Don’t Give Up; Don’t Give In! by Pastor Chris

 · Thursday, April 5th · Page Visits (332)

                   

ALSO [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up) (Luke 18:1 AMP).

1Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing"; that means continue in prayer until there’s a change; don’t give up; don’t give in! Some Christians give up too quickly; but faith never gives up. It’s like what happened with the Apostles in Acts Chapter 12, when Herod arrested Peter, having killed James, one of the Apostles. Herod saw that killing James pleased the Jews, so he purposed to do the same with Peter. However, the Bible says "…prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him" (Acts 12:5).
The Holy Spirit specifically emphasized the phrase "without ceasing." This shows that the Apostles made intense petitions and gave God all the reasons Peter’s life should be spared; and they continued in prayer until he was miraculously delivered. They knew they had a tool with which to effect the change they desired; the tool of effectual fervent prayers; and they prevailed.
Christianity is for the tough minded; we don’t give up or give in; we don’t faint in the day of adversity. We’re not at the mercy of Satan; we know exactly what to do when he shows up; we use the Name of Jesus against him. We’ve been given the right and power of attorney to use the Name of Jesus, and make our petitions known to our heavenly Father for answers. This is what you must do when you need to change things; continue in prayer. Pray fervently with the Word until you have the note of victory in your spirit.
James 5:16-18 says "…The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." Elijah prayed this way and got results; He didn’t give up or give in!
You too can take advantage of God’s Word and insist on your rights in Christ. Take God’s Word to Him in prayer, and continue until there’s a change. You can learn more on prayer and the principles of effective prayer in the book "How To Pray Effectively, Volume 1." It’s an insightful volume that’ll greatly enhance your understanding of the different kinds of prayers the Bible teaches.
Prayer
Dear Father, thank you for the opportunity to effect positive and lasting changes through prayer. Knowing that your ears are ever attentive to my voice to answer my prayers, I remain steadfast, therefore, not staggering in the face of contrary circumstances, but upholding my victory in Christ, in Jesus’ Name. Amen!
f u r t h e r s t u d y: Luke 18:1; James 5:16-18