Evening: Keep Running!

Need Encouragement?

Have you ever participated in a fun run? Although I am not sure that 'fun' and 'run' belong in the same sentence, I have slogged through runs ranging from 5k to 18 miles. Sometimes, after a mile, I would think that finishing would be impossible. Discouragement would set in. Even when I knew that I was physically able, my mind would start telling me to quit. 

While trying to muster up the energy to keep going, people standing along side the road would yell words of encouragement. Their clapping and yelling would provide the boost needed to keep on running. Often, the thought of quitting would never return during the run after an enthusiastic show of support.

With regard to Adam's healing, I don't know if we are "running" a 15k, marathon, or ultra-marathon. What I do know is that we must not quit. However far we must go with our prayers, we may need some encouragement to keep us from becoming tired and giving up.

This evening, I invite you be encouraged by Mark Dahle, a pastor in La Jolla, California. Feel free to read his letter, How to Pray for Healing. 

I found the section titled "Prayer is more like baseball than it's like a light switch" to be most encouraging for "running the marathon." If your time is limited, just read this section. I found renewed energy to pray for Adam's healing after reading just these four paragraphs!

Jesus knew that His own disciples needed encouragement. He provided them with this parable as encouragement to always pray without giving up.

Luke 18:1-8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow

 ¹Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ²He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. ³And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'

 ⁴"For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, ⁵yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won't eventually wear me out with her coming!' "

6And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸I 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?"

I can only believe that I am following Jesus' instructions when I pray for healing without ceasing, without quitting, without giving up. Here is another view on the same topic.

Yes, we are united in fasting and prayer for Adam. But, remain steadfast in all your prayers, including healing for other friends, family members, co-workers, etc.

Lift up Adam, again, in prayer. Pray that his  scheduled surgery will go as planned on Thursday, and that he will recover quickly. Pray that God will guide the doctors during Adam's surgery.