As the Song Says, Don't Stop Praying

Read: Luke 18:1-8

I just heard another report concerning attention span and how it is lessening and lessening. It seems that every subsequent generation that comes along has a shorter attention span than its predecessor. No wonder we often find it so difficult to rest in God's timing when He seems to never be in a hurry. No frantic and hasty decisions are made in heaven, and none of the angels are in a flux concerning whether or not God's plan will come to fruition.

It is not difficult for God to hear the prayers of all who call out to Him, and there is enough grace and help that can be dispensed from His throne for all of us. Thank You Lord. So, since that is true, Hebrews 4:14-16; Psalm 46:1, why did Jesus speak about the possibility that we might stop praying. Why would we perhaps be less likely to run to His throne of grace? Could our "I don't want to wait" attitude leak into even our time with God, and when His answers seem slow, will we look somewhere else for a quicker and easier answer to our questions? Please don't misunderstand what I am trying to say. I love it when God's answers come quickly too. Such a blessing that is! However, may I tell a story that reminds me that God often runs His universe at the speed of a leisurely walk, rather than the speed of a racing horse. He often unfolds His plan bit by bit, not in massive chunks.

I wish I could remember all of the particulars of this story. I looked up a key phrase, but it didn't help; so some of the details that I would like to share are missing, but I assure you that the main things are true. A woman who loves to cook wanted to use that skill to reach out in Jesus' Name. She wanted to prepare some really tasty meals and serve them beautifully to women. Which women? Strippers who worked in a particular place.

How to go about it? They started with prayer. They quietly went once a week and prayed outside the club. No fanfare, simply prayer. They needed God's timing before they would even go inside. They wanted God to prepare the way for them. How many times would we pray? I don't know what my answer would be, but I remember how long they prayed. No horse race speed here. They prayed once a week for 18 months. That is 78 times of calling out to the Lord for Him to go ahead and do the work that only He could do. No hurry up to get it done. The result was that in this case, when they came in humbly asking if they might serve the dancers by making and bringing a nice meal each week, the answer was yes.

On-going prayer. Not giving up just as Jesus taught us to do. Not trying to break down the will of a reluctant and unwilling God, but looking to a loving God for the timing to hold out His grace. God will not rule His world at the whim of people who can't or won't wait for Him to clear the way. I don't mean that in a harsh way. It is merely that He sees way back and way ahead, and He knows how all things, even the seemingly disconnected things-fit together.

Back to those who prayed. What if they had decided after six months that they were weary of praying and simply went back home assuming He didn't want to do anything at the club? They would have missed out and not seen the lives God changed. When we stop praying, we too can miss out. Who can say what blessings God pours out when we continue in prayer, and we know our obedience brings the Lord joy. Imagine it. We can all obey God's command to keep praying. From the little one to the elderly one, we all can honor God with on-going prayers. Once I heard a saying that stuck with me.

"Things happen when we pray that wouldn't happen if we didn't." Yes, it is true that God's timing is so different than the world's, but it is perfect, Galatians 4:4.