Welcome to this Come to Jesus Daily Devotional (Posted each Monday, Wednesday and Friday) as we continue in our Luke, Exploring Who Jesus is series.
From Luke 18:1-8, true faith is seen in faithful and persistent prayer because faith believes in God and His promises.
You can listen to this devotional below (It’s also available on Spotify on the Community Church Putney podcast)
‘Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”’ (Luke 18:1-8)
Jesus concludes the Parable of the Persistent Widow with a striking and thought-provoking question: “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” This question is meant to challenge us. If Jesus were to return today, what would He find in your faith? Are you actively watching and waiting for His return? Are you faithfully serving Him? Most importantly, within the context of this parable, will He find you praying? Our faith is most vividly demonstrated through the way we pray.
Prayer is a defining mark of a Christian. While many things characterise a believer, prayer stands as one of the most vital fruits of salvation. Genuine faith in Jesus is evident in our communion with Him through prayer. If we claim to trust Jesus as our Lord and Saviour but neglect to speak to Him, worship Him, or seek His help, we must ask ourselves: Is our profession of faith truly authentic?
‘The infallible test of spiritual integrity, Jesus says, is your private prayer life. Many people will pray when they are required by cultural or social expectations, or perhaps by the anxiety caused by troubling circumstances. Those with a genuinely lived relationship with God as Father, however, will inwardly want to pray and therefore will pray even though nothing on the outside is pressing them to do so. They pursue it even during times of spiritual dryness, when there is no social or experiential payoff.’ (Keller, Timothy. Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God)
Are we like this persistent widow for specific things?
Are we praying for specific things with persistence? Are there specific things that we are crying out for? We may presume that, if I’ve asked God once, He’ll remember and do as He sees fit, why keep on about it? Now, whilst this is often the case, we are to persistently ask for the same thing when we feel burdened. This is why, for example, Matthew records that Jesus, in The Garden of Gethsemane, prayed three times:
‘“My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will.”’ (Matthew 26:39, 42, 44)
Are we like this persistent widow and praying generally?
Added to praying for specific things, are we praying, generally, with persistence. Are we coming to God each day in a well-formed prayer habit? Are we praying with the church persistently? How about with our friends and family? This parable is, I’m sure, needed in every generation, however, It feels like the pressure and busyness of life has caused many to relegate prayer and praying with the church to a low place on their priorities. May I end by asking you a provoking question? Is your message of grace - salvation without good works - freeing you from prayer or freeing you to pray? Freeing you to seek God with all of your heart, or to neglect seeking God?
Let’s pray together as we finish
“Lord Jesus, if you were to come today, may you find me awake and prayerful. Forgive me that, too often, like your disciples in the garden when you asked them to ‘keep watch and pray’, I’ve fallen asleep. Thank you for reminding me to pray faithfully. Help me to be obedient to your will. Amen.”
Community Group Notes
1. Notices
It might be good to begin with notices. Please share from this week’s Church News.
2. Icebreaker
How has God been speaking to you from His Word this week, and how has this helped you?
3. Worship together
Let’s begin our time together by lifting our eyes and hearts to worship our great God. Perhaps you have readings and songs that you would like to use together. Let’s be open to the gifts that the Spirit wants to give in order to encourage one another.
4. Study and pray together
On Sunday, in our message from Luke 18:1-8 was entitled, In The Waiting, Keep Praying. From The Parable of the Persistent Widow, we reflected on how, in the days of waiting for Jesus to return, an era marked with much trial, we are to remain faithful in prayer.
Please read Luke Luke 18:1-8 and discuss:
Did God speak to you about anything from Sunday’s message that would encourage others?
How does this parable fit together with the previous chapter’s teaching on the coming of the Kingdom of God?
He ends the section with the words, ‘“However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”’ How does this fit with the teaching on prayer?
Our vision at CCP is: Vision: Bringing People to Jesus: Myself, One Another, Our Community. In regard to this first aspect (‘myself’) our first goal is: ‘We come to Jesus daily by setting aside quality time each day in prayer and worship out of the Bible and asking to be filled with the Holy Spirit (20 minutes, using the ‘come to Jesus daily’ blog is a good start.) How would you like to make progress in regard to this goal?
This parable speaks of persistence in personal prayer, prayer with friends/family, and prayer with the church; Why is important that our prayer-life be a good balance of personal and corporate prayer?
SIV - How does this parable teach about prayer in regard to bringing our community to Jesus?
SIV - Do we have any stories of how we have ‘Served, Invested, and inVited’ recently?
SIV - Spend some time together talking and praying about who and how you are seeking to bring your community to Jesus; alternatively, pray for the ‘people of peace’ that you regularly meet with.
Let’s pray together: Pray for one another out of our study together and for anything else for which people would like prayer.
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