EXHORTATION ABOUT PRAYER

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1 NKJV).

There are three important things said about prayer in this statement by the Lord Jesus. They are the duty of praying, the dedication in praying, and the discontinuing of praying.

Duty of praying – “Men always ought to pray.” There are many things which men ought to do, and praying is one of them. The Greek word translated “ought” (δεῖ) means it is necessary, it is needful. We all have many needs in our life and, thus, we need to pray. We must pray or we disable ourselves. Prayer, therefore, is not an option, it is a duty. We must pray or we disobey God.

Dedication in praying - “Men always ought to pray.” The word “always” emphasizes dedication in prayer. It does not mean praying every minute of the day; but it does mean that we are to be faithful to our regular times and seasons of prayer. We are to pray in both good times and bad times, and we are to continually be in an attitude and spirit of prayer. Dedication in praying means that we will have good habits of prayer, including being ready to pray at any moment.

Discontinuing of praying – “And not lose heart.” To “lose heart” or fainting means to become weary of something and, therefore, quit. Losing heart is an ever present problem in our prayer life. We must overcome the tendency to “lose heart” if we are to have a good prayer life. There are many things which may cause us to “lose heart” - defilement from sin, doubts, danger, distractions, and delay. Few things in life cause us to “lose heart” more in our praying than delays in answer to our requests. However, we are exhorted to keep praying and not to “lose heart.” Let us concentrate on doing the praying and let God take care of the answers.

(Adapted from Butler’s Daily Reading 2)

Soli Deo Gloria (To God Alone Be The Glory)

Quotation of the Week

“Nothing lies beyond the reach of prayer except that which lies outside the will of God!”

Phillips Brooks (1835 – 1893)

American Episcopal clergyman and Hymn writer

Word Study

Fade not

In 1 Peter 1:4 we read, “To an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you" (NKJV).

“Fade not” is the Greek word amárantos (ἀμάραντος = am-ar'-an-tos). It is made up of two words: “a” the negative particle, and “maraíno” which means to fade, dry up, wither away. Thus, amárantos mean not fading away, perennial. Literally the word means unfading. Fading was often used of flowers that wither and decay (cf. 1 Peter 1:24- 25). In antiquity, the “amaranth” was the name of an unfading flower, a symbol of perpetuity. Our inheritance in the Lord Jesus is like that flower; it cannot wither, is always in bloom and will never loses its hue or fragrance!

“Fear Nots” Found in the Bible

“Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say” (Luke 12:11 KJV).

Did You Know…

All twelve disciples, including Judas had their feet washed by the Lord Jesus (John 13:12)

Bible Quiz

What happened when Belshazzar and his guests drank wine from the gold and silver cups taken from the temple of the Jews?

**Answer to last week’s Bible Quiz: After the spies scouted out the land why did God make the Israelites wait 40 years before giving them the Promised Land? He was waiting for all the complainers to die (Num. 14:32-35).

Names For the Lord Jesus in the Bible

“SON OF MAN”

"And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Matt. 20:8 NJKV).

1. Meaning – SON OF MAN speaks of the Lord Jesus Christ being the representative man, the “last Adam” (cf. 1 Cor. 15:45-47).

2. Insights – This is the name that the Lord Jesus used for Himself more than any other name. “Son of Man” is a Messianic title pointing to the fact that the Lord Jesus is the One who will be given dominion and glory and a kingdom (cf. Dan. 7:13-14). Further, “Son of Man” is the Lord Jesus’ name emphasizing His identity as the representative Man, the “last Adam” (cf. 1 Cor. 15:45-47). It indicates that the Lord Jesus is truly a human being. The name “Son of Man” is also a name indicating that in the Lord Jesus is fulfilled all the Old Testament fore view of blessing through a coming Man (cf. Gen. 1:26; 3:15; Psalm 8:4; Isa. 7:14; 9:6-7). 

Did You Know – Christian History

David Martyn Lloyd-Jones was born December 20, 1899, in Cardiff, Wales. He was a Welsh Protestant minister, preacher, author, and medical doctor.

Lloyd-Jones attended a London grammar school between 1914 and 1917 and then St Bartholomew’s Hospital as a medical student. In 1921 he started working as assistant to the Royal Physician, Sir Thomas Horder. Lloyd-Jones obtained a medical degree from the University of London in 1923, and was a Member of the Royal College of Physicians.

Lloyd-Jones was a brilliant physician and faced the prospect of a financially rewarding career. Around 1924, he began to seriously consider his spiritual condition. Realizing that he was not a Christian, Lloyd-Jones asked Christ to become master of his life. As soon as he had made that decision, he was overwhelmed with a longing to return to Wales to share his new-found faith with the folks back home. In 1927 Lloyd-Jones returned to Wales, having accepted an invitation to minister at a church in Aberavon (Port Talbot). He preached clear, analytical messages. Working men and women came to know Christ. Notorious alcoholics were converted to Christ. Other churches invited him to speak. Before long, Lloyd-Jones caught the attention of G. Campbell Morgan, who called him in 1938 to assist and later co-pastor with him at Westminster Chapel in London. After Morgan retired in 1943, Lloyd-Jones became the sole pastor at Westminster Chapel until his formal retirement in March 1968.

Lloyd-Jones’ aptitude for Bible exegesis took Westminster Chapel to the forefront of evangelical pulpits in England. He preached “45-minute sermons on Sunday mornings” directed toward believers, and “hour-long expositions at night” directed toward unbelievers. A voracious reader, Lloyd-Jones read through the entire Bible every year and devoured volumes of major works from great preachers and theologians such as John Owens, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, Charles Spurgeon, J. C. Ryle, and B. B. Warfield. As a minister, Lloyd-Jones was deeply devoted to God, to his family, and to shepherding his congregation. He was also a pastor to other pastors, offering advice and encouragement and speaking in their churches. He helped establish and lead the Inter-Varsity Fellowship, the Evangelical Library in London, the Banner of Truth Trust, the London Theological Seminary, the Christian Medical Fellowship, and the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. However, his most remarkable contributions were in preaching, teaching, and evangelism. Publication of his powerful sermons made him internationally famous. Lloyd-Jones died in 1981.

A Little Humor

A Christian tourist walks in the forest and meet a bear. Not knowing what to do, he prays loudly – “God please make this bear have Christian thoughts.” At that moment, the bear crosses his paws and said, “God, bless this meal!”

Thought Provoking Church Sign

“God does allow U-turns!”