Sunday Reflections on The Southerner Newspaper
Sunday, July 27, 2025
(Genesis 18:20-32 , Luke 11: 1- 13 )
(AMP) So I say to you, “Ask and keep on asking and it shall be given you; seek and keep on seeking and you shall find; knock and keep on knocking and the door shall be opened to you” . (Luke 11: 9).
My dear brethren in Christ, Peace and Love of Christ be with you. Today, Christ through the voice of the church calls us to a life of persistence in all aspects of life. It is not just persistence but a persistence forged in prayer.
These two factors, persistence and prayer are very fundamental in the journey towards growth.
Persistence geared towards growth is the ability to remain focused in the right perspective and not distracted by external conditions. Prayer on the other hand, deals with the acknowledgement of a higher Being or force outside of you through communication but this Being has the ability to influence your existence, positively or negatively.
Hence, the necessity to ensure that despite the persistence in life, prayer must be added to achieve the desired level of growth.
Our reflection today will be split into two parts as seen in the Gospel of Luke 11:1-13. In the first part, we are being presented with Christ teaching on the model or template of prayer (Luke 11:1-4). This points to the fact that prayer is not a random activity but a methodical action with intent.
The second part reflects Christ teaching on the need for persistence, not giving up easily despite the distractions that comes along the way (Luke 11:5-10).
In the first part of the reflection today, Christ taught his disciples how to pray; how to effectively communicate with God, the Supreme Being. In the template for prayer, He told them to first acknowledge Him and His supremacy as an act of worship and reverence. ‘Our Father’ tells that He (God ) is not just a father but Lord over all.
‘Who is in Heaven’ reflects a state of existence quite beyond our mortal realm. ‘Hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come’, points to the fact that we must acknowledge His supremacy that there is none other beside Him and as He reigns supreme in Heaven, He should also reign supreme here on earth.
‘Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven’ reflects total submission to His Sovereignty. That His will, thoughts and principles should be held sacred and revered amongst men just as it is done there in Heaven amongst the saints and angels.
Then, having concluded the first part of the template, then follows the second where supplications, intentions, wants are being displayed before Him who is abundantly able to do exceeding things (Ephesians 3:20).
In this second part of the format for prayer, necessities are what are required to be asked for. ‘Give us our daily bread’ reflects the dependence on His Providence, knowing that all that is needed for growth and life can and will be provided by Him at the dawn of the day, each day not quite different from the other days.
‘Forgive us our trespasses as we also do the same unto others’ shows our understanding that our disobedience could hinder the right flow of His provision and protection and seeks He puts them aside not to revisit them as we also pledge to do same unto those who have wronged us knowingly or unknowingly.
‘Bring us not into temptation but deliver us from all evil’ reflects man’s dependence on the power of Him that is Omnipotent. For our humanity fails us many a times but it is God who has the power to deliver us from all troubles.
On the second part of our reflection, Christ presents friends, perhaps close friends, which on a normal stance are not expected to deny each other anything unless in extreme conditions.
But then, one of the friends was in need of bread (food, a necessity of life ) at an odd hour (midnight) because he had a visitor which by their tradition as a sign of hospitality ought to offer him food and water knowing he comes from far. But the friend who has, refused to approve the friend’s request on the basis that it’s late and he has gone to bed.
The friend in need did not back out by his friend’s answer but continued. Christ says, even if this other friend will not attend to his friend’s request because he is his friend, he will give an answer because of persistence. Though his response might seem reasonable but the friend refused to be discouraged by it, hence he continued until his request is granted to him.
My dear brethren in Christ, today, we are being encouraged never to give up in our pursuit in life. We should remain consistent in what we do and it is this consistency against all odds (persistence) that produces results. Another instance can be seen in the case of Abraham interceding for Sodom, where his persistence in prayer held back God’s anger but the failure of Sodom to meet the terms agreed upon led to their destruction.
We must understand that upon the altar of persistence, everything seems to be achievable.
In some cases, your boss or superior might seem harsh or unapproachable, the person in the position to help you might appear arrogant, forged in insults.
Persistence says go for your goal and be blind to those distractions (those things that appear to be a hindrance). However, in this journey of life, journey towards growth, towards a better tomorrow, a better version of ourselves, we do not lean just on our strength as humans (1 Samuel 2:9), but must also reach out to God in prayer.
Our prayers must be in correspondence to the efforts we make towards achieving our desired goals, none must be lacking.
We must bear it in mind that it is he that asks, that will be given, seeks that finds and knocks that will be opened unto. Never stop, never quit, you are close to your breakthrough.
May the Peace and Love of Christ surpass all things rest and abide in your hearts. Amen.
