Young People's Group

MAN ALWAYS OUGHT TO PRAY

by Pastor Mitch
March 16, 2008

The Problem Of Losing Heart

It is easy for people to lose heart when faced with the challenges of life and ministry. When we constantly struggle with our sins and face difficulties in our troubled filled world, there is the tendency to want to despair. In the text of Luke 18, the Lord Jesus told a parable to deal with this problem of losing heart. He had just taught the people (Luke 17) that when He brings judgment on this earth, it would be like the days of Noah. People would go about with their own daily routine with no concern about the judgment that is coming. Wickedness and sin would be rampant. When we see the world in such a state, it can be most discouraging. The phrase “lose heart” means to give up in life. Life with all its afflictions, difficulties and unfairness can cause us to want to give up. The Lord’s challenge to all was not to lose hope.

Don’t Lose Heart, Pray Hard

“That men always ought to pray and not lose heart” 
Luke 18:1

When we come across difficult circumstances in life, our first reaction should not be one of despair. Instead, we should always seek to pray. The word “ought” in the Greek has a stronger meaning than just “should”. It has the idea of being strongly obligated to. We owe it to God to pray first rather than to doubt and falter in our moments of weakness and crisis. We ought always to answer the problems of life by offering prayers rather than giving in to our fears and sinfulness. Our challenge is to pray hard and not to lose heart.

Learning To Persist In Prayer With Faith

“And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though he bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” 
Luke 18:7-8

The Lord Jesus Christ spoke a parable of a persistent woman seeking justice from a judge who did not believe in God. Because he was persistently troubled by this woman, he decided that he would accede to her request. So much more, God would respond to the pleas of His saints who cry out to Him day and night. Our challenge is to make persistent prayers to God. He will answer our cries according to His will. Let’s not lose heart even though answers from God do not seem to be forthcoming.

A Solemn Rhetorical Question

“Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith in the earth?” 
Luke 18:8

Ultimately, when the Lord Jesus comes again, the question raised was whether He will be able to find genuine and lasting faith at all. The fact of the matter was that few will be hanging on to faith in the “last days”. Young people, let’s not give up on our faith. Let’s have the faith to keep praying and be part of the few who will hold fast to faith till the Lord Jesus comes for us.

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