Certain Means of Prayer that Defeat Discouragements Pr. Lalinder Kumar

Pr. Lalinder Kumar

Certain Means of Prayer that DEFEAT DISCOURAGEMENTS

KINGDOM PERSPECTIVES Gospel | Literature | Education

The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray. It is not the only thing; but it is the chief thing. The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; not those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time and pray

We are living in very uncertain times. one another in this discouraged and depressed world. Everywhere we turnin print, on the news, or As He was talking about the end times, he sensed that on social media we see and hear about the fear gripped the listeners. Hence, He went on to teach COVID-19 pandemic. Fears are rising all them through a parable. around the world. People, who have never felt anxious before, are suddenly weighed down with worry and Always Pray and Do Not Be Discouraged are unsure of what to do next. Schools are closed, He then told them a parable on the need for them to travel is banned, events canceled, people are pray always and not become discouraged in Luke 18 stockpiling essentials, even churches had to close their (HCSB). Jesus spoke these words to His disciples doors. The Holy Bible says in Luke 17:30 that “It will emphasizing that there is a need to pray and not to be be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed. discouraged. Jesus was not only a teacher of prayer; The unknown can be scary. Jesus proclaimed the coming of God's kingdom, and the crowd envisioned hell fire, brimstone, and the wiping out of masses of people. But Jesus knew that God's kingdom was not He was a man of prayer. He prayed. His life modeled what He taught. The passion in His prayer life motivated and inspired the disciples. So they asked Him to teach them to pray as well. just something unknown that will come in a terrifying SD Gordon best described the importance of prayer blaze of fire. The kingdom Jesus proclaimed was, this from the life of Jesus through his classic book “Quiet kingdom perspective. It is reaching out to encourage Talks on Prayer:” When God would win back His Kingdom Perspectives | Jul-Aug 2020

Many people are discouraged nowadays, financially, academically, professionally to marital downfalls even to the point of spiritual discouragements. First of all; we temporarily lose our perspective and become disoriented and confused.

KINGDOM PERSPECTIVES Gospel | Literature | Education prodigal world, He would send down a Man. That Man who is more than a Man insisted on staying a Man. He touched human life at every point. No man seems to have understood prayer and have prayed like He did. It is very important to note the prayer of Jesus which most often is quiet talks with the father. A habit is an act of doing something repeatedly, so often that it is done involuntarily: that is, without a new decision of the mind each time it is done. Jesus prayed. He loved to pray. Sometimes praying was His way of resting. He prayed very often that it became a part of His life, similar to breathing which is also involuntary. The knowledge of our own weakness is upon us, but with this conviction, comes the sense of dependence on a Greater. S.D. Gordon rightly observes about prayer that “Out of this springs the necessity of prayer, which is the language of the frail to the mighty the confession of need, and the instinct of trust. The greatest thing anyone can do for God and man is pray. It is not the only thing; but it is the chief thing. The great people of the earth today are the people who pray. I do not mean those who talk about prayer; not those who can explain about prayer; but I mean those people who take time and pray” Every known religion attests this irresistible impulse to pray, there are times when desperate prayer arises from prayer less lips; times of danger, times of heart fear,

