Parables: Keys to the Kingdom - The Persistent Widow

Good morning, everybody.

Um that's our last time we're gonna have that wonderful Wii Sports bumper.

I know, so sad.

Uh welcome.

My name is Kirk.

I'm just grateful to be the uh have the opportunity to be the pastor here at Common Place Church.

So glad you guys are with us.

If you're visiting your first time checking out the church gathering, uh yeah, it's it's it's been uh it's it's been a really good week.

That's all I can say.

VBS was just a lot of fun.

You saw that old guy that looks like me dancing in some of those videos, so please don't share that with anybody else.

But uh you guys get the yeah, you get the the joy of seeing that.

Um so here we go.

We're gonna jump into our last parable uh for for this series.

And um if some of you guys are probably maybe like rooting for this, you're like, yes, finally.

But for others who maybe are you know want to kind of go a little bit further in some of the stuff, here's the good news.

Uh this this summer um we are gonna start a new series and we're gonna keep looking at Jesus' words, and we're gonna do so as we're gonna look at Jesus' most famous sermon.

It's it's called the Sermon on the Mountain.

Maybe you guys have heard it before, but we're gonna go through that this summer uh in a series we're calling the kingdom as commonplace, okay?

Not the kingdom is commonplace, very much self-promoting, right?

But kingdom as commonplace.

And we'll get into more of that uh as we go forward uh in the summer series.

But we got to close out today, and so today we're closing out with, I would say, a pretty heavy and challenging uh parable, one that I was thinking through, like how do I just avoid this one?

And uh, but as as I realized that's that's not a possibility because you know, God at times He He wants to show us uh just incredible things, even through some of the hardest, uh hardest teachings and hardest messages up there.

And the reason that this one feels a little bit tough for some of us, I think, is we've maybe been on that persistent prayer road.

And uh maybe you know we're we're struggling because we haven't necessarily seen God answer the way that we had hoped, right?

Maybe we've had um like a prodigal child, right?

And we're praying for that child to come home.

Um, and just at the moment that's that hasn't been the case.

Maybe we've prayed for a marriage to be restored, maybe pray for healing, right?

And and pray for even just like salvation of loved ones.

And it seems like what God are you answering?

What's what's going on here, right?

And so I think that can make this um this parable a little bit challenging.

We hear about this persistence of this this woman and the answering that this judge gives us, right?

And so what I want to just share though, this parable is is the point is not to um to bring us to the place of like this is the formula for how Jesus answers prayers, right?

That that's not what we see here.

What we see here is this is really uh the persistent widow is the promise of not not something like results, but the promise regarding this, regarding the practice that comes through persistence, and and the posture that that comes through persistence.

See, Jesus is less concerned with guaranteeing some sort of specific outcome and more concerned with shaping the hearts of his disciples, right, while while they wait, while they wait on him.

And so, in other words, this parable teaches us what persistence, what it looks like in the kingdom of God.

And so that's where we're heading today.

Uh, we're gonna look at this the persistence as a practice, and then this other persistence as posture.

So let's start with this persistence as practice.

And the first practice Jesus points us to is this it's it's persistent prayer.

Persistent prayer.

Here's the first key for us today.

Disciples of Jesus persist in prayer by faith, not with what is seen, but what is unseen.

So here's how we see this practical, uh, this practicality take shape with this parable.

So it begins, the story begins with a character that Jesus chooses to place at the center of the story.

And it's a it's a widow, right?

Now, this choice is intentional, it truly is.

So but to understand the force of this parable, of this character choice, we need to understand what it actually meant to be a widow in this time that Jesus is speaking into, right?

Now, many of us have maybe experienced and have some understanding of the idea of widowhood, right?

Perhaps maybe experienced the loss of a of a spouse, right?

Or maybe walked with along someone's side someone who has, right?

And so we we kind of understand the grief that comes from maybe losing a companion, a partner, a provider, right, a source of support.

And and the realities are are just painful, right?

And they're they're significant.

Yet here in this first century, widowhood carried an additional, additional burden.

See, a widow was among the most vulnerable people in all of society.

To be a widow frequently meant having no income, no husband, like little legal standing, minimal social influence, right?

No one to advocate on her behalf.

There was no survivor, survivor benefits, there's no life insurance, right?

No policies.

This widow is just left with virtually nothing.

Right?

That that's why through scripture we see uh widows, orphans, foreigners, right, they're represented and desired for this kind of idea of special care and special protection because they were the most vulnerable in that culture.

And and so we see that um when Jesus chooses this widow, it's uh it's there's there's a real power in this, in this choice, right?

Because he's not choosing someone who has power, he's not choosing someone who has leverage, right?

He's not choosing someone with influence, he's not choosing someone with with connections, right?

This woman has nothing, she is she has no chips to bargain with, right?

There's nothing to offer, nothing to stand on.

And yet here's the one thing she possesses persistence.

She just keeps coming, right?

