Keep on Persevering in Prayer!
I can so very much relate to this passage from the Gospel, about the woman who had been crippled/enfeebled by a spirit for so many years. Imagine being infirm for 18 years ! Imagine the courage and fortitude of this poor woman to continue to call out to God to free her from her infirmity, after so many days, weeks, months, and years of suffering! Now THAT'S perseverance!!
Like this woman in the Gospel story, I have been very ill for many years (the past nearly 23 years). Over recent months especially, I have difficulty even imagining what it is like to feel well. It is hard for me to fathom having the energy and strength I had before I became so ill with CFS. To me, it seems almost like Jesus will have to recreate every cell in my body, and do a makeover on my mind and my emotions, because I am so weary... and yes, I am discouraged. I'm sorry if this offends anyone, as I know other people do suffer more than I do, but: I am so bone-weary and so sick that I feel like even the Resurrection won't make me feel better.
Imagine how this poor, suffering woman felt after 18 years of being crippled/infirm. There must have been "holy" people who told her she wasn't holy enough, or that she should do this, that, or the other thing (or conversely, that should stop doing this, that or the other thing) and that then MAYBE her prayers might reach God.
Friends, if God seems to delay in answering our prayers, it is not because He is out to get us. He is not playing some kind of cosmic torture game on us! He hears our EVERY prayer. His Heart aches with EVERY tear we cry, with every silent, heartwrenching sob we inwardly cry. But... He knows the plans He has for us, to rescue us and to bring us even greater blessings than if we had never suffered in the first place. We need to trust in Him.
Do you notice in the below Scripture passage that the crippled woman stood up straight at once and GLORIFIED GOD?? Do you see there in the words of the Good News that the whole crowd rejoiced at the splendid works done by Jesus?
A lot of times, God allows us to suffer for the benefit of OTHERS. I will elaborate more on this later this week. But for today, please know that if our loving Heavenly Father seems to delay in answering our prayers, it is because He is turning the tables on Satan and defeating Satan's plan to rob you (and your family, friends, co-workers, neighbors, etc.) of seeing His Glory and His POWER TO RESCUE HIS PEOPLE.
Today, be of good courage! The Lord your God IS on YOUR side, and He is able to take the crosses in your life to bring you to greater freedom, healing,holiness, strength, and blessings than if you had never suffered in the first place , and in the process He will be more greatly glorified than if He had answered your prayers instantly. Not only is He ABLE to do this; He DELIGHTS to do this... for YOU personally.
Let's continue to persevere in prayer together. Our Daddy loves us, and we who hope in Him will NOT be disappointed!
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Luke 13,10-17.
He was teaching in a synagogue on the sabbath. And a woman was there who for eighteen years had been crippled by a spirit; she was bent over, completely incapable of standing erect. When Jesus saw her, he called to her and said, "Woman, you are set free of your infirmity." He laid his hands on her, and she at once stood up straight and glorified God. But the leader of the synagogue, indignant that Jesus had cured on the sabbath, said to the crowd in reply, "There are six days when work should be done. Come on those days to be cured, not on the sabbath day." The Lord said to him in reply, "Hypocrites! Does not each one of you on the sabbath untie his ox or his ass from the manger and lead it out for watering? This daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound for eighteen years now, ought she not to have been set free on the sabbath day from this bondage?" When he said this, all his adversaries were humiliated; and the whole crowd rejoiced at all the splendid deeds done by him.
Copyright ? Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, USCCB