Pray and Don't Faint - Luke 18:1

The beloved physician Luke wrote how Jesus said, “Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it. I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, there will the eagles be gathered together”, and in chapter eighteen and verse one of his book Luke wrote how Jesus spoke another parable to His disciples about how, “men ought always to pray, and not to faint” where we read:

And he spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

The verse reads, “And he spoke a parable unto them to this end, ...” Luke began with the words, “and he spoke” or “and Jesus uttered, declared and proclaimed” “a parable unto them” which means “an earthly story with a heavenly meaning to His disciples” “to this end” or “toward and in regard to” the following words. Luke shared how Jesus began to share another “parable” with His disciples that would teach them the following principle.

The verse continues, “... that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” Luke added the words, “that men ought always to pray” or “that people whether male or female should at all times and evermore supplicate, worship and make earnest requests before God”, “and not to faint” which means “and no and neither in any way be utterly spiritless, wearied and exasperated”. Luke shared how Jesus was presenting this “parable” to relay the idea of “praying” rather than being “exasperated and weak in heart”.

When we think through Luke's words in this verse, we learn of the beginning of another “parable” spoken by Jesus. This time Jesus desired to teach His disciples and followers about the importance of “praying” instead of becoming “weak, faint and exasperated”. Events like those of which Jesus just spoke to His disciples would tend to make people feel “weak and faint in heart”, and when times like this come, Jesus knew the answer is to “pray”. Those who are wise will yield their lives to God's Son Jesus as their personal “Savior and Lord” and learn to “pray” rather than worrying, being anxious or feeling exasperated because of the circumstances and situations that come into a person's life.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus spoke about, “a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".