Why You Should Keep Praying and Never Give Up By R.T. Kendall Identity Network

Why You Should Keep Praying and Never Give Up 

By R.T. Kendall

Identity Network

A Lifestyle of Divine Encounters

Through Prayer, Prophecy, and the Living Word 

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Does God always answer our prayers? Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened" (Matt. 7:7-8).He even promised,"If you ask anything in My name, I will do it" (John 14:14).Jesus also gave a parable that had as its purpose that we should keep on praying and never give up (Luke 18:1-8).

The reason we should keep praying and never give up is because God doesn't always answer our prayers immediately. What is more, we get to know God and His ways by spending more time with Him. One reason I believe God does not answer our prayers immediately is because He likes our company; if He answered all requests straightaway, we might not pray as much! But the implication in Jesus' parable is that if we don't give up, God will eventually come to our rescue.

There are those who would say, "God has not answered my prayer at all." To which I would respond: So far as you can tell at the moment. I myself can testify: There are literally a dozen or more requests I have put to the throne of grace that have not been answered. There are also promises given to me—I believe from the Lord—that have not been fulfilled. And I am 82 as I write these lines.

But what about the Enochs, Noahs, Abrahams, Isaacs and Jacobs of this world? All those stalwarts in Hebrews 11, heaven's hall of fame, could testify that it was not merely unanswered prayers in their situations; it was a case of God apparently not even keeping all His promises! Think about this verse, quoted above:"None of them received what had been promised" (Heb. 11:39b, NIV).Think about that verse for a moment. None of them received what had been promised. Yet they kept believing. But why? Were they dumb? Stupid? Why ever didn't they give up?

Your Will Be Done

It must be said at this stage we do not know all that was promised to each of them. We know vaguely and generally what was promised to some of them. But we don't know everything. Based upon Hebrews 11:39, I would conclude that there were things promised to them that were not mentioned in the Old Testament books, as in Genesis, Exodus, Judges, 1 and 2 Samuel, and 1 and 2 Kings, for example. If we knew everything that had been promised to them, Hebrews 11:39 would make even more sense. But as this verse stands, we may safely conclude that all those described in Hebrews 11 had the following in common:

They did not receive everything that was promised to them.

What was promised to them was not so much for them after all, but "for us" so that "together with us" the promises they received would be perfected or fulfilled.

We might immediately think of Abraham, who was looking for a "city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God" (Heb. 11:10b). He did not see that city. We have not seen it either! But it is the new Jerusalem, which together we may all look forward to (Rev. 21 and 22)!

The people described in Hebrews 11 were not popular on earth. Many of them were hated. And they all had to suffer incalculable disappointment along the way. But during the whole time of their preparation and accomplishments, and lack of fulfillment, "none of them received what had been promised," they were popular in heaven. They also had in common that they chose a road less traveled.

If it's your heart's desire to be popular in heaven, and I hope it is, I must caution you: God will not knock you down to make it happen! It is going to be true with you if you make a conscious decision to be popular in heaven. This does not mean you will be favored over the saints there; it is not like being popular in school when you are good-looking or excel in sports. It means that you are a beautiful fragrance that ascends to the place of the saints and the angels; that your choices on planet Earth cohere with the holy will of God being carried out in heaven. Right choices on earth fit well with the saints there.

It is like the petition in the Lord's Prayer: "Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven" (Matt. 6:10b, MEV).In heaven, the will of God is being carried out perfectly; there is no rebellion, no rivalry among the saints or grumbling there. So when we make decisions on earth that fit in with what is pleasing to God, we are not only praying that the will of God be done in our lives but actually carrying out His will as it is in heaven. This makes us popular in the heavenlies!

R.T. Kendall

www.rtkendallministries.com

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The powerful Exodus story that will make sure you never give up again! - ISRAEL VIDEO NETWORK

The powerful Exodus story that will make sure you never give up again! Why the burning bush? Why is Moses’ mission to bring out the Jewish people connected to a bush on fire but does not get consumed? Watch Freedom, the burning bush and the incredible true story of Glenn Cunningha by Rabbi Tzvi Sytner.

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A Roller Coaster Year - Rick Joyner

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A Roller Coaster Year - The Great Commission, Part 2

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Week 2, 2014

Rick Joyner

         When I prayed for this coming year, I was shown a roller coaster. This means we will have ups and downs this year. I realize that hardly takes a prophet to predict, but the encouraging thing about this vision was that the ride ended at the highest point. We’re going higher this year! So don’t be discouraged by the dips. Hang on and know that we will be going up again soon.

          Our prophetic friend, Bob Jones, told us several months ago that it was going to be a very hard winter. I think this one has already qualified for that. As I am writing this in South Carolina, it is 8 degrees outside. I don’t remember it ever being that cold here. However, the great thing is that spring will certainly follow! The point is that we must hang on during any dips or hard times. They will come to pass, but they will pass! As Winston Churchill once said, “When you’re going through hell, keep going.” Keep going.

          The roller coaster I saw was very rickety. It did not seem that it could make it through another turn or the ups and downs. It held together though. I love roller coasters, but this one was not the kind I would get on voluntarily. We don’t have a choice, we are on it. Even the strongest systems of this world are very shaky, and most can only make it through another day because God is holding them together. He is doing this for our sakes, so we should never stop praying for them.

          In the vision, there was a platform at the end of this roller coaster ride. It did not look any stronger than the roller coaster, but as we walked across, it became stronger and stronger. On the other side, there was a beautiful, brilliantly glistening train which we boarded. It was the most beautiful and well-appointed train I’ve ever seen. However, as I boarded I saw that when it left the platform, it would enter a long, dark tunnel that I could not see the end of. Even so, the tunnel was going up, and this was a powerful, mountain-climbing train. We’re going up. It may be dark and a bit scary for a while, but we are going higher. That was the end of this vision.

          Trains often speak of training in dreams and visions. We may still be on a rickety old roller coaster, but the vehicle that is going to take us to where we must go will be training. This speaks to me of Ephesians 4—the equipping of the saints to do the work of the ministry. Even though it may take a while for us to see where we’re going (the long dark tunnel) we will be going up. This is the vehicle that will get us to where we must go.

          It is the nature of the faith walk to not be able to see where you’re going, but you should know what you’re looking for. The one who started the walk of faith, Abraham, did not know where he was going, but he did know what he was looking for—the city that God is building, not men.

          The cities that men have built are impressive, but once you see what God is building, you can no longer be impressed with anything man is building. It takes revelation to see what God is building. John saw Babylon until he was carried to a high mountain. Then he saw the New Jerusalem, which is the city that Abraham saw. It is still being built. Being a part of it is the highest calling we can have. Do you see it?

          As we see in the Book of Revelation, the New Jerusalem is the bride, the wife of the Lamb. As Don Potter recently remarked, it is an amazing thing how a bride can look like she is in shambles just minutes before the ceremony. However, in those last few minutes she comes together and emerges so beautifully and so perfect that you know you have witnessed a great miracle. This may well be just the way it happens with the bride of the Lamb. We may look like a disaster right up to the end and then, miraculously, we come together without spot or wrinkle.

          Never give up.