Let us pray – Part 28

If unjust judges respond to constant pressure, how much more will a great and loving God respond to us. If we know he loves us, we can believe he will hear our cries for help.

18:7 elect … cry day and night. God’s true chosen ones (that is those persevering in faith and holiness) will never cease crying out to God for Christ’s return to destroy Satan’s power and the present evil world system. They will persevere in prayer for God to “avenge them speedily” (v.8), and for Christ’s coming is the only real hope for this world (cf. John 14:2; 1 Thes 5:2-3; 2 Thes 2:8; Rev 19:11-21)

Continue Steadfastly In Prayer
“Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving.” (Col 4:2)
Have you ever grown tired of praying for something or someone? Paul says we should “continue earnestly” in prayer and be “vigilant” in our prayers. Our vigilance is an expression of our faith that God answers our prayers. Faith should not die even ifthe answers come slowly, for the delay may be God’s way of working his will in our lives. When you feel tired of praying. Know that God is present and always listening, always answering — maybe not in ways you had hoped, but in ways that he knows are best.

Continue in prayer… vigilant. “Continue” (Gkproskartere) means “continue steadfast” or “persevere,” implying strong persistence and fervour, a holding fast to prayer. “Watch” (Gkgrgore) means “be spiritually awake or alert.”
• In order to devote ourselves intensely to prayer, we must be alert to the many things that would detour us from this purpose. Satan and the weakness of our human nature will try to cause us to neglect prayer itself or to become distracted while praying. We must discipline ourselves to achieve the prayer required for Christian victory.
• This was the practice of those in the NT church who were baptised in the spirit: “They continued steadfastly… in prayers” (Acts 2:42). This devotion to prayer must be undergirded by thanksgiving to Jesus Christ for what He has done for us.
Read Exod 17:7-16 (The defeat of Amalek)
“And it came pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.” (Ex 17:11)
“Moses held up his hand.” By holding up his hands to the Lord, Moses reveals his dependence on and faith in God.
• Israel’s strength and victory lay in a continuous posture of dependence, trust and faith in God demonstrated by Moses’ uplifted hands in intercession.
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