaust it. You have a PhD in theology specialized in Pauline theology and you have not exhausted it. Because another scholar will pick just a small aspect of Pauline theology. Maybe justification alone and he gets a PhD and he will not exhaust it. Theology is extremely broad and deep. Those who believe that they are intellectual giants, so to speak, attempt theology and you'll discover you are nothing. So, we are dealing with persistent in prayer. I want to talk about boldness. I want to I explain what persistence in prayer is. Hebrews chapter 4 verse 16 says, "Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." When we talk about finding grace, already the notion of you not meriting comes. It means you're obtaining what you don't merit. And Genesis 32:26 "And he said, 'Let me go, for the day breaks.' But he said, 'I will not let you go unless you bless me.'" That's Jacob. I'll be making comments on those two texts in developing the idea of persistence in prayer. And also Luke chapter 11 verse 7 to 8, you need to read from verse 5 to 10. And he will answer from within and say, "Do not trouble me. The door is now shut and my children are with me in bed. I cannot rise and give to you." I say to you, that's Jesus saying, "Though he will not rise and give to him because he's his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will rise and give him as many as he needs." That's a very interesting parable. There's the concept of audacity of prayer. Persistence in prayer is a refusal to let go. Not to give up. A refusal of no for an answer from God. And this is a function of boldness. It is called audacious prayer. Or shameless persistence. The New International Version calls it shameless audacity. I don't know if you have ever dealt with God on those terms. Where you tell God, "I am not accepting no for an answer. It is either yes or yes. God, I am here. I am not going until this thing is done." Since you want to be good people, you feel that engaging God on those terms is is is pride. Sin. Who are you? God is king. You cannot tell God that. But here, we are going to learn today, you can reach a point and tell God, "Where we have reached, God, I'm talking to you and you are listening. This one? No. I am here." That's what called shameless audacity. Or audacious prayer. It means approaching God with a bold, fearless, and persistent confidence. It is asking God for great or [snorts] seemingly impossible things, not because humans are worthy or deserve an answer, but because of God's generous character, deep love, and explicit invitation to ask. Don't forget our first presentation or second, the petition of prayer. It is Jesus himself who said, "Ask, and he didn't say, 'You may be given.'" He's the one who said, "Ask, and it shall be given. Seek, and you shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened." And then in verse 8, he repeats, "For he who asks gets. He who seeks finds. He who knocks, it will be opened." And then, you don't do that. So, Hebrews 4:16 we have read said, "Let us come boldly before the throne of grace and find grace and mercy in times of need." The idea being discussed by the author runs from verse 14. I'm paraphrasing it. Since Jesus as high priest is in heaven, since Jesus as high priest in heaven is interceding for us, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. That's New International Version. >> [snorts] >> Even when our sinful weaknesses are clearly evident. This is the opportunity that Adam and Eve missed. You know, after Adam and Eve had fallen in sin, they ran away from God. They did not boldly stand and tell God, "God, we have sinned. Be gracious to us." I remember when I was just a new teacher, maybe my second year. I was teaching mathematics. A long time ago. You do in college this subject, but when you go on the ground, they tell you, "The problem we have in this school is we have no mathematics teacher." The principal doesn't want to know what you did. So, I've taught all subjects. The only subject I have never taught is agriculture. I've taught math, English, Kiswahili, geography, history, economics, commerce, um music, um I finished, eh? Physics, biology, chemistry. >> [laughter] >> Until I didn't know which subject I'm specialist in. You go to a school and they say, "Are you an Adventist?" Yes. "Oh, we are safe now. You teach C R E." "Are you a Luo?" Yes. "You teach Kiswahili." It's only recently that now we have teachers. So, one day I was teaching mathematics and those days we teachers used to cane students. I don't know if it's happening. So, if you are teaching mathematics and you are so humble and begging students, all of them will give you E. So, you must be tough guy. And I decided to be a tough guy. I'm a young man and married. So, I was teaching something and I realized that these students I felt they have refused to understand. So, I told them, I got a stick and said, "Everybody lie on your desk." So, I started giving two in the back. Pop, pop. Moving around the class. I was young and energetic. I would cane 40 students. That was nothing. So, when I reached a girl, I remember even her name, Lilian. I gave her two. She stood and collapsed and started dying. >> [laughter] >> It was terrible. Uh I I young man, you I trembled and I said, "Lilian, carry her. Let's carry her." And then they put her out. Then I told my What can I do? What can I do? I told myself I should boldly go and report myself to the principal. So, I went straight to the principal's office. I said, "Hello, sir. I'm sorry. I would like to inform you that I was