Pray — Don't Lose Heart

By Greg Laurie, Op-ed contributor Friday, August 15, 2014

"Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know."
— Jeremiah 33:3

What a remarkable verse. What a magnificent invitation! God spoke these words originally to the prophet Jeremiah when he was imprisoned by an evil king who hated his messages from the Lord. So there he was, imprisoned and with an uncertain future, and God was saying, "Call to Me. Pray to Me. I will answer you. I'll show you things beyond what you could have ever dreamed."

And He says the same thing to each of us. But He won't show us those "great and mighty things" unless we do call. In Luke 18:1 we read that Jesus "spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart." If you ever needed an answer for why you ought to pray, that is the best one right there. Jesus told you to. Beyond the simple blessing of obedience, however, those of us who pray will experience the joy and satisfaction of answered prayers — such as the salvation of a loved one, a divine healing, or God's special provision in our lives.

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Prayer is God's appointed way for our obtaining things. James 4:2 says, "You do not have because you do not ask." There are potential answered prayers waiting for you . . . answers that you won't receive unless you ask for them.

Maybe you have wondered, Why is it that I never seem to know what the will of God is for my life? Again, you do not have, because you do not ask. Why is it that I never have the opportunity to lead people to Christ? You do not have because you do not ask. Why am I always just scraping by and never seem to have enough? You do not have because you do not ask. Why do I have this affliction or problem that won't go away? You do not have because you do not ask.

Let me be clear here: I am not suggesting that if you pray, you never will be sick again, never have an unpaid bill, or never wonder what God's will is for your life. But I am saying there are many times when God will indeed truly heal you, provide for you, and reveal His will to you. He's just waiting for you to ask.