The Way

John 14:1-21

At the end of John 13, Jesus told His closest followers:

Dear children, I will be with you only a little longer. And as I told the Jewish leaders, you will search for me, but you can’t come where I am going. (John 13:33 NLT)

Peter asked why. Why could he not go with Jesus? He was prepared to die for Jesus. This is when Jesus told Peter that, far from dying for Jesus, he would deny that he even knew Jesus.

These words troubled and perplexed the disciples. So, Jesus said to them:

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going. (John 14:1-4 NLT)

We live in a troubled and perplexed world. Many claim to have the truth. The Muslim claims to have the truth spoken through the Prophet Mohammad. The Mormon claims to have the truth revealed through the prophet Joseph Smith. The humanist claims to have the truth revealed through science.

With all these conflicting voices, how can we be sure of our faith? Is Jesus just one voice among the crowd? Is He just another prophet or teacher? Over the next few weeks, I am going to be considering Jesus. I will be using some of the things He said about Himself, like “I am the bread of life.” The purpose of this series is to get to know Jesus better. In getting to know Jesus better, we will increase our faith and draw closer to Him.

We all must realize that each of us is at a different place in our faith and work to strengthen each other. Jesus called His disciples children. 1 John 2:12-14 address us as “children,” “young men,” and “fathers.” We can interpret these as stages of growth - childhood, younger adult and older adult. If we are going to grow, we must know Jesus. This is an opportunity for each of us to grow.

To His perplexed disciples, Jesus talked about His Father’s house. So, the first thing I want us to consider is “Who was Jesus talking about when He said, “My Father?”

Jesus spoke of His Father often. In a discussion with the Jewish leaders about who He was, Jesus said:

“If I want glory for myself, it doesn’t count. But it is my Father who will glorify me. You say, ‘He is our God,'but you don’t even know him. I know him. If I said otherwise, I would be as great a liar as you! But I do know him and obey him. Your father Abraham rejoiced as he looked forward to my coming. He saw it and was glad.” (John 8:54-56 NLT)

Jesus was talking to Jewish leaders and teachers. He said the one that they called their God is His Father. Therefore, when Jesus said, “My Father,” He was referring to the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to “Yahweh” (Jehovah). 

When Jesus said to his perplexed disciples, “Trust in God, trust also in me,” He puts Himself on equal terms with God. Later on, in John 14, He states “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.”

We must realize the context of this statement. Jesus was with His disciples at night. Maybe there was a chill in the air and they had to put on extra clothes. Jesus was as human as any of them. He sweat when hot and shivered when chilled. He got hungry and tired, and yet He talked like this. 

Jesus’ claims to be God show up repeatedly in the Gospel accounts. This is the first truth one must confront when considering Jesus. Saying He was a great teacher without acknowledging He is God, is nonsense. A great teacher who was merely human would never make such an outlandish claim. To change what Jesus said about Himself in any way, is to deny Jesus. It is to try to remake Jesus into what we want Him to be. This is extremely important. We are not free to make Jesus who we want Him to be. Jesus is a real person with real feelings, opinions and thoughts. Whatever we experience, think, believe and speak about Jesus needs to be consistent with what is recorded about Him in the history we have. We cannot invent the Jesus we want. We must submit to Him as God and subject our thinking and our faith to what He has shown us to be true about Himself, and that starts with the Bible. 

The disciples lived with a very human Jesus who ate, walked, bathed and slept just like any of them. These disciples struggled to grasp the full meaning of what Jesus’ teachings meant. They often didn’t get it right and had to be corrected. We too must let ourselves be corrected by the Bible, the Word of God.

Jesus said, “There is more than enough room in my Father’s home.” He is speaking of the dwelling place of God and of things not of this present world. The minds of the disciples apparently were still on the idea that they could not go wherever it was He was going, and so, they didn’t get it. So, when Jesus said: “And you know the way to where I am going,” (John 14:4 NLT) it caused more than a little confusion. Thomas expressed what they were all thinking.

“No, we don’t know, Lord,” Thomas said. “We have no idea where you are going, so how can we know the way?” (John 14:5 NLT)

When we don’t get it, I hope we are bold enough to ask the Lord, and then seek for the answer in our Bibles. 

Because he was bold enough to ask, Thomas got one of the most precious truths about Jesus that we could ever ask for:

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me. If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” (John 14:6-7 NLT)

Do not stop with “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” This whole statement is worth more than all the gold this world contains.