wherein terror and doubt mingle with the murmuring over our circumstances is ultimately to unquenchable instinct of prayer. According to murmur against God. These people had developed the Thomas Watson, “Prayer delights God's ear; it melts habit of murmuring and complaining. It is dangerous His heart; and opens His hand. God cannot deny a to have a critical spirit. Such people will always be praying soul.” disappointed and discouraged. With no doubt, you Why Did the Lord Stress on the Point There is a Need for Prayer? will find many things that will displease you. But in all things JESUS reminds us to pray and not to be discouraged. He knew an Era of greatly discouraged people was rising! The time when the teenagers, the youth, the 2. Bad reports middle aged even the elderly would be seen greatly The Bible says “After they went up as far as Eshcol discouraged. Disappointment can be defined as a Valley and saw the land, they discouraged the feeling of dissatisfaction that follows the failure of Israelites from entering the land the LORD had given expectations or hopes to manifest. The choice to them” (Numbers 32:9) (CSB). God's sovereignty remain in disappointment leads to Discouragement. remains. When you feel like a failure, or your faith Webster's Dictionary defines discouragement as “the waivers or when you are threatened by anything at all, act of discouraging . . . depression or weakening of remind yourselves that God's grace is sufficient and confidence; dejection.” It is also explained as “that His faithfulness is steadfast. Your circumstances will which deters, or tends to deter, from an undertaking.” change, but our God will not. Discouragement is nothing new. Many of the great Bible characters became discouraged. It is as old as the history of man. Due to imprisonment, being beaten and Many people are discouraged nowadays, financially, academically, professionally to marital downfalls persecuted, the greatest apostle of all even to the point of spiritual discouragements. First of times fell to the low at many instances. all; we temporarily lose our perspective and become disoriented and confused. Our attitudes and But discouragement is not unbeatable. responses are not what they should be. Besides, we paint the night darker than it really is. The younger generation faces discouragement from parents, However, Paul was encouraging himself and his readers as He penned teachers, spiritual leaders, peers and even siblings. down (Phil4:13). In fact, God's Word is The Apostle Paul experienced great moments of discouragement. We read about that in 2Corinthians filled with encouragement for us. 1:8 that “We were completely overwhelmed beyond our strength so that we even despaired of life itself.” Though his life was ordained for the missions and the 3. Underestimating God given Blessings gospel, he fell into deep sudden despair. Due to They gave Moses this account: "We went into the land imprisonment, being beaten and persecuted, the to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and greatest apostle of all times fell to the low at many honey! Here is its fruit. But the people who live there instances. But discouragement is not unbeatable. are powerful and the cities are fortified and very large. However, Paul was encouraging himself and his We even saw descendants of Anak there (Numbers readers as He penned down (Phil4:13). In fact, God's 13:27-28). Unbelief overlooks the promises and power Word is filled with encouragement for us. of God, magnifies every danger and difficulty, and fills Paul says “I can do all this through him who gives me the heart with discouragement. strength”.It is important that we cling to these words 4. Considering Oneself Inferior when we feel crushed by what is going on. There is indeed a need to pray, a deep desperation that arises from the depths of discouragement. The Bible say in Numbers 13:31-32(CSB) that “but the men who had gone up with him responded, “We can't attack the people because they are stronger than we Reasons for Discouragement: are” 32 So they gave a negative report to the Israelites 1. Fear of Scarcity about the land they had scouted: “The land we passed through to explore is one that devours its inhabitants, The Bible Says the people spoke against God and and all the people we saw in it are men of great size. Moses: “Why have you led us up from Egypt to die in Though they had found the land as good as God had the wilderness? There is no bread or water, and we said, yet they didn't believe it to be as sure as He had detest this wretched food Numbers 21:5(CSB). God is said. They were despaired of having it, though Eternal in control of the problems in our lives, thus, any Truth had engaged it to them.Unbelief overlooks the

KINGDOM PERSPECTIVES Gospel | Literature | Education

Discouragement is the opposite of faith. It is Satan's device to thwart the work of God in your life. Discouragement blinds our eyes to the mercy of God and makes us perceive only the unfavorable circumstances.

promises and power of God, magnifies every danger meditate. One day, as a small child, Thomas Edison and difficulty, and fills the heart with discouragement. came home from school and gave a paper to his 5. Murmuring against God mother. He said to her “Mom, my teacher gave this paper to me and told me only you are to read it. What Numbers 14:1-2 says” that night all the members of does it say?” Her eyes welled with tears as she read the the community raised their voices and wept aloud. All letter out loud to her child… the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, and the whole assembly said to them, If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness.” The people wept, complained, looked back to Egypt, wanted a new leader and even threatened to stone Caleb and Joshua. These are the evidence of unbelief. Unbelief looks back with complaint. “Your son is a genius. This school is too small for him and doesn't have enough good teachers to train him. Please teach him yourself.”Many years after Edison's mother had died; he became one of the greatest inventors of the century. One day he was going through a closet and he found the folded letter that his old teacher wrote to his Mother that day. He opened Discouragement is the opposite of faith. It is Satan's it…The message written on the letter was: “Your son is device to thwart the work of God in your life. mentally deficient. We cannot let him attend our Discouragement blinds our eyes to the mercy of God school anymore. He is expelled.”Edison became and makes us perceive only the unfavorable emotional reading it and then wrote in his diary: circumstances. The devil was going out of business and all his tools were for sale. On the sale night they were all attractively displayed, and a lot was there: Malice, Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Sensuality, Deceit “Thomas A. Edison was a mentally deficient child whose mother turned him into the genius of the Century.” and all the other implements of evil, each marked with Such is the power of an encouragement, to change the its price. From the rest lay a harmless looking tool, destiny of her child. Through quieting ourselves, we much worn, priced higher than the others. Someone are able to focus on God alone. In our quiet moments asked what it was. That's Discouragement, Was the with GOD, He encourages us and lifts us from our Reply. Why is it priced so high? Satan replied, "it is discouragements. He is the only One, bigger than our more useful to me than any of the others. I can open discouragement. and get inside a man's consciousness with that when I don't get him with any of the other tools. Further Satan said once I get inside I can use him in whatever way best. It is so much worn because I use it with nearly everybody, as very few people know it belongs The Bible says in Luke 18:7-8 (CSB) that “will not God grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay helping them? I tell you that he will swiftly grant them justice. Nevertheless, when the to me” The devil's price for discouragement was so Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” high that it was never sold. He is still using it. Evangelist Billy Graham once said “I have never met In our fight against discouragement, we must take the time to rest in silence, waiting upon God and putting our hope in the Lord. Just be silent and take time to anyone who spent time in daily prayer, and in the study of the Word of God, and was strong in faith, who was ever discouraged for very long.”