punishing student and I caned a Lilian and she fell on the ground and she's fainting." It required boldness. And the principal those days when laws were still proud, >> [laughter] >> you don't confront a law principal like that. He will finish you. But I confronted him. And he said, "Mwalimu, calm down. Sit. I'll handle it." Alternatively, I should have taken off out of the compound. I go home for one for one week. They search for me. I'm hidden. Then I appear when the heat has gone down. Boldness. This is the opportunity Adam and Eve missed. But Cain, whom all of us hate, do you know that he boldly confronted God with his weakness and received grace? We don't want to do that, but we want we don't want to believe that, but that's true. When God tells Cain that everyone is going to kill you, Cain says, "No, this is too much for me to bear." And then God says, "All right, I'll put a mark on you." What's that mark? It's called a mark of grace. So that you may be spared. God was gracious to Cain, the first murderer, because he boldly confronted God. The author of Hebrews, by highlighting the word finding grace, presupposes a person overtaken in a trespass after giving into temptation. God is the last person this sinner would wish to meet. The greatest need of this sinner is mercy and grace. To obtain this, the sinner will have to appear before God, and this requires boldness. What persistence? When you have made a mistake, when you have wronged someone, you don't want to meet that person. You want to run away from that person. To come and appear before that person and say, "I have come to tell you that I did wrong." You have to be bold. Many backsliders, we are here because of fear emanating from shame, run away from God. Hate him and plunge deeper into sin. To accept that God can still forgive you and you stand up to receive the forgiveness is a great act of boldness. Especially if you have committed the same sin too many times. Some sins are notorious. They don't leave us. You fight it, it comes. You fight it, it comes. You fight it, it comes until you think that God this time round will not forgive me. I've committed the same sin 20 times. This time round God won't. It's you humans who cannot. Do you know that God told Peter that you should forgive how many times in a day? 490 times in a day. How many minutes are in a day? That is uh 60 * 24 is how many? You see? God is a forgiving God. Now, let's look at the audacity of Jacob. First, Jacob had enough stress emanating from his anxiety of meeting Esau, whom he supplanted. And you know, Esau had a vowed to settle that score someday. Who would tell what could happen? you know? Jacob is on the way. He just doesn't know what Esau will do. After sending his people far in front, this is how naturally we are selfish. If Esau starts killing them, I will hear then I run away. Even the wives he loved most were in front. I remember a case many years ago. A student made a mistake and it was a boy. It was a girl. So, I took the student out and gave her a field to slash. So, I said you'll slash during games time. So, during games time I went to inspect. Instead, I found her boyfriend slashing for her. So, I told her, "Wow, your friend is slashing for you. He's helping you do the punishment." There is also another aspect of the punishment. After slashing, you'll come to the office and get two strokes of the cane. Come with your friend. So, they came with their friend and I said, "Since you accepted to help us slashing, you'll take one stroke of the cane and she takes one." Do you know the boy said, "Never. I cannot. I'm not the one who made a mistake." We pretend that we love. But when our love is tested, you men I tend to think I This is not biblical, but I tend to think that women love more genuinely than men. I tend to think like that. When a man reaches a situation, he will even leave his wife. The wife go ahead. I remain behind. If Esau kills everybody, will kill even Rachel, and then I will run away. After sending his people fine front, he was left alone in private that he might more fully spread his cares and fears before God in prayer. While Jacob was honest in prayer, still in this unstable condition, stirring up himself to take hold on God, an assailant attacks him. What was his God up to? It was as though he was opposing his entrance into the land of promise. Hosea 12:4 records how Jacob wrestled. He wept and made supplication. >> [snorts] >> That's begged for God's favor. Prayers and tears were his offerings. Commenting on this text, Matthew Henry explains what the success of this engagement was. Matthew Henry says, "Jacob kept his ground. Though the struggle continued long, the angel prevailed not against him. That is, this discouragement did not shake his faith nor silence his prayer." The angel of God touched Jacob's hip causing it to go out of joint. The exacerbated This exacerbated Jacob's weakness. Instead of falling down and out of the ring, he the more got hold onto the angel and pleaded for a blessing. Having been wounded by he knew only God would also heal him. And the same Hebrews says that God those whom he loves he chastens. God can wound you. Actually, if you are suffering if you are suffering right now, it is possible it's God wounding you. It's God who has caused that suffering. Because he's the one who will heal you. Having tested this paradox, Hannah would later testify. You know Hannah? The mother of prophet Samuel. Hannah would later testify, "The Lord kills and makes alive. He brings down to the grave and brings up." That's 