“Pray Lest You FAINT.”-{Luke 18:1}

Prayer can be difficult at times. We have a worldview seeking to shape our thinking that is opposed to God, we have a demonic foe,-{Read Eph 6:12.}. And we have ourselves to deal with. All three in one way or another fight against dependence upon God, offering up reasons why we should not trust Him! Some are subtle, others are not so and vary from circumstance to circumstance. Attacks on our mind to attack our faith in Him not to persevere in Praying to Him! Yesterday we saw the first of four difficulties being “Delays.” The second is…

2.- DIFFICULTIES.

We all face Difficulties in this life and James tells us they are inevitable, and to be expected. He says of trials of various types, “When “not “if,” they are inevitable.-{James1:2-4}. And the difficulties at times tempt us to and we succumb over time and stop persevering in praying. We focus on “the giants” and not the LORD who has promised!

Persevering in prayer at times can be Difficult.

Often because we face real difficulties that can at times overwhelm us when we lean to our own understanding and leave the LORD out of the equation as the disciples did in John 6:1-6.

Persevering in prayer at times can be Difficult also because we are difficult!

Difficult because at times we don’t like waiting, we don’t like delays, and we don’t like difficulties, which is only normal. But also sometimes difficulties expose a false concept that we have embraced that God should keep us from them, or He should answer our prayers immediately and when He does not, we can tend to give up persevering in praying. And in doing so we open ourselves up to spiritual fainting.

  • So often we look at the circumstances as did the disciples in John 6:1-5 and conclude the meeting of the need cannot be met, they did not include the LORD Jesus in their evaluation, they leaned to their own understanding and therefore came to the wrong conclusion. In John 6:6 says the LORD “TESTED them for He Himself knew what He was going to do!”-{John 6:6}

Difficulties, and trials, come in all shapes and sizes, intensities, pressures, sadness, and opposition, and sometimes this can tempt us to turn aside from trusting the LORD and going forward by faith in obeying and seeking His priorities as ours on a daily basis! And when the pressures or difficulties get too much we tend to seek solace elsewhere or just “throw in the towel!” But even when the child of God at times may, The LORD who began a good work in them including you will strengthen you to begin afresh. A verse that is a great encouragement is, “For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases Him.” How wonderful that failure is not final for the child of God!

God supplies His Spirit and gives us the desire and power to please the LORD… and persevering in prayer pleases Him, despite the difficulties. This life is not all flowery-ease but can be hard at times, difficulties, “But God…”

GREAT DIFFICULTIES AFFORD GREAT OPPORTUNITIES!

God uses “tribulations, suffering, hardships, difficulties to spiritually mature us and develop perseverance in us.

  • Paul put it this way, “And not only this, but we also celebrate in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope;”-{Romans 5:3-4}. James echoes this when he wrote, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.“-{James 1:2-4}

WE HAVE HOPE AND HELP FOR OUR TIME OF DIFFICULTIES;

Difficulties are part and parcel of life, and God in His kindness has not left us to ourselves but bids us come to Him anytime, all times including our difficulties -“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things just as we are, yet without sin. Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.”-{Hebrews 4:15-16}. He bids us to come, and that respectfully, as we approach the King and to come confidently to “receive,” mercy and grace to HELP IN TIME OF NEED.” How wonderful the NEEDY ones are called and can come anytime, anywhere to the THRONe not of rejection but acceptance, favor, and kindness for those who are “In Christ.” That is you too! We can come to Him, our EMPATHETIC High Priest, who feels the very things we feel in our time of need, amidst life’s difficulties be they without or within us, and find Help from the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY!

This does not mean He always DELIVERS us FROM our Difficulties, but if not He will supply SUFFICIENT GRACE to STRENGTHEN us as He did for Paul and his painful “Thorn” in 2 Cor 12:9! But it does ALWAYS means…

  • We have Someone to come to who has all power needed to Help us.
  • We have Someone who “ATTENTIVELY” LISTENS to us. We do not pray un-noticed for Peter wrote, “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer.”-{1 Peter 3:12}

PROBLEM; DIFFICULTIES ARE TO BE EXPECTED.

Some of our own making, some not! But we must speak the truth to ourselves of God’s PROVISION;

PROVISION– IN TIMES OF DIFFICULTIES;

We have HOPE and HELP to PERSEVERE IN PRAYING, such as

  1. Himself upon the Throne as Sovereign KING. -{Heb 4:15}
  2. He bids us to come confidently to His Throne and “receive mercy, grace to help in time of need” -{Heb 4:16}
  3. He listens “ATTENTIVELY” to our prayers.-{1 Peter 3:12}
  4. He has the power and heart to answer prayers and does so “according to His will”-{1 John 5:13-14}

HOPE AND HELPING… OTHERS;

Like you…OTHERS… struggle with Persevering in prayer and one reason is due to the DIFFICULTIES They face which can dishearten them and they need ENCOURAGEMENT, and that can be ….YOU! Too often we read or listen to a message and fail to take in the truths so as to equip ourselves with what we heard or read to not only apply to ourselves by the grace of God but also to HELP…OTHERS!

  • ENCOURAGE yourself with These Four Truths and BE READY to Encourage someone else by SHARING These 4 Verses of HOPE and HELP in Times of DIFFICULTIES.
  • Mark them in your Bible or place where you can easily show someone else to encourage them to keep persevering in prayer… because He is worthy, and He has supplied Provision for us!

PERSEVERE IN PRAYER and don’t lose heart! How do you? Start now and talk to God and THANK Him that you can persevere because of the provision of His Spirit, His Promises!

The truth about every difficulty is the knowledge that there is a bright future ahead for the Christian that no difficulty can halt.-“I will come back and take you to be with Me that you also may be where I am.”-{John 14:3}- Our lives don’t end with the difficulty but with the LORD!

God bless and encourage you amidst your difficulties. God is greater!-:}

Aidan.