Persistent praying
Look down from heaven and see, from your lofty throne, holy and glorious. Where are your zeal and your might? Your tenderness and compassion are withheld from us. But you are our Father, though Abraham does not know us or Israel acknowledge us; you, Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is your name. Why, Lord, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes that are your inheritance. For a little while your people possessed your holy place, but now our enemies have trampled down your sanctuary. We are yours from of old; but you have not ruled over them, they have not been called by your name. Isaiah 63:15-19 NLT
From the text, Isaiah is admonishing the people of God to pray. He is telling them to trust God even when it seemed that He is delaying His judgment and blessing His people. Though God’s silence might annoy us for we are getting impatient from hearing and receiving from Him, realize that God’s answer always come in His perfect time. Abraham and Israel (i.e. Jacob) are not aware of what the Israelites were going through, yet God knows and His love endures from everlasting to everlasting. “But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children” (Psalm 103:17, NIV). God wants us to learn how to pray by reading His word. He wants us to pray with passion desiring that He will use us in the expansion of His kingdom. God has a strong feeling for us and we should not doubt Him and His goodness. God is hindered in responding to us because of our unwillingness to submit to His will. “Why, Lord, do you make us wander from your ways and harden our hearts so we do not revere you?” (Isaiah 63:17). When we pray, it’s not about more of us and our personal desires but more of God, His kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). God wants to pour out His love to us but because of our treatment of Him and our mediocre attitude towards spiritual growth we are prevented from experiencing His answer. We have to change and it is Him that will change us through prayer; this is why we should pray. Do not drift away from His love instead rediscover anew your experience of your relationship with God and realize what life will look like if it is completely surrendered to God.
Blessings,
