Yesterday someone asked me, “so what are you going to write about for DistinctlyBlessed tomorrow?” I laughed and sarcastically replied, “I’ll probably write about consistency since the Lord knows I don’t feel like writing at all.
I stayed up last night reading my bible hoping that God would direct my path to what it was he wanted me to write about for this month. I read scripture, after scripture, after scripture and still had no idea where God wanted me to go with the blog this month. I could have easily chosen to write about one of the many topic ideas that I keep written down in my journal, but every time I write a blog for DistinctlyBlessed it doesn’t feel right writing until I believe God guides me on what it is I should be writing about for that month. This month, none of my previous ideal topics felt right to write about.
I stayed up last night reading my bible hoping that God would direct my path to what it was he wanted me to write about for this month. I read scripture, after scripture, after scripture and still had no idea where God wanted me to go with the blog this month. I could have easily chosen to write about one of the many topic ideas that I keep written down in my journal, but every time I write a blog for DistinctlyBlessed it doesn’t feel right writing until I believe God guides me on what it is I should be writing about for that month. This month, none of my previous ideal topics felt right to write about.
When I made it in the house today I opened my bible, having already prayed asking God to direct my path and use me as a vessel, and here is the parable that the Lord brought me to in Luke 18:1-8 NIV:
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’ ” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
After reading this parable 2 things dawned on me: 1) God truly does have the whole irony thing down packed to the core, and 2) consistency was the exact thing God wanted me to write about this month. Not because I simply didn’t feel like writing a blog but because consistency is something that everyone struggles with.
What have you been struggling to remain consistently persistent with that would make God lead me to writing this blog for you to read? Your marriage? School? Work? Not going back to something or someone in your past? Eating and living a healthy lifestyle? Trusting God through difficult times? Your prayer life? Reading your word? Whatever it may be, I want you to know that you are not alone. Everyone has struggled in some way, shape, or form with consistent persistence.
What have you been struggling to remain consistently persistent with that would make God lead me to writing this blog for you to read? Your marriage? School? Work? Not going back to something or someone in your past? Eating and living a healthy lifestyle? Trusting God through difficult times? Your prayer life? Reading your word? Whatever it may be, I want you to know that you are not alone. Everyone has struggled in some way, shape, or form with consistent persistence.
If your marriage was built on the foundation of God’s word, don’t give up on it, give it to God (Psalm 37:5 NIV). If school or your job is a stepping stool that you know God has brought you to in order to prepare you for something greater, don’t quit or stop trying, allow God to prepare you (Hebrews 13:21 NIV). If God delivered you from a toxic situation or individual that was not meant to help you prosper, don’t lose focus of what’s ahead, let it/them go so that God may direct you (Genesis 19:26 NIV or please go read a blog I wrote earlier this year entitled Don’t Look Back). Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV) why not at least make an effort to keep trying to eat and live a healthy lifestyle (despite how many times you may fall off of the healthy bandwagon here and there)? Trusting God through difficult times will always be tough but keep in mind that you must live by faith and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7 NIV). Lastly, when it comes to your prayer life and reading the word; in a world of so much corrupt behavior and evil, it is crucial that you try to speak to God and read his word on a regular basis (Hebrews 4:12 NIV & 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV).
Just as Jesus told the parable above to remind his disciples about always praying and not giving up, I am here to reiterate that same message. Whatever you have been struggling to remain consistently persistent with, just as the widow above kept bringing her dispute to the judge, keep bringing your situation before God, over, and over, and over again. God will hear your plea.
Consistent persistence has nothing to do with perfection, it is about being able to continuously make an effort, sometimes sacrifice to keep doing something despite how hard or tough things may seem, be, or get.
Consistent persistence has nothing to do with perfection, it is about being able to continuously make an effort, sometimes sacrifice to keep doing something despite how hard or tough things may seem, be, or get.
If you have been struggling with consistent persistence in any of the areas above or in some other area in your life, please take a moment to pray this prayer with me:
God,
we acknowledge you for your omnipotence by simply saying, Hallelujah. Hallelujah to your name, Hallelujah to your being, Hallelujah to your grace, love, mercy, and sacrifices. We love you, we honor you, and we give you glory and praise for everything that you have done for us. Thank you for blessing us with another day, thank you for blessing us with vision, thank you for blessing us with a desire in our hearts to pray this prayer at this very moment. We pray that through this prayer you provide us with an abundance of everything we need to remain consistently persistent in every area of our lives.
Heavenly father we pray over every married individual that may be struggling to consistently remain persistent in wanting to fight for their marriage through prayer and stand strong in faith. We pray that united all married couples shall stand. Heavenly father we pray for every student and every worker, may you equip them with every good (Hebrews 13: 21 NIV). No matter what adversities may continually occur, give them the strength to consistently persist. Heavenly father we decree and declare that all ties to our past that may create hindrance in our lives be shattered and swept out of the pathway leading to our future. Equip every individual struggling to stay consistently persistent with never turning back to their past with unwavering power to move forward. Heavenly father we pray for everyone that may find it difficult to consistently keep persistence with maintaining a healthy lifestyle. May you teach them discipline and remind them to turn to you in their times of need. Heavenly father we pray for consistent persistence in trusting you to take care of us no matter how difficult times may get. Heavenly father, we pray for a stronger, more consistent & persistent praying lifestyle and relationship with you through your word. This is our prayer, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.
God,
we acknowledge you for your omnipotence by simply saying, Hallelujah. Hallelujah to your name, Hallelujah to your being, Hallelujah to your grace, love, mercy, and sacrifices. We love you, we honor you, and we give you glory and praise for everything that you have done for us. Thank you for blessing us with another day, thank you for blessing us with vision, thank you for blessing us with a desire in our hearts to pray this prayer at this very moment. We pray that through this prayer you provide us with an abundance of everything we need to remain consistently persistent in every area of our lives.
Heavenly father we pray over every married individual that may be struggling to consistently remain persistent in wanting to fight for their marriage through prayer and stand strong in faith. We pray that united all married couples shall stand. Heavenly father we pray for every student and every worker, may you equip them with every good (Hebrews 13: 21 NIV). No matter what adversities may continually occur, give them the strength to consistently persist. Heavenly father we decree and declare that all ties to our past that may create hindrance in our lives be shattered and swept out of the pathway leading to our future. Equip every individual struggling to stay consistently persistent with never turning back to their past with unwavering power to move forward. Heavenly father we pray for everyone that may find it difficult to consistently keep persistence with maintaining a healthy lifestyle. May you teach them discipline and remind them to turn to you in their times of need. Heavenly father we pray for consistent persistence in trusting you to take care of us no matter how difficult times may get. Heavenly father, we pray for a stronger, more consistent & persistent praying lifestyle and relationship with you through your word. This is our prayer, in Jesus name we pray, Amen.