LUKE 18:1 “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”

In your Christian walk, have you ever been tempted to faint? Noah Webster, in his 1828 dictionary, describes the term “faint” as “weak, languid, inclined to swoon, as to be rendered faint by excessive evacuations, feeble, exhausted. He further defines faint as, imperfect, cowardly, rejected, depressed, dispirited”. If I didn’t know better, I’d say, Mr. Webster has been reading my mail or looking over my shoulder at times!

What did the Psalmist Asaph say in PSALM 73:2?

“But as for me, my feet were almost gone; my steps had well nigh slipped!” He went so far as to say in verse 13
“Verily (Truly) I have cleansed my heart in vain, and washed my hands in innocency.”

Don’t you love the transparency of the Word of God? If you, like the Psalmist, have found yourself in this
state before, what brought the faintness about? Was it due to circumstances? A state of mind?

Possibly…

● Fear, anxiety, the thought of facing tomorrow?

● A secret sin, a stronghold, or compromise that had you bound and seemingly there was no way out?

● Heartbreak, disappointment, poor health? 

● Possibly something the Lord has/is calling you to that was far beyond your ability to
accomplish? You just know it will be a “flop” and because of this you are hesitant to step forward in faith?

● A relationship that is keeping you from fully pursuing Christ with your heart and life?

● God may have called you to confront someone close to you in love and be a “Nathan” to them,
but you’re afraid you will “lose” them? Yet God has said “go!”

● I know that the Lord has filled “Susie, Beth” with His Holy Spirit, but I am not worthy and have given up on
seeking Him for that. “Surely He couldn’t/wouldn’t fill me?”

● Something God is calling you out of that at one time you felt perfectly comfortable doing or engaging in, yet you know He has spoken?

● Perhaps the Lord is calling you to be an intercessor, but you know what that will cost? My time, my leisure and my routine?

● Is He calling you to teach His word, disciple someone younger in the faith, minister, open your home, give of your resources, time, money, giftings that He’s entrusted to You?

● Is the Lord prompting you to open your home to show others what a Christian family looks like?

● That person, that family, that the Lord has burdened your heart with - you’ve wanted to reach out, but you feel so unequipped, tired and unable to “take on something else” yet you know they are struggling, and the Lord has revealed that to you…to me?

● Do I find myself so often being introspective? Am I consumed with “my own world” and more often than I’d like to admit, I am not able to see beyond myself and the needs of my family?

● Is there unforgiveness in my heart, hindering my prayers and practically paralyzing me from going on? MARK 11:22-25

You may find yourself in a place of deep Abiding now where you are experiencing the peace, faith and love the Lord imparts. Praise God! The Lord is calling us To ABIDE IN HIM! In the verse we began with in LUKE 18:1, the NKJV  reads: “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,” When we are in a state of Abiding in Christ, we Cannot Lose Hope! Because He Alone is Our Hope! As Randy has been sharing over the past few weeks: We must not see Abiding as a Task!

Rather, we find ourselves Occupied with Christ! As we Abide and Rest in Him, we will see Unbelief Vanish! He imparts Hope and unmeasured Faith as we Abide in Him! We can Prevail in Prayer as we Abide in Him. We can: Rise Up, Move Forward, Step Out! We can follow the Call of God in and on our lives as we Abide in Him, not losing Hope Because “He Abideth Faithful!” 2 TIMOTHY 2:13

De Currier