07/29/2020 PRAY AND KEEP PRAYING
LUKE 11:1, 5-9 Once when JESUS had been praying, one of HIS disciples came to HIM as HE finished and said, “LORD, teach us a prayer to recite just as John taught one of his disciples.” …Then, teaching them more about prayer, HE used this illustration: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You would shout up to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit and I’ve nothing to give him to eat.’ He would call down from his bedroom, ‘Please don’t ask me to get up. The door is locked for the night and we are all in bed. I just can’t help you this time.’ But I’ll tell you this---though he won’t do it as a friend, if you keep knocking long enough he will get up and give you everything you want—just because of your persistence. And so it is with prayer----- [Living Bible translation]
Summary:
JESUS led a prayerful life. One reference mentions at least 27 scriptures commenting about JESUS praying: Here are a few:
Luke 5:16 But JESUS often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.
Luke 6:12 One day soon afterward HE went out into the mountain to pray and prayed all night.
Mark 1:35 The next morning he was up long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.
Matthew 26:36 Then JESUS brought them to a garden grove, Gethsemane, and told them to sit down and wait while HE went on ahead to pray.
Luke 11 contains another verse about JESUS praying and also contains JESUS’ teachings about prayer, including the importance of committed, persistent, continuous prayer. JESUS taught this lesson about prayer by giving a parable---an illustration---a story. It was an important lesson that HE wanted HIS disciples to understand.
In fact, JESUS wanted to make it plain for everyone. WHY? Because as one contemporary writer puts it, “The last thing I think of when I’m stressed out with work deadlines and complicated homework projects with the kids is to get on my knees…” See, “Spirituality and Prayer Relieves Stress,” by Therese Borchard. See https://www.huffpost.com/entry/spirituality-and-prayer-r_b_497222
Others might even add, “And, after I have already prayed, the last thing I think of when I’m stressed out with work, bills, family issues, health issues, Covid-19 and “everything else” is to get right back on my knees and pray again!” But that is exactly what JESUS taught! Pray, Pray, Pray, and Pray again! Keep asking. Keep knocking. Be persistent. Expect an answer! Stay connected to GOD.
Although prayer and persistent prayer (praying again and again and again and again…) may not be the first thing one thinks of in times of stress, according to JESUS, it should be!
EXERCISE, THE LAST THING YOU MAY THINK OF
Often when people are fatigued, feeling sapped, and low in energy, the last thing they may think of or want to do is exercise. But research shows, that exercise may be exactly the thing that would help.
In “The Cure for Exhaustion? More Exercise,” Tara Parker-Pope reports on a study conducted at the University of Georgia to determine if exercise could be used to treat subjects who complained of constant fatigue. Although they noted that fatigue is a common health symptom and can be a sign of a variety of medical problems, they also noted that about one in four people suffers from general fatigue not associated with a serious medical condition.
The research subjects were divided into three groups of fatigued volunteers. One group was prescribed 20 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise three times a week for six weeks. The second group engaged in low-intensity aerobic exercise for the same time period, while a third control group did not exercise. The low-intensity group was the equivalent of “a leisurely easy walk.” The moderate-intensity group was the equivalent to “a fast-paced walk uphill.”
They found that both exercise groups had a 20% increased level of energy than the group that did not exercise. The low-intensity group had a 69% drop in fatigue compared to the 49% drop in the group that did the more intense exercise. So, more intensity did not mean less fatigue. See, “The Cure for Exhaustion? More Exercise,” Tara Parker-Pope. See https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/the-cure-for-exhaustion-more-exercise/#:~:text=When%20a%20person%20is%20sapped,a%20variety%20of%20medical%20problems.