by Dr. Paul Chappell

"And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"

Luke 18:6-8

Even the unbeliever looks to heaven for help in time of need, but he has no faith.

Faith and prayer used to be a common occurrence in our world. In fact, a 1990 study stated that fifty-two million Americans attended a Christian church on a given weekend. Sixteen years after the initial study, those attendance numbers seem about the same, even though the population of America had grown by over fifty million people.

Prayers were common at places such as public meetings, graduations services, and public events. The reason prayer has seemingly taken a back seat in our nation is not because of national failure to pray but personal failure to pray. God has promised to answer our requests, provide help, supply wisdom, forgive offenses, and protect the weak; yet how often do we take advantage of His willingness to help us?

Christ finished His parable about the unjust judge by pointing out that even a judge who didn't fear God or man was willing to help the widow simply to keep her from annoying him. If even a self-centered judge was willing to help, how much more is the just Judge of heaven willing to help His children?

God is more than willing to intervene in your life and help you. In fact, He's waiting for you to ask Him to do so. The Psalmist understood God's willingness to help, and took full advantage of God's protection, "Break thou the arm of the wicked and the evil man: seek out his wickedness till thou find none. The Lord is King for ever and ever: the heathen are perished out of his land. Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress" (Psalm 10:15-18).

Truthfully, some of us are good at calling out to God for help. We make our needs known to Him quite often, yet think about the question Jesus asks in Luke 18:8, "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" Will Christ find faith in your heart?

Prayer is more than simply an expression of desires or needs. It is the act of thanking rather than complaining. It is rejoicing in God's work, accepting His will, and believing that He will accomplish what is best in your life. Prayer is an expression of faith in God.

Anyone can cry out for help. Even unbelievers look to the heavens for help in times of need. Yet true faith comes from believing God will answer your prayer and that His answer is enough for you.

Will God find faith in your life? The question could also be asked, will you quit believing God can answer your prayer? Yes, seek God for help and cry out for His power, but have faith that He will answer your prayer and that His answer will be what's best.

To learn more about the ministries of Lancaster Baptist Church and Pastor Chappell, please visit lancasterbaptist.org, paulchappell.com, or follow him on twitter.

Daily Bible Reading
Job 5-7 | Acts 8:1-25