Persist in Prayer

 Psalm 28:1–9 (ESV):  

1  To you, O Lord, I call; 

my rock, be not deaf to me, 

lest, if you be silent to me, 

I become like those who go down to the pit. 

2  Hear the voice of my pleas for mercy, 

when I cry to you for help, 

when I lift up my hands 

toward your most holy sanctuary. 

3  Do not drag me off with the wicked, 

with the workers of evil, 

who speak peace with their neighbours 

while evil is in their hearts. 

4  Give to them according to their work 

and according to the evil of their deeds; 

give to them according to the work of their hands; 

render them their due reward. 

5  Because they do not regard the works of the Lord 

or the work of his hands, 

he will tear them down and build them up no more. 

6  Blessed be the Lord! 

For he has heard the voice of my pleas for mercy. 

7  The Lord is my strength and my shield; 

in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; 

my heart exults, 

and with my song I give thanks to him. 

8  The Lord is the strength of his people; 

he is the saving refuge of his anointed. 

9  Oh, save your people and bless your heritage! 

Be their shepherd and carry them forever. 

In this psalm David starts off quite frustrated as he is praying and has been praying repeatedly for some time, but it seems like God is deaf and silent. Have you ever felt like that? Unheard, or even ignored by God|? It is not uncommon to feel this way, and it is such a relief to read these words in David’s psalm - to know that others have a similar experience and have got through it. This psalm reminds me of the story of the persistent widow in the New Testament (Luke 18). She kept asking for the same thing until she got a different response. Jesus commended us through that parable to be incessant in prayer. David was, even when he was bored of asking the same thing, frustrated and felt unheard. Are you persistent in prayer? Continually praying and seeking God is hard work especially when God seems silent. David had to learn the hard lesson that God does certainly hear and is active, just not in his way or time frame. The same is true for you. Do you have the steadfastness to keep going?

It can feel frustrating and you can become desperate, despairing and despondent when prayers seem to go unanswered. Don’t forget to let God know that too - David does - he implores God not to be deaf or silent! That sounds a brazen way to speak to the Lord Almighty! Yet God doesn't tell him off for it, in fact David is known by God as, "a man after my own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14)! Clearly, God loves the honesty. It is a symbol of a great relationship when you can be truly open and honest with each other, keeping nothing hidden. That is how David is with God, and you can be too. 

Even when David is confused and annoyed, David still seeks relationship with God. Even when God is the one David is confused by and frustrated by! This is faith! David knew that God was worth talking to and pouring out his problems to even when God was not appearing to do anything or speak. David still knew God was the One who could change things and help. He did not give up, he persevered in prayer as he was more concerned about living a life without God which would enter into evil than God's apparent silence. I find it interesting that David is appealing to God to listen to and answer him as he is concerned that God’s continued silence will cause him to lose focus and go the way of the wicked. That is his concern, that God's lack of interaction with him will cause him to lose focus and sin. Have you ever thought of that for yourself? That when you pull away from God, put less time and effort into the relationship that you are more at risk of doing evil? David knows his weaknesses and is concerned that if God remains silent, it will become increasingly difficult to resist temptation. The further away God seems, the easier it is to do what you know is wrong. This is what David is concerned about. He knows himself pretty well and is aware of the triggers that could lead him into wickedness and the ‘pit’. Do you know your pitfalls? Are you aware of the things that tempt you to go wayward? Do you seek relationship with God even in the hard times because your desire is to maintain righteous and not stumble into sin?

Maybe the distance David feels is because of sin. He refers in verse 2 to lifting up his hands to God's sanctuary pleading for mercy and help. Maybe David had gone wrong and he realised that this distance between him and God was because of his own wrongdoing. How can a pure, holy God get near those who are sinful and guilty? David knew this was the case and so pleads for mercy, forgiveness and help. David wanted to be made right before God and knew he could not do it by himself, the same is true for you. Thankfully God knew this was a problem and so has sent Jesus as a sacrifice for all sin, so you can be made right before God, you still need to ask for forgiveness though. When you go wrong, do you? Or do you just assume you're forgiven? It is right to repent and to mourn your wayward tendencies. It is right for you to plead for forgiveness and mercy as David did. You will receive it because Jesus has already paid the price for it, all you need to do is admit it and ask. 

Next David reminds himself that the wicked don’t actually prosper, not long-term anyway. He knows that God will, ‘tear them down and build them up no more’. It is obvious that God’s way is the better way. Yet it is hard to live knowing that sometimes as other options seem inviting. The attraction of not going God's way can blind you sometimes to the truth that the way of the wicked always ends in a pit. This is true whether you're feeling close to God or not. You need to remind yourself, as David did, of the reality that living life like the wicked will lead you away from God, His blessings, salvation, sanctuary, safety and reward. However you choose to live, God will, ‘render them their due reward’. What reward are you living to receive? Are you looking forward to receiving your reward as someone who lives for God or will you be receiving the 'reward'  of the wicked? Evil ways, deception, wayward living, physical gratification all may seem pleasant and desirable in the immediate, but the long-term effects are the pit and a tearing down. What can you expect to receive? 

David concludes at the end of this psalm that the way of the Lord is the way to go. Although it is tough, lonely, sacrificial and painful at times, at least your reward is with God. He can give you salvation, strength and rescue, blessing, hope and refuge. Whereas the promise for those going in a different direction is that God, ‘will tear them down and build them up no more’. This means that perseverance is required. Relationship with God needs to be sought and worked at, prayer needs to be persistent and the direction of your life needs to be set. God will not always seem close and you may not always hear or see Him acting, what are you going to do then? Are you going to still be seeking, praying and walking in the way He has set for you? 

Keep choosing the way of the Lord, and the long-term benefits will follow. Praise God for the promises he has over your life, for your eternity and your salvation, and keep honouring and living for Him, persist in prayer and you will know His blessings!

