Not to faint

Luk 18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;


Men ought always to pray and not to faint.


Not to faint.


What does it mean not to faint?


G1573
ekkakeō
ek-kak-eh'-o
From G1537 and G2556; to be (bad or) weak, that is, (by implication) to fail (in heart): - faint, be weary.


Men out always to pray and not to …be bad, be weak, to fail in heart, be weary.


It's EXTREMELY easy for us to be bad, to be weak, to fail in our hearts, to be weary. It almost seems like our natural tendency is one leading more towards pessimism than optimism and that's very explainable isn't it? Our nature isn't one that tends towards good things, towards optimistic things. When we 'faint', when we find ourselves losing heart, when we become weary and feel very weak what happens? We lose sight of the hope that is in our Savior. Can you lose heart and still have hope? Do the two go together? Can you be pessimistic and optimistic at the same time? Don't they cancel each other out if that happens? People like to call it being realistic when they are neither pessimistic or optimistic. But truthfully isn't there a lean more in the pessimistic direction when that happens?


Fainting- for all of us fainting is a real possibility especially when we lose sight of our Savior and it's easy to lose sight of our Savior if we stop praying. If you are praying ALWAYS you are seeking the source of hope beyond all the horror this world has for us.


Always--
G3842 every when, that is, at all times: - always (-s), ever (-more).

Praying at ALL times. If we are forever connected to God we won't faint. God is then our strength and we are not our own source of strength. We are no longer our own hope. When we realize that by reaching out, that by connecting with the source of our hope we won't faint shouldn't we understand just how important it is to have that heavenly connection always?


The disciples wanted to know how they should pray. Shouldn't they have known how to pray? They were all Jews, all of them raised in the faith of the Jews. All raised to believe in God, to pray to God, to make supplication to God. So why did they ask Jesus about how they should pray?


Luk 11:1 And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.


Teach them… but they knew how to pray. They wanted to know how they should pray in light of the fulfillment of the Messiah having come.


Jesus taught them...


Luk 11:2 And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth.
Luk 11:3 Give us day by day our daily bread.
Luk 11:4 And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.


Pray to the Father in heaven.
Holy is His name.
His kingdom come.
His will be done in heaven and earth.
Give us our daily bread.
Forgive us our sins as we forgive.
Lead us not into temptation.
Deliver us from evil.


Jesus said to pray this way. This was the base line of EVERY prayer. These are the basic elements necessary when we pray. Acknowledging who we pray to and that He is Holy. Praying for a future in His kingdom- a future not of this world as it is. Praying for HIS will to be done, not ours. Asking for sustenance Spiritual and physical. Asking to be forgiven- knowing we have to forgive. Asking to be kept from temptation and delivered from evil.


This prayer establishes so much and if we are to pray always we need to pray the way Jesus would have us pray first and foremost. We make supplication to our Lord and we make it often in praying always and if we are praying always we will NOT faint! It's when we stop praying that we faint.


More tomorrow by the grace of God!


In His love, in His mercy.


Amen.