She just keeps asking, she keeps seeking justice, right?

And that's where the connection to this to the prayer begins, okay?

Because remember, Jesus tells us the purpose of this parable before he even tells the story.

Luke, Luke 18, 1, it says that Jesus told in the parable to show them that they should always pray and not what not give up.

So, in other words, the the widow's repeated appeals become this.

It becomes a picture of persistent prayer, persistent prayer.

She keeps returning, she keeps asking, she keeps bringing her requests forward.

And that's how Jesus how he tells his disciples to approach God.

Not because we have the power, not because we have leverage, not because we have influence, but we but because we we have the one and we know the one who does.

So look what it says that Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

And so here's what Jesus is doing through this widow.

He's offering, I would say, an archetype of the human condition.

Because if we're honest, we're not necessarily much different from her in some ways, right?

Not her her exact circumstances, right?

We don't, that's not the same, but what we do share is this.

We share in her limitations.

Because if we're if we're we're we just can reflect, we have limited power, we have limited control, limited ability to change our circumstances, right?

Limited capacity to change things like outcomes, right?

There's so much in life that exists beyond our control.

And yet Jesus wants us to understand something so important.

We're not powerless because we've been given access to the one who holds all the power, right?

That's what makes us that we have power because we are uh connected to the one who is sovereign, but God, the one who reigns and rules over all things.

And how do we have access to that?

Prayer.

Prayer.

It's what Jesus is pointing out here, right?

The practice of prayer.

And now here's the beauty of prayer.

On this side of heaven, right, prayer is offered from this.

It's from a space of abundance, okay?

God doesn't ration our prayer, right?

He's not keeping track of like how many prayers you've prayed uh just today, right?

He doesn't say, hey, you know what, you've reached your limit, come back tomorrow, right?

That's that's not how prayer works, right?

In fact, Paul gives us this encouragement.

I love this.

It says, pray without what?

Ceasing.

Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Notice, notice what Paul he doesn't say, right?

He doesn't say, uh, just pray occasionally.

No, he doesn't say, like, pray when things get difficult.

He doesn't say, pray, but make sure you, you know, you keep a few in your in your pocket for later.

That's not what the case is, right?

The invitation is continual, ongoing, persistent prayer.

Prayer as a way of life.

And and I I think that's important for for many of us to hear because here's here's what I've I've recognized, even in my own life.

Sometimes we reduce prayer to just like specific occasions, specific moments, you know, before meals, before bed, when when someone is is is sick, right?

Before a test, maybe before a difficult meeting.

And listen, none of those moments are wrong, but if we're not careful, prayer easily becomes something we just schedule rather than something we live.

And yet we have Paul and Jesus, right, invite us into something so much greater.

It's this is a life that's marked by continual communion with God.

Now I share that as someone who naturally gravitates towards scheduled prayer, right?

But but over the years, I've I've sensed the Lord doing this in my life, inviting me towards something deeper, right?

Not just like this designated prayer time, but this ongoing like awareness of his presence throughout my day.

This this almost like ongoing like conversation.

And now notice, notice I said conversation here, okay?

Because it's not a monologue, right?

Because prayer is not just merely like speaking words into the air.

Prayer is this it's communing with God, it's relationship with God.

Now, listen, at times that can feel awkward because most times we don't necessarily hear God's audible voice responding to us, right?

But but God is not limited to speaking to us audibly.

I've discovered even throughout my my own faith journey that God often responds through things like this through through through circumstances, through opportunities, through conviction, through wisdom, provision, relationships, and often, and of course his word, right?

He doesn't merely listen, God responds.

Think about it um this way.

Many of us have had maybe uh conversations where um someone, you know, we we hear someone with this appears to be listening, right?

And and but nothing changes, right?

There's like no indication that they actually heard what we said.

Anybody?

Anyone been those?

I've been I probably have been that person, but um uh but but God's not like that, right?

He hears, God cares and he responds.

I'll just give you like a quick simple example.

My wife and I uh returned to following Jesus after a long time away.

We wanted friends who shared our our faith and and friends who would encourage us, friends who would help us grow.

And so we began praying, and it sounded kind of silly, right?

We played, God, we we need some friends, right?

And now listen, we didn't hear like an audible voice.

It wasn't like I got you covered, right?

It wasn't that, but what we did, we looked around, began to see God's response.

Like a few weeks later, God brought us into a church community, right?

Friendships were formed, relationships developed, and and those friendships became incredibly significant in our spiritual growth.

And and looking back, right, we can clearly see God's hand at work through those moments.

And and recognizing, though, that that response required something.

Required faith, required trust, right?

Because faith is this.

It often means trusting God's activity before we can fully see it.

I mean, that's that's what faith is.

That's exactly what Paul describes faith in uh 2 Corinthians.

He says, for we walk by faith, not by sight, not by sight.

And so persistence in prayer, right?

That is the practice of those who belong to the kingdom of God.