1 Samuel 2:6. A divine touch indeed, which wounded and healed at the same time. We're still on the audacity of Jacob. But Jacob persists in his shameless audacity. "I will not let you go unless you bless me." In begging this blessing, he owns his inferiority. He's Jacob as a planter. Now, there's something we call self-talk. Do you really know your spiritual condition? Have you ever sat alone with God? There is a language There's a term young people use. You call a meeting where you are the chair and the committee. You speak to yourself and tell yourself, "Oh panda, you may even want to talk to yourself in a mirror. Oh panda, you are a thief." You are alone. You know, that's what we have certain prayers where you cannot pray when people are around you. You must be alone. "Oh panda, you are a thief." >> [laughter] >> You are owning up your inferiority. When you want to appear before God, you are bold. You tell God, "God, you know something? I am a sinner and I have a problem with temper. I even slapped my wife yesterday. You are telling God now you are yourself. Hypocrisy kind of because you are in trouble, you want him to help you. God, though I am what I have told you I am, I want this help or I die." But God gives him a new name. Look at the way God reacts to such people who are audacious. Jacob is saying he's a thief and a supplanter, a schemer, a dangerous guy. But God decides to call him Israel. A prince with God. Jacob is here, as it were, knighted. Do you know tonight? A knight, a person in England who is called sir. So, he's a knight, it means you are a conquering hero. You conquered until the king will come and give you a medal of knight. God decides to knight a thief. You don't know God. He's a specialist of healing thieves and worst sinners. Now, for 5 minutes, Jesus gives us this beautiful parable of the friend at midnight to teach us a twofold lesson. You have seen that parable? Somebody, a friend visits him. He goes to look for a friend at midnight, tells him, "Please help me some bread." The friend says, "I'm asleep." But, this one insists until the friend helps him. This is the twofold lesson that Jesus teaches us. Number one, God does not only want us to pray for ourselves, but also for those perishing around us. Number two, in such intercession, great boldness of entity is often needful and always less lawful. Yes, even pleasing to God. This is a wonderful setting forth of the way of prayer and faith in which the blessing of God has so often been sought and found. First, there is the love which seeks to help the needy around us. A friend of mine has come to me. Then, the need which urges to the cry, "I have nothing to set before him." Thirdly, follows the confidence that help is to be had. Jesus says, "Which of you shall have a friend and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves.'" Then comes the unexpected refusal, "I cannot rise and give to you." Then again, the perseverance that takes no refusal, "Because of his importunity." And lastly, the result of such prayer. He will rise and give him as many as he needs. The chief thought, prayer as an appeal to the friendship of God. E.G. White is known for defining prayer as the opening of the heart to God as to a friend. Two ramifications arise out of this. If we are God's friends and come as such to him, we must prove ourselves the friends of the needy. God's friendship is to us and ours to others go hand in hand. God's friendship to us and ours to others go hand in hand. The friendship to God leads to friendship to others. When we approach God on these terms, we may use the utmost liberty in claiming an answer for prayer. To obtain strength and blessing for our own life, of course that's the reason why we pray, but the higher the true glory of prayer for which Christ has taken us into his fellowship and teaching is intercession, where prayer is the royal power a child of God exercises in heaven on behalf of others and even of the kingdom. It's when we draw to go to God as the friend of the poor and the perishing that we may count on his friendliness. The righteous man who is the friend of the poor is very specially the friend of God. This gives wonderful liberty in prayer. Lord, I have a needy friend whom I must help. In you I have a friend whose kindness and riches is infinite. It is a life as the friend of God that gives the wonderful liberty to say, "I have a friend to whom I can go even at midnight." When I come to God in prayer, he always looks toward the aim is of my petition. If it be merely for my own comfort, I do not receive. But if it is that he may be glorified in my dispensing his blessings to others, I shall not ask in vain. In intercession, our friendship with men and with God is tested. There it is seen whether my friendship with the needy is so real that I will take time and sacrifice my rest, my comfort zone. We'll go even at midnight and not cease until I have obtained for them what I need. There it is seen whether my friendship with God is so clear that I can depend on him not to turn me away and therefore pray on until he gives. I don't know how many would like to start engaging in audacious prayer. Raise up your hand. I want to pray. Father in heaven, this is a difficult thing. We know that we are sinful. We are not even friends of other people. Yet we are in need that we should appear before you and insist refusing to let go until you answer our prayer. This is a mystery. Help us to engage in it because this engagement will not be in vain. Thank you for this blessing in Jesus name. Amen.