An Article of Faith

The great enemy of God’s kingdom loves to create questions in our minds about prayer, but on his part Satan trembles when humble believers cry out to God. He understands that God is sovereign and brings reviving in His own seasons and ways, but there is no doubt that he must also know that God has pledged Himself to hear the cries of a single, humble, persistent believer. Why else would Satan so oppose us in prayer? Why would he provide every temptation to busy ourselves with that which does not matter, diverting us from the throne of grace and power?
“The one concern of the Devil is to keep Christians from praying,” wrote Samuel Chadwick. “He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion. He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.”
Why would God Himself give so many admonitions to persevering in prayer if there was no value in it? As a young Bible College student, I recall hearing a preacher challenge the student body, “Prayer time is not wasted time.” Since then, I’ve come to understand how much time we waste from a lack of prayer. “You can do more than pray after you have prayed,” advises A.J. Gordon, “but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed.”
“One day Jesus told His disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. ‘There was a judge in a certain city,’ He said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, “Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.” The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, “I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!
“Then the Lord said, ‘Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to His chosen people who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you, He will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will He find on the earth who have faith?’” (Luke 18:1- NLT.) (Taken and adapted from: OneCry: A Nationwide Call for Spiritual Awakening. Visit www.onecry.com.)
Do you believe God will answer your prayers? As believers across the nation cry out for revival and spiritual awakening, do you think there is a “tipping point,” when the last prayer is prayed before God sends revival? If so, what does that mean to you about your daily intercession for revival?
“If My people,” declares the LORD, “who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14 NKJV).

Jessie J. Charpentier Sr. is pastor of Jenkins Memorial Baptist Church in St. Martinville.