This morning I woke up with one message on my heart: there is power in prayer and persistence.
I made a mental note of it then zombie-walked downstairs to get my morning coffee. The coffee had not yet kicked-in when I began my morning bible study, but in an attempt to be more studious and intentional in my reading of the bible, I prayed that God reveal Himself to me and teach me what He wants me to know now. Unsure where to start today, I decided to pick up where I left in the book of Matthew, my personal favorite gospel. Still in my sleepy haze, I read the beginning of chapter 4 - the tempting of Jesus in the desert. A story I had heard a million times before, I admittedly glazed over it. But as the coffee kicked in, the story provoked a mental double-take, prompting a second... then a third... and then a fourth reading. Only a few verses long, it is undoubtedly one of the most vivid pictures of Jesus as both God and man in the bible. The synopsis: Jesus is in the desert, tired and hungry (He had fasted for 40 days), and the devil decides to tempt Him. Of course, Jesus knew this was coming so he intentionally fasted and prepared. The devil tries to tempt Him three times - with food, with demonstration of God's power, and with the promise of a worldly power and authority. Of course, Jesus being sinless, refused all three temptations and rebuked the devil. Just a wonderful story in itself, a few things specifically stuck out to me in today's reading. 1) Prayer. Jesus fasted to prepare for the trials He knew were coming. Fasting is often a time of prayer for those seeking to hear God and draw nearer to Him and was surely a time in which Jesus communicated with the Father - relying on His strength to fill Him. Even Jesus believed in the power of prayer. 2) Persistence. Upon each temptation, Jesus did not waver. All three times, in fact, He had scripture to rely on and draw from to aid in His resistance, knowing the devil is no match for the perfect Word of God. Surely Jesus was annoyed with this whole situation, but He never gave up. It would have been easy for Him to demonstrate His power and end the whole ordeal, but knowing that is not what God intended, He was persistently obedient. 3) Faithfulness. After all three temptations were refused, the devil left Jesus and angels came to fulfill His needs. The Father was faithful to the one who kept His commands. There are prayers I have had answered, and many I have not. I don't know what it is in your life that feels like it will never end or come, but I do know what God says - prayer and persistence. God may not answer your prayer for a specific something (person, job, object, house, etc.) but when our prayers are aligned to His will (for Him to be glorified, for His kingdom to expand, for His love to be on display) and rooted in His promises (hope, a future, prosperity not perishing, to be satisfied) He always hears us, and He does not want us to stop working. He is faithful to answer our prayers and fulfill His promises in His perfect timing. The Lord has displayed His power in my life through His answering of prayers, which only encourages me to pray more - to pray persistently, consistently, and intentionally. He has worked through me to reach other people - encouragement to love persistently, consistently, and intentionally. He has demonstrated His sovereignty in harmful situations in my life and people I have served - thus I will continue to serve persistently, consistently, and intentionally. This story shows us that when we are obedient, God is faithful. We can follow Jesus' lead in our walks with God - knowing our scripture so we have guidance, making intentional efforts to draw near to God, and to not give up when trials come our way. This story reassures us that God is always victorious, and when we are obedient, He is always glorified.
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AuthorHello! I'm Becca -humanitarian, caffeine addict, lover of books, people, and all things Jesus. You can find me in my pajamas, day dreaming about rainy days and saving the world. Archives
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