Pray and Never Give Up

Since we did not have church this week, I pulled out a sermon from a series on prayer that we did several years ago. If you'd like to access that full series, you can do that here - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLh1lx7pQcXXMuuFrZZwSz8QZKGp4Ifg9E

This powerful message confronts us with a radical challenge: Are we willing to become spiritually relentless in our prayer lives? Drawing from Jesus' parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18, we're invited into a transformative understanding of prayer that refuses to quit. The widow in Jesus' story wouldn't leave the unjust judge alone—she sent countless messages, showed up everywhere he went, and wore him down until he granted her justice. Jesus uses this dramatic illustration not to suggest God is reluctant, but to show us that if persistence works with an uncaring judge, how much more will it prevail with a loving Father who already desires to bless us? The message unpacks a crucial spiritual truth: God sometimes delays answers not because He's unwilling, but because the process of persistent prayer changes us, builds our relationship with Him, and prepares us to receive what He wants to give. Additionally, we're reminded that we live in a spiritual battlefield where demonic forces actively oppose God's answers to our prayers—as seen in Daniel's 21-day fast when angelic warfare delayed the answer. This isn't about badgering God; it's about aligning ourselves with His heart, demonstrating what truly matters to us, and unleashing heavenly forces through our refusal to give up. The question echoes: What in our lives is worth that kind of persistence?

Chapters

Chapter 1: Putting on the Armor of God

0:00 - 7:00

We begin by putting on the full armor of God and acknowledging the spiritual warfare that intensifies when the church focuses on prayer.

Chapter 2: The Parable of the Persistent Widow

7:00 - 18:00

We explore Jesus' parable of the persistent widow who refused to give up until she received justice from an unjust judge.

Chapter 3: The Friend at Midnight and True Faith

18:00 - 28:00

We examine another parable about persistence and learn from the Syrophoenician woman who demonstrated unwavering faith despite Jesus' initial refusal.

Chapter 4: Daniel's Fast and Spiritual Warfare

28:00 - 38:00

We preview the story of Daniel's 21-day fast and how persistent prayer unleashes heavenly forces to fight spiritual battles on our behalf.

Chapter 5: The Call to a 21-Day Fast

38:00 - 52:00

We are challenged to become a house of prayer and invited to participate in a 21-day Daniel fast from October 3rd to 24th.