My dog teaches the Bible …wordless lessons … if I’m paying attention.
If you have a dog, I bet yours is like ours. He will not quit until he gets what he wants. He begs and paces until we act. He even chases his tail to get our attention until we grant his request, like opening the door to let him out. Then he knocks on the door with his paw until we let him in—and out and in. When I tell him to wait, he slumps on the floor with his head down and his eyes upward, following my every move with an occasional moan. He’s still asking; he’s just doing it more calmly.
Perhaps the reason he doesn’t give up is that he knows we’ll always come through for him. Even if we can’t respond right away, he has confidence we love him and will take care of his needs.
Jesus told a parable about a widow who kept asking a judge to avenge her adversary. Finally, weary of her persistence, he obliged. Jesus told this parable to encourage us to not doubt but to keep asking.
Praying is not always one and done. Like our dog’s persistence in getting what he asks, continued asking demonstrates faith in our Master. Lesson one noted.
I’ll admit I’m not always calm and confident as I make requests of my Master. At times, I doubt, complain, and even give up because I don’t see the answers in the way and time I’m expecting.
When we trust our Master, we also won’t complain, moan, or pace. However, we will keep asking with faith and confidence. My dog is getting better at this, but he’s not quite there yet. Me too. Lesson two noted.
Additionally, it’s important to understand that life is filled with spiritual warfare, and some battles take longer to win. That’s why Jesus said we should not “lose heart.” He meant we should not get discouraged and give up.
If we’re truly confident in God’s goodwill for us, we will trust His answers and His timing, even as we continue to pray with a watchful eye. Lesson three noted.
Which one of these lessons do you most need to implement in your prayer life?
(Photo courtesy of pixabay.)
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Penny Cooke is a biblical life coach, mentor, speaker, and author of the award-winning book, Pursuing Prayer - Being Effective in a Busy World. She is a contributor to Worthy Inspired's Let the Earth Rejoice devotional and Lighthouse Bible Studies' Heart Renovation study and has written articles for CBN.com, Thoughts-About-God.com, and Blessed Living Women's E-Magazine. Penny also enjoys encouraging her blog readers at www.pennycookeauthor.com.