Luke's Lessons on Prayer {Luke 18}

Scripture Reading: Luke 18

Is there something your heart is longing for? Perhaps something you've been praying for... for years! Have you entertained thoughts of giving up on asking?

"Maybe it's such a small thing in comparison to all that's going on in the world!" 
"Maybe I'm not worthy enough to be asking. Perhaps I'm not praying correctly. Perhaps He's not listening, or perhaps God doesn't really care."

If you've entertained any of these thoughts in the past, take heart, for you are not alone! Dr. Luke masterfully put this chapter together to deal with all these thoughts! He begins by giving us some guidelines and finishes up with a wonderful example of someone who put all of them to practice and was granted what he had longed for all his life.

First we must persevere in prayer and not give up! Luke uses the story Jesus told of the persistent widow and the judge who did not fear God. (Luke 18:1-9)

What is so haunting about this passage however, is Jesus' final question, "... when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” Will He find us faithful to the end; not willing to give up and in, but persevering; trusting and taking Him at His word?

Secondly, we must pray humbly before God. Lowering ourselves in our own estimations and exalting God, and knowing that He is able. Luke uses Jesus' parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector. (Luke 18:9-14)

Thirdly, we must come to Him full of faith and fully trusting Him like the children in Luke 18:15-17. Come with arms outstretched and our hearts and souls open, surrendered and wholly dependent on Him.

Finally, we must set Him above all else as illustrated in the story of the rich, young man. (Luke 18:18-30) He is to take preeminence in our lives; above everything else, for anything less would be asking Him to step off His thrown in our hearts to grant the things you're asking of Him. Is He your everything- your All in all? 

Luke then closes the chapter with the story of a blind man who sat by the roadside begging each day to demonstrate to us exactly what it will take to receive the things we've been praying for in Luke 18:35-43,

As Jesus approached Jericho, a blind man was sitting by the roadside begging. 36 When he heard the crowd going by, he asked what was happening. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.”
38 He called out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”39 Those who led the way rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”40 Jesus stopped and ordered the man to be brought to him. When he came near, Jesus asked him, 41 “What do you want me to do for you?”“Lord, I want to see,” he replied.42 Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has healed you.” 43 Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus, praising God. When all the people saw it, they also praised God.

__The blind man persisted in asking (calling out to Jesus) even though others were rebuking him for doing so. (verses 38-41) 
__The blind man humbled himself before Jesus, calling Him, Lord (v. 41)
__The blind man asked in faith, believing that Jesus was able to give him the sight he so desired. (v. 41)
__ The blind man left all else and immediately began to follow Jesus. (v. 43) 

I like to think this was the man's message from that day forward:

Now, back to my original question... is there something you long for like this blind beggar? Has all that Luke put together in chapter 18 helped you to see what you need to do or keep on doing?

I pray we all will forever remember this chapter and one day, not only thank Dr. Luke for setting it all down on paper, but will share with him all that came about in each of our lives because we followed the example he set before us! 

Blessings,

sue