Let us...

Through Hebrews we have discovered the necessity of Jesus’ death. It was required in order for true freedom and restoration to be inherited by his followers. So, what is your response to that? How can you respond to so great a gift?

Hebrews 10 encourages and exhorts us as follows:

22 let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. *23*Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. *24*And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, *25*not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. 
Hebrews 10:22-25

Did you notice the phrase, ‘Let us’ is repeated three times? Whenever anything is repeated in any text it draws attention and indicates significance. So, what is the relevance of the words, ‘let us’? These words suggests that we have permission to do what follows, and we are invited or encouraged to partake in what follows. As Jesus has left to us his great inheritance, our response should be to;

‘Draw near with a true heart’
‘Hold fast’
‘Stir up one another’

This is the expectation. As a follower of Jesus, it is your responsibility to do these things, so what do they involve? Let us have a closer look….

‘let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith’

You have permission, freedom and an invitation to get close to God. We can get into His presence because Jesus has paid the sacrifice to make you pure, isn’t that exciting?! You are clean, cleansed, free from ALL sin! Therefore you are encouraged into the presence of God, not to stay at a distance, but invited in as close as you can get! WOW!
So, how close are you?
What do you do in your everyday life to get closer to God? How’s your prayer life? How often do you read the Bible? Discuss Scripture with others? Do you take part in fellowship with other believers? Are you active in your faith? Are you taking opportunities to grow? Are you desiring to get to know the King of heaven better?

‘Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.’

‘Hold fast’. Be steadfast. Persevere. Keep going. Don’t quit.
Life gets hard, you may get doubtful (even Jesus closest friends did), attacked for your faith, but HOLD FAST - Remember the hope God has given you because, ‘he who promised is faithful’. Other things will let you down, but God won’t. When the tough gets going, keep going.

‘let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works’

The final exhortation of this passage is to; encourage, challenge and inspire others. You have the opportunity to build people’s faith. To support them to grow, and inspire them to trust God in new ways. Do you do that?
This kind of goes against the culture that we live in where everyone is out for the best for themselves, self-promotion and self-elevation. This verse encourages us to bring out the best in others not ourselves.
Are you actively inspiring and supporting other believers? Do you ‘stir up’ people to act out their faith in new and brave ways?

So, today as you ponder these things, is there a personal challenge that is brought to mind where you can get closer to God? Is there an encouragement to keep on going even when times are tough? Or are you inspired to support others in faith?

‘Let us’ as a result of the love and sacrifice of Jesus make a difference to this world through the outworking of our faith and the demonstrated love we have for God and one another.

Patient Persistence

Now, I know that most of us will think of Haman as the ‘baddie’ and Mordecai as the ‘goodie’ in this story of Esther. However, I don't think we canjust completely write off Haman, for he does show some good qualities.
We can admire and appreciate the qualities people have even when we may not agree with their overall ethos of life. So, in light of this, I shall say - I admire Haman’s patient persistence.

So, to develop this idea further, we need to look at Chapter 3 of Esther, herewe see the revenge plot coming into place for Mordecai’s ’disrespect’ of Haman, and Haman's response:

*7*In the first month, which is the month of Nisan, in the twelfth year of King Ahasuerus, they cast Pur (that is, they cast lots) before Haman day after day; and they cast it month after month till the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. *8*Then Haman said to King Ahasuerus, “There is a certain people scattered abroad and dispersed among the peoples in all the provinces of your kingdom. Their laws are different from those of every other people, and they do not keep the king’s laws, so that it is not to the king’s profit to tolerate them. *9*If it please the king, let it be decreed that they be destroyed, and I will pay 10,000 talents of silver into the hands of those who have charge of the king’s business, that they may put it into the king’s treasuries.” *10*So the king took his signet ring from his hand and gave it to Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews. *11*And the king said to Haman, “The money is given to you, the people also, to do with them as it seems good to you.” 
Esther 3:7–11

Do you also notice Haman’s patient persistence?
Haman literally casts lots every single day until the ‘lot’ falls to him to approach the king with his revenge plot, and how long does this go on for? 12 months!!!
12 months of doing the exact same thing, in the exact same way for pretty much a whole year! Surely that shows persistence, restraint and patience. These are characteristics that we do not like to attribute to characters that it is easy to dislike. Yet, there is good in everyone. I mean, God created all people, so in some way, shape or form, they display the character of God whether we like it or not and whether they like it or not. Here, in this chapter, we see something admirable about Haman, even uf he is using this God-given gift for non-godly purposes, the good quality is still there. Haman displays great patience and persistence - Can you imagine doing the same thing, in the same way, everyday, for a year?

Being persistent and patient is hard for most of us, we live in a society which is surrounded by a culture of getting things done, and getting them done now, the attitude is 'I don't want to wait for my meal at a restaurant, I want good-tasting food, right now'. 'I don't want to wait for my problem to be solved, I want a quick-fix'. I bet you come across that, maybe you are even in this quick-fix mentality, well, I am sorry to inform you, that, often, it is better to wait.

Haman had learned the art of patience. He waited, he didn't act until it was right to do so, how many of us rush right in and often make a mistake or make matters worse? sometimes use even rush in when time would actually do a better job of solving the issue than us even needing to say or do anything.

Haman had realised the benefit of being patient, but not being idle. He was also persistent, he knew the goal he wanted to achieve, he knew he had to wait for the right tie yet in the meantime he kept going, kept planning, kept working. I think we can learn some good lessons from Haman, so today I encourage you to consider;

1. Is there an area that I need to grow in persistence? Is there some way that I need to keep going even when I don't want to?
2. Is there something I need to patiently wait for? Am I expecting a quick-fix or a long-term solution?