Let’s review a little of what Jesus has said in this session with His disciples. He has said, “Trust in God, trust also in me.” He has referred to a dwelling place not of this world where He is going to prepare a place for His disciples. He said they knew the way to where He was going. Now, He is saying He is the way. 

The word He used for “way” is “ὁδός” (hodos). This is the word for a road or a path, a highway or even a journey. The road or path came to be referred to as the manner in which something was to be obtained. We still use the word way with this meaning. Such as, the “way” to roast a chicken, or the “way” to skin a duck. 

With this statement, Jesus makes it clear that He is the road to heaven.

Popular in this country is the idea that all roads lead to God, but Jesus makes it clear that He is the only road to God. He reinforces or reiterates this fact by giving three different words: the way, the truth, and the life. Then, to make sure He is not misunderstood He says, “No one can come to the Father except through me.”

Jesus affirms that life continues after the body dies, and tells us clearly how to get to where He is. 

Attached to this idea of being the way, the truth and the life is His statement:

If you had really known me, you would know who my Father is. From now on, you do know him and have seen him! (John 14:7 NLT)

Here is displayed some of the meaning behind truth and life. “From now on, you do know him and have seen him!” Jesus has shown us the Father. 

Questions like “Is there a God?” “What is God like?” and “Where do I find truth?” are all answered in the person of Jesus.

To see Jesus is to see the Father.

The disciples, who lived every day with a completely human Jesus, still did not grasp this fact even after three years. So, Philip said, “Show us the Father.” 

Jesus responded:

Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father! So why are you asking me to show him to you? (John 14:9 NLT)

It is important for us to understand that the way to know the Father and the way to eternal life is through knowing Jesus.

To a perplexed world with many conflicting voices, Jesus says very clearly, “I am the way, the truth and the life.”

As Jesus explained this to His disciples He also said:

Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves. (John 14:10-11 NIV)

Jesus tells us to believe. He tells us to trust Him. However, He does not tell us to do this blindly. In these verses, He is telling us to believe based on the evidence. 

In today’s world, there are people who actually say that Jesus is a fictional character or myth. There are others who say we cannot trust the New Testament texts. I bring this up because it is important for us to know that our faith is built on solid evidence. Jesus told us to believe what He said and so we need to know that we have exactly what He said. 

If we can know anything with certainty from History, we can know that we have the most reliable historical document on the planet in the Bible. The attacks on the Bible and the facts of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection are only possible because of ignorance of the historical record. Although I don’t have the time today to go into any of this in-depth, I want to list how we can know Jesus through the texts that we have. I am going to list seven things.

1. We have very early sources. All the New Testament documents were written before 70 A.D., and we have copies of manuscripts of these documents from within decades of Jesus’ life.
2. We have the testimony of eyewitnesses. Eyewitness testimony is usually accepted as the best way to establish what actually happened.
3. We have testimony from multiple, independent eye witnesses. True independent witnesses tell the same basic story but with differing details and this is exactly what we have.
4. The eyewitnesses we have are trustworthy. Each one held to their story even though they were tortured and/or killed for their testimony.
5. We have corroborating evidence from archaeology and other writers from that time period. There are other historical records besides just the New Testament.
6. The enemies of Jesus and of the eyewitnesses admitted to or acknowledge facts, such as, Jesus’ death on the cross and the empty tomb.
7. The New Testament authors included details that were embarrassing to themselves. They included things like their own cowardice in the garden and their slowness to understand and believe.

Much more could be said about fulfilled prophecy and the antiquity of the Old Testament text, but that would take many volumes and much time. However, what is important is that we all understand what the Apostle said:

For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. (2 Peter 1:16 ESV)

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life,” and He backed up this statement by His words and His works and finally by His resurrection.

Many of you are like me and have walked with Jesus many years, know Him and have great certainty in your faith. However, some of you may have questions, some of you may be in schools where your beliefs are questioned and you need to know that we are not following cleverly devised myths.

As we begin this series about Jesus, we can approach it with confidence. We can know Jesus through the record we have, and through the Spirit He gives us.

John said this about His record:

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— (1 John 1:1-2 ESV)

Do not be deceived. There is only one way to the Father - Jesus. If you would know Jesus, you must listen to those who knew Him best and recorded what they saw and heard. And you must do one more thing. I will let Jesus say it in His own words.

Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them. (John 14:21 NLT)

Generosity

Philippians 2:1-11

Today, we will consider some of the benefits of generosity, but first, let’s consider some of the pressures of life from which we need relief and because of which we need refreshing.

Many stresses and pressures occupy our daily lives.

