Never Give Up through Unanswered Prayers

　　By: Lynette Kittle

　　Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. - Luke 18:1

　　Some believe if you ask God once, you don’t need to ask Him again. However, Jesus taught His disciples to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1).

　　In one of His parables on prayer, Jesus proposed what you might do if a friend comes to you in the middle of the night seeking food for an unexpected guest. You might be tempted to tell him to go away because it’s late, and you and your family are in bed.

　　However, because he’s your friend and has so boldly approached and asked you for help, you most likely will get up and give him all He needs (Luke 11:5-8).

　　In summing it up, Jesus said, “So I say to you; Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; know and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11: 9,10).

　　Jesus tells in another parable of a godless judge’s dealings with a widow who refused to accept his unwillingness to grant her justice from her adversary. After relentlessly pursuing the judge with her case, he gave into her merely because she refused to give up.

　　To His followers, Jesus reassures that if an unjust judge who doesn’t fear God will bring about justice to a widow simply because she kept bothering him, how much more will God do for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night (Luke 18:2-8).

　　Jesus also urges in Matthew 7:7 to, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

　　So instead of seeing unanswered prayer as a reason to stop praying, view it as a motivator to not ever give up. As Thessalonians 5:17 encourages, “Pray continually.”

　　Keep Praying!

　　If you’ve been struggling with unanswered prayer, find comfort in knowing God has not forgotten you.

　　So instead of withdrawing from Him when it seems like He isn’t answering, consider what He might be teaching you during these times, knowing as you draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to you (James 4:8).

　　Excerpt from: “5 Important Things God Teaches You through Unanswered Prayers.”

　　Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/nd3000Related Resource: Looking for Clean, Christian Comedy to Lighten Your Day? Listen to Talk About That!Two quirky and cerebral creatives talk it out! As a writer and former history teacher, John Driver goes toe-to-toe with his best friend and comedian, Jonnie W., in hilariously real and genuinely insightful conversations about life, history, current culture, faith—and everything in between. If you laughed out loud listening to this episode on New Year's Resolutions and our age of anxiety, be sure to subscribe to Talk About That on Appleand Spotify!