One day Jesus taught the apostles to keep praying and never stop or lose hope. He shared with them this illustration….

“In a certain town there was a civil judge, a thick-skinned and godless man who had no fear of others opinions. And then there was a poor widow in that town who kept pleading with the judge, ‘Grant me justice and protect me against my oppressor!’

“He ignored her pleas for quite some time, but she kept asking. Eventually he said to himself, ‘This widow keeps annoying me, demanding her rights, and I’m tired of listening to her. Even though I am not a religious man and don’t care about the opinions of others, I’ll just get her off my back by answering her claims for justice and I’ll rule in her favor. Then she’ll leave me alone.'”

The Lord continued, “Did you hear what the ungodly judge said- that he would answer her persistent request? Don’t you know that God, the true judge, will grant to all of his chosen ones who cry out to him night and day? He will pour out his Spirit upon them. He will not delay to answer you and give you what you ask for. God will give swift justice to those who don’t give up.

So be ever praying, ever expecting, just like the widow was with the judge. Yet when the Son of Man comes back, will he find this kind of persistent faithfulness in his people? Luke 18 v 1-8 TPT

Jesus shared this story because he longs for us to keep praying and never stop or lose hope. Just because you may not be seeing answers to your prayers right now, He is still there. He is still with you.

I am currently waiting on answers to my persistent prayers, longings, hopes and dreams. Waiting for phone calls to come through, prodigals to return home, breakthroughs and open doors and I have yet to see them fore-filled, but in this season of waiting I feel God closer than ever.

It almost feels like that in the seasons of waiting He draws closer to us. I know He is always there, that He never leaves us but it just feels like in those hard times of waiting He knows that we need Him more then ever so He draws closer still.

So if He is drawing closer to us in those hard times of waiting for our prayers to be answered, what is it that we are doing? Do we draw close too or do we push Him away because we are not getting what we want here and now?

God is not distant, He is right beside me. Those things I am waiting on are just a small part of my journey. He is not looking to my response when the thing I am waiting on comes to pass. He is looking at my response in the waiting, in the here and now.

Do not give up praying, hoping, believing, waiting and having faith. Be ever praying and ever expecting. God is looking to our persistent faithfulness.  Press into Him further, draw closer to Him, He is right there, He always is and always will be.