We have the pressure of shelter and food. The concerns of our body take up quite a bit of time. What we will eat and what we will wear may only be a small part of our financial concerns, but clothing and food are never completely ignored. Once the basic needs are met, our minds turn to storing up for the future or increasing our prosperity. We call it getting ahead, and it means different things for different people. Better vacations, travel and destinations occupy the thoughts of many. Others are taken up with houses, automobiles, yards and gardens. Still others spend their time preparing for retirement and providing for the future. 

Jesus addressed these concerns in a talk we call the Sermon on the Mount. In this talk, Jesus tells us how to live as citizens of the Kingdom of God. When we believe in Jesus, we become citizens of this kingdom. Jesus says:

Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. (Matthew 6:25-33 ESV)

In these words, Jesus tells us not to worry or be anxious. The reason He gives for our ability to relax and let go is our Heavenly Father's knowledge of our needs. After giving us this reason, Jesus tells us there is something else we should focus on. Rather than focusing on our needs, we must focus on the Kingdom of God.

The context of these instructions is reducing worry and anxiety. When we focus on ourselves, we only increase our anxiety and worries. As instructions from the Lord, we should seek to obey the admonition to seek the Kingdom of God above all else, but there is a very practical benefit in freeing ourselves from anxiety.

 When asked what the greatest commandment was, Jesus said:

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (Matthew 22:37-39 ESV)

In stating that these two commandments are the greatest, Jesus teaches us that these two things are the most important things in life. 

In other words, God and others are the most important things in life. When we are selfish, we neglect the most important things in life, and as a result, cannot help but experience anxiety and stress.

Philippians 2:3-4 teaches us a principle that comes from this concept. It says:

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. (Philippians 2:3-4 ESV)

The Bible has a lot to say about being generous and looking out for others. Here is a list of other verses that address this issue.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; (1 Corinthians 13:4-5 ESV)

Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. (1 Corinthians 10:24 ESV)

For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. (James 3:16 ESV)

Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. (Romans 15:2 ESV)

A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. (Proverbs 11:25 NIV)

This is the final message on our series “Refresh.” I chose the NIV for this last verse because it uses the word refresh. When we trust God for our needs, our faith results in our being refreshed. When we find ourselves satisfied in God and with His provision, we are free to be generous. Our faith in Jesus Christ leads us to be refreshed by being generous. 

So far, we have seen that the solution for anxiety is to change our focus from ourselves. We have also seen that the most important things in life are God and others. In this series, we have looked at how Sabbath, rest, gratitude and prayer are essential parts of our refreshing and we have looked at how they must be a part of our lives as believers. Generosity is a natural outgrowth of rest, gratitude and prayer.

It may seem the opposite of what we would naturally think, but putting others first is important to our emotional and spiritual refreshing. Building regular acts of kindness, giving and service into our lives is an important part of having a vital, joy-filled emotional and spiritual life.

The first benefit of generosity that refreshes us is purpose and meaning. 

When the Apostle Paul wrote thanking his friends in Philippi for their financial support, he said:

Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that increases to your credit. (Philippians 4:17 ESV)

Paul worked at the preaching of the gospel and building the Kingdom of God. By supporting his ministry, the Philippians were storing up treasures for themselves in heaven, and they were at the same time refreshing themselves spiritually by participating in something with purpose and value. We do the same when we support, pray for and encourage missionaries. Through practicing generosity, we become part of something much bigger than ourselves.

The second benefit of generosity is an awareness of the tremendous riches with which God has blessed us. Whether we give material goods or our time or our kindness, generosity grows out of and is strengthened by what God, through Jesus Christ has done for us. A good example of what I am talking about is found in Philippians 2. Philippians 2:1-3 says:

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. (Philippians 2:1-3 ESV)

Verse 1speaks of some of the benefits of our salvation. It begins with the word “if.”  However, there is no question implied by the word “if.” Rather, the Apostle is pointing to the certainty of these things. We have encouragement and comfort from and in Christ and His love. We have been given the Holy Spirit by which we have the certain knowledge that we are children of God. In light of these things, we are instructed to give up selfish ambition and conceit and we are encouraged to be humble and count others as more important than ourselves. The more aware we are of how much we have been given, the more grateful we will be and the more we will find joy in sharing with others. Generosity reinforces our awareness of the tremendous riches we have in Christ Jesus.

Another point of stress we have from which we need relief comes from relationships. Offenses are unavoidable, and it is inevitable that we will be hurt by others. One of the benefits of generosity is freedom from bitterness and anger, and deliverance from guilt.

