“BEING PERSISTENT IN PRAYER" Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr.

“Jesus taught his disciples a parable that a man should always pray and not give up (quit).” Luke 18:1-8 Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr.

BEING PERSISTENT IN PRAYER Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr. Jesus gave his disciples the understanding of why men should always pray. The unjust judge was determined not to hear the woman’s plea. The woman was persistent and she was determined to be heard. She was persistent in going daily and not giving up. She pressed him to the point that he gave her what she requested. What was the lesson learn? “To be persistent.”

BEING PERSISTENT IN PRAYER Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr. How do we see God in this? God is just toward his people who cries out to him day and night. He will not put them off. He will grant them justice quickly. The key is “will his people be as persistent as this woman?” Jesus next statement was, “Will I find faith on earth when I return?” It takes faith to be persistent, aggressive, bold, assertive, and enterprising, which many people are not.

BEING PERSISTENT IN PRAYER Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr. A significant portion of Christ’s teaching on prayer is recorded in the book of Luke. In fact, fifteen times it is recorded that Jesus was praying privately. Eleven of them are recorded in Luke, and the other four are recorded in the other gospels. Jesus stated that “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all people…” He proceeded to show how prayer would work for us if we understood it. The first lesson is to have faith in God. “He that comes to God must believe that he exists, and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him… (Heb 11:6)”

BEING PERSISTENT IN PRAYER Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray(Luke 11:1-13). He gave them the ingredients to start praying with: Our “Father” identifying the relationship that we should have with him. You can call him “Father,” but if there is no relationship there is no response. Thy “kingdom” come, thy will be done on earth like it is being done in heaven. Give thanks for the food given to you each day. Forgive as you are forgiven, and lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil.

BEING PERSISTENT IN PRAYER Jesus shows us how prayer and faith together can move mountains, as long as we believe and don’t have doubt 1.The key to praying is believing that it works. If you believe that it works, you can have what you ask. 2.Another key to believing is called “desire” which is longing for it, or being persistent. 3.Another key to prayer is to be willing to forgive others as God has forgiven you. If we hold anything in our hearts while praying, it will hinder you. Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr.

BEING PERSISTENT IN PRAYER Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr. According to 1 John 3:21, “…if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.” Abraham Great men like Abraham knew that God had called them away from their home to follow him and be in relationship with him. Because of Abrahams’ relationship with God it gave him boldness when he talked to God. When God was about to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, Abraham prayed and asked God not to destroy everyone and to allow his nephew and his family to escape. But because they were not praying, his wife failed to go forward and she turned into a pillar of salt. His two daughters committed incest with their father which birthed two evil nations.

BEING PERSISTENCT IN PRAYER Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr. Moses Another great man of prayer was Moses who was able to sustain Israel for forty years with prayer. Moses was Israel’s intercessor. Moses got fed up and smote the rock. Moses could not go into the promise land. God shows us what happens when we do not let things go; it can keep us from God’s best. Prayer can be our strength or it can be a weakness. It all depends on how we use it.

BEING PERSISTENT IN PRAYER Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr. James James tells us that the prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. The word effective means it will produce the effect desired or intended – having the adequate power or force to produce the effect, an outcome,or to achieve a result. The word fervent is compared with the word zeal from the Greek word “zeolite” or “seeth” living fervor, fiery hot, full of burning zeal. It is the opposite of dignified, cold and unemotional. This word seems to denote that inspired prayer, or the prayer of the righteous, worked by the operation of the Holy Spirit.

BEING PERSISTENT IN PRAYER Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr. The effective fervent prayer will get results. This is a mandate from God that men are always to pray and not faint. The secret to effective prayer is being persistent. We can learn a lesson from the ant. He is always persistent. He is not lazy and whatever it takes to get the job done, the ant will do it. People feel that if God wants them to have it, he will give it to them. However, that is not the way it works. James said that faith without works is dead. Because if you are just a hearer of the word and not a doer, you are deceiving yourself. Prayer and faith must go together.

BEING PERSISTENT IN PRAYER Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr. You can pray all you want and do nothing, and you will get no results. You can have a lot of faith and do nothing, and you will get no results. However, if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and do not forget what you have heard, then God will bless you for doing it. The “doing” is on our part. God will not will do what he gives you to do. If you do what the word says, then the rest is on God. He is responsible to carry out his part. “…He is not a man that he should lie (Heb 6:16-18).”

BEING PERSISTENCE IN PRAYER Thank you ! Dr. Ralph Godfrey Sr.