September 15

“In the parable the petitioner was again and again repulsed, but he did not relinquish his purpose. So our prayers do not always seem to receive an immediate answer; but Christ teaches that we should not cease to pray. Prayer is not to work any change in God; it is to bring us into harmony with God. When we make request of Him, He may see that it is necessary for us to search our hearts and repent of sin. Therefore He takes us through test and trial, He brings us through humiliation, that we may see what hinders the working of His Holy Spirit through us."

Have you noticed the words on the fourth line of the paragraph above, “Prayer is not to work any change in God; it is to bring us into harmony with God.”

We spoke about the need to keep on praying earlier, we noted the need to pray unceasingly. The suggestion we came up with was that as we kept on praying we were expressing our continued and continual need to recognise that we are dependent on God.

That stands in marked contrast to the idea that we need to keep on praying because God might be off on some mission elsewhere, or just enjoying a tea break.

We need to keep praying about an issue so that we change. The prayer we utter might be, “Lord, help me in my relationship with …….”  You keep praying that prayer. God, do something – it is up to you. Then the light dawns on you as God provides you with a little bit of extra information. You are reading through the Bible as you always do every morning, you reach Matthew 5 and take note of the words there. You reach verse 23 and are suddenly struck by the command,

 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift.”

You realise that the short passage is for you. God has answered your prayer, you are about to be changed, because you realise that it is up to you to be reconciled with the person who has something against you.

You don’t do this on your own, you recognise that you have to go back to God and ask for wisdom in what you plan to do – and you also realise that you need to ask God for the words that you will use.

The unceasing prayer has changed you. Keep praying. God will change you.