By: Kacie Starr Long
"One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up." Luke 18:1
One day I woke up with the idea to pray intentionally for my unsaved loved ones. I'm calling it a 30-Day Challenge, and each day I share a prayer through Facebook Live and am joined by several others, and we pray for our unsaved relatives, co-workers, and friends.
There have been times in my life when I have been very bold, and assertive when it comes to sharing Jesus, for instance, my husband and I have stood on street corners, offering cold water and prayer to those that passed by. We have canvassed neighborhoods distributing gospel tracts, I have stopped people at gas stations or grocery stores asking if I can pray with them or share or word of the Lord. I understand there are different seasons in our lives, and although I haven't been as radical lately, God gave me the idea to pray intentionally for those who don't yet know Jesus, and so I've been doing it and have seen fruit.
I love the parable in Luke 18 where Jesus shares with the disciples, an illustration of a widow's persistence. The Bible tells us that the widow had a need, and she was adamant that her need be met. We don't know what her need was, but the Bible tells us that she kept coming to the judge, asking for justice over and over again. The Bible lets us know that the judge was an unrighteous man, who did not believe in God; but because the widow was so persistent and so aggressive, he would rule in her favor, just to get her to stop annoying him.
Jesus uses the illustration of the persistent widow to encourage us to not give up in prayer. Unlike the unjust judge, God, our father is righteous. He loves for us to come to Him and ask Him for what we need. If an unrighteous judge can be moved to rule in a widow's favor, how much will our Father be moved to rule in the favor of His children, who continually come to Him with our needs?
There are some areas that I refuse to relent through prayer. I refuse to give up praying for the unsaved, and I refuse to give up praying for my children and family members. Some of my family members are following Jesus, and some are not. I refuse, refuse, refuse to stop praying for their salvation and heart for God.
I am like the persistent widow and will continue bringing my requests to God with thanksgiving and praise for what He is doing, has done, and will do in my family. It's not always easy. There have been times when I have been laughed at for my faith, ridiculed, dismissed, ignored, and rejected but I have reached a point in my life, where I am committed to my assignment, nevertheless.
I want to encourage you, whether you are praying for unsaved loved ones, or praying for specific desires of your heart - to return to school, open up a business, write a book, or own a home; I want to encourage you that it's okay to persist in prayer. It's okay to continually go before the Lord and make your requests known. Jesus uses the example of the persistent widow, to encourage us as believers to never give up.
I remember one season of praying for a loved one. It seemed like this particular family member was doing the exact opposite of what I prayed. They got drunk, disobeyed their parents, were rebellious, and didn't seem to care. I remember crying out to God in frustration. I was so angry with this family member because they were raised better! Nevertheless, in time God began to move upon their heart, and their lives changed. It didn't happen overnight but over the course of years. Now this family member is married, with a beautiful family, serving in church, and God is continually moving in their life.
Friend, I encourage you to persist.
I encourage you to not give up.
God hears your prayers.
It's okay to be relentless. It's okay to refuse to give up. Satan may want to discourage you, but I encourage you to jump back in the fight, take your position of prayer and persist and pray until you see it happens!
PS: If you would like to join me in the 30-Day Prayer Challenge for Unsaved Loved Ones, you can subscribe to my YouTube page. I upload the videos each day and you can watch and pray with us in a way that works with your schedule.
This article was published in Jewel Warrior, a Christian women's online devotional. Please subscribe to receive encouraging devotionals each day from women from around the world.
Hi, my name is Kacie Starr Long. I am an author, and speaker and I love to use my voice to point people to Jesus. When I'm not writing, I'm either working out at Orange Theory Fitness or sewing. God delivered me from food addiction and I have a sewing ministry, called the Sew Hope Community Sewing Room. I am the proud wife of Alfred T. Long, Sr and together we lead a non-profit that serves prisoners and their families. Connect with me at www.InspiredOverflow.com and via my YouTube page for Christian teachings and encouragement.