Face It

Luke 11:10 (TPT) “Every persistent person will get what he asks for. Every persistent seeker will discover what he needs. And everyone who knocks persistently will one day find an open door.

We see in this passage of scripture how Jesus defines faith. Jesus defines faith as knocking on a door and staying there until the door opens. In fact, it is a lack of faith to knock on a door and back off.Jesus says faith is knocking on a door and staying there until the door opens. Growing up, I remember one particular day that I knocked on my parent’s room door and there was no answer. I knew they are in the room and I knew the room had no other exit. So, guess what I did? I sat down by the door and I just kept knocking. It took a while, but they opened the door. They said, ‘It had to be you, every other person would have gone but not you. You do not give up!’ I knew they were in the room, and the room had only one door. They could not have gone through the window. Eventually, they will have to exit through this door, right? So, I will sit here and wait! That is faith and that is how God wants us to operate.

However, there are two main reasons why we stop calling. The first is Lack of Burden or Loss of Burden. Isa.62:1 “Because I love Zion, I will not keep still. Because my heart yearns for Jerusalem, I cannot remain silent. I will not stop praying for her until her righteousness shines like the dawn, and her salvation blazes like a burning torch.” The reason we stop calling is that we have lost the burden, or we do not have the burden. For you to see that change that requires persistent prayers, know that it would be tough, but it is possible. In Luke 11:5-10 (please read), Jesus tells us another story about persistent prayer. Luke 11:8 “…if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence” (emphasis added). Our challenge is that we do not do the right things for long enough.  

In Mark 7:24-29 (please read), Jesus told the Syrophoenician woman that the bread is for the children, not for dogs! Dogs? She should have taken to social media to vent, ‘this Jesus that calls Himself a man of God called me a dog!’ The Bible says because of her shameless persistence she said, “Even dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the children’s plate. Just give me crumbs because if there is butter in the bread, there is butter in the crumbs. If there is flour in the bread, there is flour in the crumbs. If there is sugar in the bread, there is sugar in the crumbs. If there is healing in the bread, there is healing in the crumbs! Give me crumbs!” Shameless persistence!  

Prayer: Holy Spirit, please give me a burden for to birth all that You have put in my heart in the place of prayer, in Jesus Name. Amen!