It may seem strange to talk about guilt in a message about generosity, but I hope to make clear the connection.

The following incident took place in the life of Jesus. Jesus was invited to a Pharisee’s house for a meal and during the meal, a woman came in and began washing Jesus’ feet with her tears and drying them with her hair. When the Pharisee thought to himself that Jesus must not know what kind of woman this was, Luke records the incident for us, saying:

Then turning toward the woman he said to Simon, "Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not ceased to kiss my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore I tell you, her sins, which are many, are forgiven—for she loved much. But he who is forgiven little, loves little." (Luke 7:44-47 ESV)

Look at how unsparingly the woman gave to Jesus! She was inspired by the forgiveness that she received.

The relief from the pain of broken relationships begins with forgiveness. We can forgive because we have been forgiven. Forgiving others flows out of generosity inspired by what God has done for us. 

If we harbor bitterness, envy and unforgiveness in our hearts, we will not enjoy rest, refreshing and a vital spiritual life. The practice of forgiving others involves a growing awareness of the great price God has paid for us, the great debt we owed and how freely He has forgiven us. Jesus stated plainly that if we do not forgive others, God will not forgive us, and we desperately need His forgiveness. God was generous toward us in forgiving our debt, and because of this, we can be generous with others in forgiving their debts.

Generosity helps meet our need for meaning and significance. 

Generosity brings to our awareness the great blessings God has poured out on us.

Generosity frees us from bitterness and anger.

Generosity can be summed up in the words of 1 John 4.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

We love, because He first loved us. (1 John 4:7-8, 19 NASB)

Prayer

1 Thessalonians 5:17

We all get tired. Tiredness is part of the daily cycle of our lives. We eat daily to restore our depleted energy. We sleep every night to refresh our tired minds and bodies. Rest, restoration and refreshing are as necessary as air, food and water. Without rest, restoration and refreshing, we would die.

This series called “Refresh” is that important.

For some, the burdens of life are too much to bear. Depression, disease and death result from this overload. Many factors contribute to depression and disease, and the burdens of life are not the only explanation nor are they the only contributing factors in depression and disease. However, some among us cannot carry the burdens they labor under. Galatians 6 addresses this issue when it says:

Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. (Galatians 6:2 ESV)

Sabbath and rest and thanksgiving are all part of our refreshing and are necessary for us because of the burdens we carry. 

Today, we are going to consider another necessary part of our refreshing.

Today, we are going to think about prayer.

Prayer is necessary for the life of the believer.

The unbeliever rests his/her body, feeds his/her body and takes time for mental and emotional renewal, but spiritually he/she is dead with no connection to our Heavenly Father. We all started out in this place. Ephesians 2:1-3 says,

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. (Ephesians 2:1-3 ESV)

When we accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior, we were made alive with Him. We were reborn - born a second time - born spiritually. A natural and necessary component of this new life is prayer. The physical body breathes. The spirit prays.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 says:

“pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 ESV)

These instructions are to the point, clear and concise.

The context of these instructions is the first thing I want us to look at. In context, this passage says:

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 ESV)

Rejoicing, praying and giving thanks appear together in the same sentence, because rejoicing, praying and giving thanks belong together. I borrowed many of the thoughts that follow from C. H. Spurgeon’s sermon from March 10, 1872 titled “Pray Without Ceasing.” Spurgeon suggests, and I agree, that we are able to rejoice always because we are able to unburden ourselves in prayer. Through prayer we can bring all our worries and cares to the Lord and leave them with Him. When prayer and rejoicing are tied together like this, they naturally result in giving thanks. This unburdening of ourselves goes a long way in refreshing our spirits and strengthening our minds.

“Pray without ceasing.” Through these brief, helpful instructions, we can gain insight to help us pray.

First, we should take the command of the Lord seriously, and it is clear that He wants us to pray constantly, However, He cannot mean that we should pray without sleeping, eating or carrying on other activities necessary to life. Therefore, obeying these instructions must be possible while still carrying on daily life.

One way we practice prayer is with daily devotions. By daily devotions, I mean our own time set aside for being alone with the Lord. 

Mark 1:35 gives us insight into the earthly ministry of Jesus when it says,

And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. (Mark 1:35 ESV)

From the other Gospels, we get the impression that Jesus often found places where He could be alone to pray. If the Son of God found it helpful and even necessary to make prayer a practice, can we assume it would be helpful for us? 

