Never Surrender to Doubt: Keep Praying

Orphan, Solitude, Africa, African                  Recently, some friends of mine have been going through a time of tremendous trials.  One of them asked me in tears, "Is God listening?  I've called out to Him so many times for answers and I am waiting for clarity, but nothing is clear. "  I had no ready answers.  When my friend called me, I just returned  to another friend's home after the funeral of her mother.  I had  come from a service where the message was about victory and hope, and yet I was at a loss for words for the tears coming forth from this person.  I simply said, "God knows what you and I do not.  We have to trust."  I had my own doubts, but how could I share that?  What comfort can be found in the words, "I don't know?"  Yet God does know.  How could I tell my friend that I too had called out for help, and didn't feel I had clarity?

Image result for never surrender images           This morning the Lord gave me some answers.  In my morning Bible reading from Luke 18, I read about the woman who went before the judge repeatedly.  The woman never stopped appealing her case before the judge, and finally the judge gave in and granted her request, because he was tired of seeing the woman come before him.

 The Holy Spirit prefaced this parable by saying, "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart."  We probably all lose heart too quickly, don't we?  In today's society, we touch a button and something is done.  We don't have to look things up anymore, we simply tell Siri or tell Amazon Echo, and it is done.  We don't live in a society anymore where we have to wait for anything.  So we go to God ask and expect to  receive before we say amen.  But the Bible teaches differently.  Sometimes we have to wait for God to answer us.  Sometimes it is a long wait, but in the end, it's always worth it.  In the footnote in  my ESV Lutheran study Bible, there is a quote from Augustine, "Faith pours out prayer, and the pouring out of prayer obtains the strengthening of  faith...So far temptation advances as faith gives way; and so far temptation gives way, as  faith advances."  Faith spurs us on to pray and as we pray we actually strengthen our faith, but the temptation comes along to quit praying, and then our faith begins to wane, yet when we keep praying in spite of  no answers in sight, our faith becomes strengthened.  In first Thessalonians 5:17 we are encouraged to pray without ceasing.  Using a Churchill quote out of context seems appropriate here, Never give in and Never surrender to doubt.
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So to my friends, myself, and others who feel overwhelmed by trials, keep praying.  I don't know the ways  in which the Lord will answer, I only know He will.

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