Never, Ever, Ever Give Up

This past Sunday at Highpoint Church, we were privileged to see a 74-year-old mother baptize her grown daughter. It was evident that this mom had labored in prayer over her daughter for years. Patsy, the daughter being baptized, shared that she had spent many years away from the Lord and it was the recent death of her father that brought her back to Him. Here this mother stood, now a widow, seeing decades of prayers being answered.

I watched, imagining how many years this mom had sown seeds of faithfulness. How many times could Patsy's mom have given up hope as days turned into years? She likely wondered if she would ever see her daughter as a part of the harvest. I am certain Patsy's mom and dad had thousands of conversations over the years expressing their desire to see Patsy turn towards God.I have the teen years in front of me and subconsciously have thought, "Can I make it these next five years?" “Will everything turn out as my heart desires in the lives of my children?” Maybe it is not seeing a child through adolescence or seeing your child saved, perhaps it is the salvation of a parent or the healing of a loved one. How long are you willing to labor?As the mom finished speaking to her daughter, she turned to the church and said, "Never, ever, ever give up praying for your child."  May that be etched on our heart. In a culture where we want everything fast, God has not felt any pressure to change His perfect way. He has not chosen to join the fast food movement. He knows it is within the waiting that we are refined and developed. It is where we are humbled and get to the end of our own strength.

Paul tells us in Galatians 6:9,Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.So, how do we follow Patsy’s mom and not grow weary? Consider, what is the source of your weariness?  Here is why I usually get weary:

• I can’t see evidence of God working
• I see others who are having their prayers answered quicker than me
• I see others not even having to labor in prayer over this topic

Our weariness comes from our eyes.  It is tiring to look at the subject of our prayers and it is tiring to look at others to compare.  We will not grow weary, if we choose to lock our gaze upon the Lord.  It is easy to say and harder to do. So how do you practically keep your mind from growing weary? Try these things:

• Enlist a friend to call you out when she hears evidence that your eyes are no longer on the Lord
• Keep a Scripture handy that reminds you of God’s faithfulness (Isa 54:10, 2 Tim 3:3, etc)
• Find a worship song that expresses the cry of your heart and the power of the Lord to encourage you when the enemy wants you to doubt

Where do you need to never, ever, ever give up?