Prayer Helps You To Overcome Obstacles In Life
Luke 18:1: “And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought to pray, and not to faint:”
Luke 18: 1-8 is a parable, which addresses an obstacle that a widow had. The widow went to the city judge, asking for help to remove that obstacle that really bothered her. The Widow wanted to “be avenged,” of her adversary.
In those days, orphans and widows were 1considered the most vulnerable of all God’s people, both in the Old and the New Testament. Both the prophets and the apostles insisted that widows and orphans, properly taken care of. (Exodus 22;22-24; Isaiah1:17; 1 Timothy 5:3 and James1:27)
Jesus gives us no other detail about the widow and the obstacle that plagued her. We could speculate, and say she wanted the death of her husband, to be avenged. But that would be speculation! We are not told ‘how’ the city judge avenged her. Or what ruling he made, to do so.
What we do know, is that the city judge was a person who did not fear God or regard man. He only chose to avenge the widow because she ‘troubled’ him. The city judge chose to avenge the widow, ‘lest by her continual coming, she ‘weary’ him.
Jesus makes it clear to us that the motive or reason for the city judge to assist the widow, as unjust. He did not want the widow to continue to hassle him.
You could say, he was only thinking about himself, and not really, about the widow; which he should have, according to the Jewish culture and law.
Why did Jesus ask the question found in verse 8 “Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”
Who do you go to, to help you remove the obstacles that you face in life?
You see, obstacles are necessary for the Christian believer’s spiritual growth. Especially when those obstacles are in the way of God’s direction for our lives.
What Jesus wanted to people to know, from this parable, was that God will avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, even though He bear’s long with us. Jesus states in verse eight “I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.” (Unlike the city judge who took his own sweet time about helping the widow.) But then Jesus asks the question, “Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?”
Jesus wants every mature believer to realise and understand that his/her first port of call, to deal with any obstacle in life, is our Heavenly Father God (El/Elohim) So, how do we overcome /remove the obstacles that stand in the way of God’s direction for our lives?
1. Stop having sinful behaviours. Jesus’ crucifixion for our sins, means that believers, can choose to walk away from sin, by the power and blood of Jesus.
Only when we confess and repent of our sinfulness, can we expect obstacles to dissipate. (Choose! because, to choose to remain in sins, is only because we find short-lived pleasure in them. (Hebrews 12:1)
2. Put your trust in God, for strength and wisdom, to deal with your obstacles.
Depend on God for that strength and wisdom to overcome. (Isaiah 12:2)
3. Ask the Lord Jesus to help you tare down any strongholds in our mind. Some of
our obstacles are not real, because we have allowed fear, worries, or lies from others, to keep us paralyzed and incapable of dealing with our obstacles.
(2 Corinthians 10:4-6)
4. Know that nothing is impossible or too hard for God. Stand firm in your knowledge and actions, that your obstacles are never bigger than God. Therefore, Our God can and wants to help us overcome. (Jeremiah 32:27)
5. Recognise that God may use obstacles for His purposes. He will choose us for a particular journey; and uniquely prepare us, for dealing with our obstacles. So, you are never alone. God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost will help you overcome your obstacle/s.
Pray: Write down the obstacle/s you are dealing with right now, in your life. Talk to Jesus about it/them, asking Him to give you the wisdom and knowledge to go through it, over it, or around it. Pray that you will continue to trust Him with your life and situation.
With all that you have just read, pray, and ask Jesus, to help your church family members, to consider the obstacles in their life differently. Pray that they will depend on the Holy Trinity, and not themselves or others, to guide them and give them the knowledge and wisdom they need, to be an overcomer.
Prayer and Fasting Focus: Take The Limits Off God; Walk by Faith and Not by Sight.
Bible Reading: Psalm 19:29
“For by You I can run against a troop. By my God I can leap over a wall.”