So He kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea. (Luke 4:44 NASB)
He had been celebrated and nearly murdered by the same people, relentlessly pursued by a second group, and hounded by those seeking a miracle. It had been a rough few days. Despite all the difficulty He faced, Jesus came to share the good news, and that was what He did. His God-given job was to preach "so He kept on preaching". Neither adversity nor opposition stopped Him from doing what God sent Him to do. He was perfect in perseverance.
We are not always so perfect about persevering, are we? It's all too easy to hit a roadblock and give up. Intercession is an area where we are particularly vulnerable to battle fatigue. It is not uncommon to decide that either our prayers have not been effective in praying for our loved ones or that they are not ever going to change. I don't find support for either of those thoughts in Scripture. Instead, we are instructed to pray without ceasing, following the example of Christ, who had a job to do and did not stop, even when it led to the cross.
Are you burdened for your loved ones? Pray. Are you discouraged by your perceived lack of results? Pray. Is the situation seemingly worse instead of better? Pray and don't stop. In the job of prayer, one of our most important tools is doing what Jesus did. "He kept on" and so should we.
Today, pray that we will have the endurance to persevere in prayer for our loved ones, continuing to the end. Pray for them to be drawn to Christ no matter how long it takes. Pray, and don't stop.
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