Luke 11:8 (NET) - I tell you, even though the man inside will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of the first man’s sheer persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.
The other day I found myself thinking about an old friend who passed away many years ago.
He and I were both part of a circle of friends who used to gather at a restaurant most evenings.
There, we would enjoy a cup of coffee or two, swap stories and simply enjoy the company of friends.
This particular friend was much older than I was.
In fact, he was originally my father’s friend.
My father died at a relatively young age and, as time passed, this old gentleman and I became quite good friends.
He had many interesting experiences in his lifetime and I always enjoyed the stories he shared with me.
One evening the group gathered together as was customary.
As we shared whatever happened to be on our minds, this particular friend finished his coffee before the rest of us.
He walked up to the counter to get a refill but the staff on duty that evening ignored his presence at the counter.
I could tell by the look on my friends face that he was growing agitated.
The next thing I knew, he walked out the door with his empty cup.
I assumed that my old friend was so upset at having been ignored that he decided to home.
What happened next surprised everyone.
Suddenly the bell that chimed when a car pulled up to the drive up window began to ring both loudly and repeatedly.
DING, DING, DING, DING. DING...
We all turned our heads because we never heard the bell chime more than twice for any given car.
Finally, one of the staff walked up to the drive up window and opened it.
The bell stopped chiming and I saw my friend’s arm barge through the open window holding the empty cup in his hand.
It was this old friend who repeatedly stomped on the hose that activated the bell in order to get some service.
The surprised employee took the cup from his hand, refilled it and handed it back to him.
I then saw my friend’s arm disappear into the night.
The rest of us could not help but laugh at our friend‘s creative solution.
A moment later, he walked back inside and sat down with us once more.
As I relived this memory of him, I could not help but laugh all over again.
This also brought to mind that particular verse from the book of Luke.
At times, one man responds to another’s request only when the man making the request becomes persistent.
My old friend was served when he persisted in ringing the bell thus forcing the restaurant staff into action.
When it comes to prayer, we can approach God boldly and He will respond favorably if our request is aligned with both His will and His timing.
He does this not out of obligation or our persistence.
He does this because of His genuine love for us.
In the Lord’s prayer we are instructed to request our daily bread which is a necessity,
I find it more than interesting that the persistent man requested bread for another in the example Jesus gave to us.
Not only should we request that which is necessary for us, we should also request that which is necessary for others.
This is especially true when we pray for those who have not come to know Him for their need is the greatest of all.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
The other day I found myself thinking about an old friend who passed away many years ago.
He and I were both part of a circle of friends who used to gather at a restaurant most evenings.
There, we would enjoy a cup of coffee or two, swap stories and simply enjoy the company of friends.
This particular friend was much older than I was.
In fact, he was originally my father’s friend.
My father died at a relatively young age and, as time passed, this old gentleman and I became quite good friends.
He had many interesting experiences in his lifetime and I always enjoyed the stories he shared with me.
One evening the group gathered together as was customary.
As we shared whatever happened to be on our minds, this particular friend finished his coffee before the rest of us.
He walked up to the counter to get a refill but the staff on duty that evening ignored his presence at the counter.
I could tell by the look on my friends face that he was growing agitated.
The next thing I knew, he walked out the door with his empty cup.
I assumed that my old friend was so upset at having been ignored that he decided to home.
What happened next surprised everyone.
Suddenly the bell that chimed when a car pulled up to the drive up window began to ring both loudly and repeatedly.
DING, DING, DING, DING. DING...
We all turned our heads because we never heard the bell chime more than twice for any given car.
Finally, one of the staff walked up to the drive up window and opened it.
The bell stopped chiming and I saw my friend’s arm barge through the open window holding the empty cup in his hand.
It was this old friend who repeatedly stomped on the hose that activated the bell in order to get some service.
The surprised employee took the cup from his hand, refilled it and handed it back to him.
I then saw my friend’s arm disappear into the night.
The rest of us could not help but laugh at our friend‘s creative solution.
A moment later, he walked back inside and sat down with us once more.
As I relived this memory of him, I could not help but laugh all over again.
This also brought to mind that particular verse from the book of Luke.
At times, one man responds to another’s request only when the man making the request becomes persistent.
My old friend was served when he persisted in ringing the bell thus forcing the restaurant staff into action.
When it comes to prayer, we can approach God boldly and He will respond favorably if our request is aligned with both His will and His timing.
He does this not out of obligation or our persistence.
He does this because of His genuine love for us.
In the Lord’s prayer we are instructed to request our daily bread which is a necessity,
I find it more than interesting that the persistent man requested bread for another in the example Jesus gave to us.
Not only should we request that which is necessary for us, we should also request that which is necessary for others.
This is especially true when we pray for those who have not come to know Him for their need is the greatest of all.
Blessings,
Jim Pokorny
The Other Brother Jim
http://otherbrotherjim.blogspot.com
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