Meeting Report Oct 29, 2006:

Sunday evening, we were blessed to have visitors from Guthrie, OK. It was also good to have the Osgood family back together and in our midst, as well as others who had been sick recently.  

Sunday night’s lesson on Prayer was taken from the story of the unjust judge in Luke 18:1-8.  In the story, Sis Joanne Coons pointed out how that a widow woman came to the judge for help, but because he was not a God-fearing man and didn’t “love his neighbor as himself”, he didn’t care about her need and refused to help her.  Undaunted, she continued to pester him until her persistence began to annoy him.  Finally, he chose to answer her request so he could have some peace and quiet once again.  Clearly, his action was for his own selfish interest, not because he had her best interest in mind.  Jesus said, “How much more God will answer the prayers of His children, even if it takes awhile, because He does care about them.” 

A similar passage is seen in Luke 11:5-13.  Here we find another example of importuning.  This man had put his children to bed and had gone to bed himself.  During the night, a friend had a need and came knocking on the door.  The man’s first response was “go away and leave me alone.  If I get up, I will disturb my children”.  But as the friend continued to knock, he figured that the noise was more likely to disturb them then his rising up.  Once again, to get some peace and quiet, he answered his friend’s request.  Every mother could relate to this story.  How many times a mother has struggled to get her children to sleep for the night so she can finally get some rest when someone comes over or an older child needs her and begins to call through the house.  She is better off to tend to the need, then to risk disturbing her children and have to go through the bedtime process all over again. 

Both stories show that although the men did not really care about the needs, they were willing to fulfill them in order to get rid of the aggravation.  God will go far beyond selfish means to answer our prayers.  He doesn’t mind our continual coming, in fact, He invites us to keep asking.  He isn’t going to answer just so we will stop bothering Him, but because He cares about us.  Nor will He give us something other than what we really need.  He is our Father and He likens himself to a natural father providing for his child’s needs out of love and the child’s best interest.  He will provide for His own. 

So don’t give up – keep on asking, seeking, and knocking.  Pray on till the answer comes.