5 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, 6 `A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ 7 And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, `Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ 8 But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.
This is a short parable showing us that the persistence in our prayers moves the hand of God. This doesn’t need much elaboration. It is simple - if you keep it up, God will show up.
This enters into the type of prayer that we call intercession. It is the act of intervening on behalf of someone else. In this parable the friend was asking for bread for a friend of his. He was requesting help for someone close to him.
Intercession is bridging the Gap to God for another person’s need.
If you are praying for someone. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. Because if you don’t give up, God will show up.
on Jan 18th, 2009 at 9:49 am
I have loved reading your insights. Even as a person who has a calling of prayer I love the simplicity Don’t quit…don’t give up…because if you don’t give up, God will show up.