What to do when all seems Hopeless?? Hold on!!

Just hold on… But it's hard to hold on when it doesn't seem like God is doing anything, when it doesn't seem like He is answering our prayers, when all is quite and still. 

Over and over throughout the Bible you see the test of persevering prayer and the rewards that came when the intercessor prevailed. What would have happened if Elijah had stopped praying at the 6^th time, before he saw the cloud in the sky? There would have been no rain! What if Jacob had stopped wrestling during that long night and said “I give up! I can’t do this any longer!” There would have been no blessing and no Israel, for the Lord said, “Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.” (Gen. 32:28) What if the man had stopped knocking at his neighbor’s house at midnight begging for bread? There would have been no bread! What if Enoch had stopped walking and praying? He wouldn’t have gotten the fast-ticket to heaven! What if Moses had stopped praying during those 6 days on Mount Sinai when the glory of the Lord had come down in a cloud? He probably wouldn’t have been called into God’s presence for those 40 days of communion. What if Israel had stopped marching around Jericho after 5 or 6 days thinking, “This is pointless. We’re tired of looking silly!” There would have been no conquering of Canaan! What if Daniel had stopped praying three times a day when death was threatened? We would have no “Daniel in the lions den” story to tell today, nor would Daniel have been promoted or had the visions he later had.

Perseverance in prayer has been made a condition of receiving! (Just read Luke 18 if you aren't sure about this!) We must learn to hold on!!!

About 9 months ago, I received a plumeria plant. You know, the kind that bloom in Hawaii and have the special flowers on them that people like to make Leis out of? Anyway, I was so excited. However, do to the long drive home, all the leaves fell of. I was devastated. However I put the remaining stub of the plant (which just looked like a dead stick) in a pot anyway. Every week I watered it! Several times I thought to throw the plant out. It obviously wasn't going to come back to life, and it looked very dead. But for some reason I kept it, and I faithfully continued to water it week after week after week!

Well, 8 months later, it sprouted leaves!!! My plant has revived! I'm sooooo excited. You can see it pictured above! What if I had stopped watering it and taking care of it and hoping it would somehow miraculously come back to life? 

It's the same with our prayer life! We must hold on, we must keep watering our faith (by reading and claiming the Word of God). We must hold on. If we do, someday we will see that hoped for LIFE spring forth!!