"John 11:45-12:11
Persistent prayer
God never forgets a single prayer you pray, even though you may forget. Things may have happened to you today as a result of prayers that you prayed years ago and you have forgotten all about them. But God is still working on them in his timing. Keep stacking up the prayers. Persevering prayer prevails.
Under the old covenant, the ark of God was the place where God was supremely present, and it was the location of God’s glory. Yesterday we read that, as a result of the Philistines capturing the ark, Eli’s daughter-in-law named her son Ichabod, which means ‘no glory’ for ‘the glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured’ (4:22).
We sometimes have to wait a long time for the Lord to act and answer our prayers. ‘It was a long time, twenty years in all … all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord’ (7:2). We think we have prayed for a long time if we have prayed for a year, but they prayed for twenty years for their country before God acted.
The path to deliverance from the Philistines began for the people of God with a return to the Lord with all their heart. Samuel said, ‘ “If you are truly serious about coming back to God, clean house. Get rid of the foreign gods and fertility goddesses, ground yourselves firmly in God, worship him and him alone, and he’ll save you from Philistine oppression.” They did it. They got rid of the gods and goddesses, the images of Baal and Ashtoreth, and gave their exclusive attention and service to God’ (7:3–4, MSG).
The first thing we need to do in our lives when we are seeking God’s presence and help is remove anything that is drawing our attention and focus away from God.
After the return to the Lord there was a need for a period of confession and repentance, which was shown by their fasting. ‘On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” ’ (v.6).
Finally, it was Samuel’s intercession and persistence in prayer for twenty years that brought the people of God victory. Samuel said, ‘I will intercede with the Lord for you’ (v.5). They said, ‘Pray with all your might! And don’t let up! Pray to God, our God, that he’ll save us from the boot of the Philistines’ (v.8, MSG). Samuel ‘cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him’ (v.9).
They recognised it was an amazing answer to prayer. ‘Thus far has the Lord helped us’ (v.12). They were delivered from the power of the Philistines and there was peace in the land (v.13).
Lord, I commit myself to you again to serve you only. Forgive my sins and the sins of your people. I cry out to you for deliverance. May we see many people in this land putting their faith in Jesus."
1. Thank You for making me understand that things happen in Your time.
2. Thank You for taste buds that we can try different food everytime.
3. Thank You always for the grace that the day's activities have gone as expected.