Martin Luther is quoted as saying, “I have so much to do today that I shall never get through it with less than three hours' prayer.” Spurgeon also tells of a student who prayed. Spurgeon says:

When Edward Payson was a student at College, he found he had so much to do to attend his classes and prepare for examinations, that he could not spend as much time as he should in private prayer; but, at last, waking up to the feeling that he was going back in divine things through his habits, he took due time for devotion and he asserts in his diary that he did more in his studies in a single week after he had spent time with God in prayer, than he had accomplished in twelve months before.

Find a way, find a method that works for you and make daily time alone with the Lord part of your routine. We make time to sleep because we must. We make time to eat because we must. We must also make time for prayer. Please do not make this a law to be obeyed or an achievement to be proud of. It is a privilege. It is part of our refreshing, like eating and sleeping.

Sometimes we do not know how to pray. At these times, we can find comfort and courage in the words of Romans 8:26.

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. (Romans 8:26 ESV)

Even when we do not know how to pray, we can trust that God will help us. And God has also given us help in His word. The Psalms are a great source to go to when we cannot find words to express what is on our hearts.

When the Bible says, “Pray without ceasing,” we can assume that the voice is not required to pray. During our daily time alone with God, we might pray out loud with our voices, but what about when we are at work or at school or with other people? Are we to cease praying because we cannot speak out loud? “Pray without ceasing” indicates that we can pray without our voice, even when we are with others.

When Moses was leading the people out of Egypt, Pharaoh called his army together and chased the people of Israel. Moses found himself trapped between the Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army. He had nowhere to go. Exodus 14:15 says:

The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.” (Exodus 14:15 ESV)

Apparently, Moses was crying out to the Lord without using his voice. We, too, can pray without using our voices. When Jesus was having dinner at a Pharisee’s house, a woman came in and washed his feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. The Pharisee was outraged because she was a prostitute, but the Pharisee did not say anything. However, Jesus knew what he was thinking and corrected what the Pharisee had been thinking within himself. Jesus knew what the Pharisee was thinking, and He knows what goes on in our minds as well.

Praying does not require the use of our voice. Therefore, we can add to our daily time of prayer the idea that we can call out to the Lord wherever we are, at any time without disruption of our work or activities.

Since we can pray wherever we are without disruption of our work or activities, it follows that we should not engage in activities that disrupt our ability to pray.

I have a habit of praying about everything, and at times find myself starting to pray for people portrayed in movies. When this happens, I feel rather foolish and end up talking with the Lord about how much my mind and heart are being captured by these things. 

What would a person pray when living together unmarried and he/she encounters relationship problems? “Lord, bless me in my sin and fix this relationship the way I want it to be?” What would a person pray when cheating on his/her taxes? “Lord, keep me from getting caught?”

Praying without ceasing implies that I do not put myself in situations where I cannot pray. If my heart or the word of God condemns me, then I cannot pray and therefore should stop or not do what I am doing.

We are in a spiritual battle. When we were dead in our trespasses and sins, we were already prisoners of the enemy and were by nature children of wrath. But we were set free. We were given life and were united with Christ. Now, as children of God, we must stand firm against the tricks and schemes of the devil. Ephesians 6 lists the armor God provides for our protection. The list of armor concludes with these words:

...praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, (Ephesians 6:18-19 ESV)

In this conclusion to the instructions to be prepared for battle, we are instructed to pray at all times in the Spirit. We are to persevere in prayer. We are to pray for all our fellow Christians a.k.a. “Saints.”

We have already talked about praying at all times. Now, it is time to talk about persevering in prayer. Jesus told a parable designed to teach that we ought always to pray and never give up.

He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" And the Lord said, "Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:2-8 ESV)

The last sentence of this passage is troubling. God answers prayer, and yet we still do not believe Him. Some cease praying because of discouragement. Some cease praying because of unbelief. Whatever the reason, ceasing to pray is a huge problem for our spiritual lives. We cannot be renewed, we cannot be refreshed without this vital link to our Heavenly Father.

We all get tired at times. The burdens of life get heavy and sometimes we are tempted to give up, but we must not give up. We must continue to pray. Jesus instructed us:

Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full. (John 16:24 ESV)

Here is a promise that brings refreshing. Jesus ties prayer to joy. He says to ask and we will receive, that our joy may be full. This sounds a lot like where we started in 1 Thessalonians where rejoicing, prayer and thanksgiving are tied together.

If we would be full of the joy of the Lord, if we would be free from the burdens of life, if we would enjoy victory over the world and the devil, we must be people of prayer.

If we would be refreshed, we must be people of prayer.