My 12 year old daughter took the parable of the persistent widow to heart the last few weeks as she's been asking for a pet.
Her excitement and relentless pursuit of questioning didn't wane after hundreds of my indifferent responses —"we'll see," "we'll have to talk to dad first," and "maybe someday." This is why Jesus told the parable in the first place, "that they ought always to pray and not lose heart" (Lk. 18:1).
It's easy to pray, more difficult to persevere with the same gusto as when we began. We doubt that God hears us, we wonder if our supplication makes a difference, we feel discouraged when we don't see the results we want.
But, my girl didn't grow discouraged, she became more motivated to solve the problem.
"Mom, on a scale of 0-10, how much do you want a pet?"
"I'd say, 4."
"Okay, what can I do to make it a 6?"
Ummmm, good question.
It's interesting to note, although she didn't get the answer she sought she took practical action to that end. We pray for a loved one's healing, and while we wait for the Lord to answer, we demonstrate love and care in the form of car rides to appointments, meals, and childcare. If we're struggling with a besetting sin, we confess, repent, and seek accountability. Even while we pray and wait for the answers, we continue to act faithfully for the good of others and God's glory.
To her delight, we finally made a home for 3 gerbils: Teddy, Pipsqueak and Biscuit.
Where are you losing heart in your prayers? How does the parable of the persistent widow encourage you?
Grace & Peace,
Amber
Content: This Week…
In Articles (curated content just for you)
On the Blog
On my Shelf
I'm really excited to have started a very engaging read on holiness in ordinary life. She's also a Canadian author...for some reason that adds to the excitement.
I also got a copy of Eugene Peterson's A Long Obedience in the Same Direction and flipped through the first chapter thus far.
In Articles
Am I Out of Asks? | Katie Polski (For the Church)
"Several weeks later I sat on our couch praising God for answering yet another specific prayer in the way we had hoped. I then moved on to pray about an additional weighty matter, but I stopped. My sin and skepticism got the best of me, and I thought, Am I out of asks? “Oh, but God,” I muttered, “Please hear this one.”
The Holiness of God is Good News for Teenagers | Kyle Kennicott (Youth Pastor Theologian)
Written for those who teach teenagers, I really appreciated the framework in thinking about holiness. "When we lead our students to see that God alone is Holy and the only one to be worshipped and adored, our response should be Remorse, Belief, and Growth."
When You Don't Know What to Say, Use God's Word to Pray | Cheryl Balcom
My friend Cheryl encourages us to reach to Scripture as we pray, especially when we're stuck, overwhelmed or unsure of how to pray.
The Beauty of Intergenerational Friendship | Kim Barnes (enCourage)
Do you have intergenerational friendships? Kim highlights the call in Scripture to develop these and reminds us that they are also mutually beneficial.
LISTEN: Awesome Moms of the Bible
(lol, okay if you want to avoid their random discussion about retail stores closing before they're closed....start around 9 minute mark) :)
WATCH: EPIC: Israel & Italy (Episode 1)
Four years ago Tim Challies published his book Epic: An Around-the-World Journey Through Christian History. Now, there's the video documentary available for FREE on YouTube. Our family has been enjoying this!
"Together we will listen to these voices of the past tell us the epic story of what God has done and continues to do in our world today."
Previously on Mosaic
4 Years Ago
3 Years Ago
2 Years Ago
1 Year Ago
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