It's the practice of those who recognize, like the widow, they are limited, limited in strength, limited in their influence, limited in their ability to control outcomes.

Right?

The persistent prayer, though, acknowledges this.

It acknowledges the one who is unlimited, the one who reigns over every circumstance, the one who sees what we can't see.

And so that's the first practice.

Here's the second practice, and I know everyone's gonna love this one, okay?

Uh, the practice that is uh also calls us to that.

I know I've totally completely mastered is patience.

Persistence in patience, right?

Persistence in practice includes patience along the process.

Now let me point something out here, okay?

Patience is not the same thing as this, it's not the same thing as passivity, okay?

There's such a thing as being active, of active patience.

And I know that sounds like contradictory, but patience is not inactivity.

Patience is a choice.

Every choice requires an action, right?

Patience is this active decision to keep trusting while we wait, right?

Patience is this incredible like step.

And because waiting, like I'll just say it doesn't mean just sitting around, it doesn't mean doing nothing.

I'll give you an example.

Think about pregnancy, okay?

Right?

For I think nine months typically, right?

There's just there's waiting, right?

But but no one would just call those nine months passive.

There's doctor's appointments, right?

There's ultrasounds, preparations.

The dads have to go figure out how to build a crib.

You know, plans are being made.

Maybe not just the dads, I don't know.

That's what I had to do.

Uh, but it's a season of waiting, but it's not a season without action, right?

The waiting itself is purposeful.

And that that sounds so similar to what we see in this widow, right?

She's patient, but she's not passive.

She continues showing up, she continues pleading her case, she continues pursuing justice, she continues through her request, right, making her quest forward.

And this isn't like just one-time appeal that she has followed by like a silent like resignation, right?

This is patient combined with persistence.

And I think that's exactly what Jesus is inviting his disciples into.

It's this idea of patient and persistence.

It's the kind of faith that just it just keeps showing up, the kind of faith that just keeps praying, the faith that just keeps trusting, even and this is hard, even when the answer hasn't arrived yet.

Because God doesn't always respond to our timeline.

Sometimes his answer is immediate yes, sometimes his answer, immediate no, and sometimes his answer is wait.

And and I think the third one at times can be almost the hardest one, right?

Because considering while we're waiting, well, it doesn't mean that that God is, right?

Let me explain that.

God, he might be doing things that we cannot see.

He might be working in circumstances that we don't understand.

He may be shaping people in those moments, he may be preparing opportunities in those moments, he may be even just changing hearts or transforming even us in ways that would never happen if the answer just came immediately.

And so that's why persistence requires this.

It requires patience, not passive waiting, but active trust.

It's a willingness to continue praying, to continue trusting, to continue following while God works according to his wisdom rather than our timetable.

Yet Jesus, he invites us to continue pursuing and persistent in our waiting.

And I think many of us, including myself, might ask, well, why?

Right?

Why continue asking?

Why continue praying?

Why continue waiting?

I've been already waiting for months, years, some of us decades.

And I think part of the answer is this.

I think we often I think we often reduce prayer to like a radio, radio request line, right?

We treat prayer like we're calling a radio station.

I don't know if kids still do this, they got Spotify, but back in the day they we did this, right?

You speak to the DJ and you put your request out there, right?

And then you just wait and see if your song gets played, right?

Sometimes it does, awesome, sometimes it doesn't.

And I think here's what I think happens in in the church is many of us unknowingly approach prayer that same way, right?

We call we call the prayer hotline, we submit our requests, and we sit back, hopefully God gets around to it, right?

But but that's that's not the picture that Jesus gives us.

Prayer isn't about getting our request on the air.

Prayer is about having access to the host.

That's the invitation.

Not simply to make requests, but to have continual access to this God Himself.

And I think that's something we often miss.

I know I do at times as well.

We become so focused on the answer that we overlook this.

We overlook the beauty of the relationship.

We become so focused on the result, we miss the reality of God's presence.

Now, sure, an answer to prayer is a gift, but it it's important to ask isn't the greater gift just the access?

Right?

The access it provides to God?

The miracle isn't simply that God responds.

The miracle is this is that God invites us into his presence.

And so that's why uh waiting doesn't have to be passive, waiting becomes an opportunity.

It's an opportunity for continued connection, communion, conversation, and trust, right?

As we were as we uh wait and and we we remain waiting for God's answer, right?

Here's what we do we get to remain close to God Himself in the process.

It reminds me of one of my uh my favorite gospel songs, okay?

When I used to work in East Orange, we used to have this like church service every Thursday morning, and and it was awesome.

And our clients would sing some of their favorite hymns and spirituals and gospel songs.

One of the ones they sang regularly is this called, it's called Jesus on the main line, okay?

All right, I'll sing it for you.

It goes Jesus on.

I got some clapping.

Jesus on the main line.

Tell them what we want.

Come on up and tell them what you want.

It's great, it's such a good one.

So now for many of us though, we need a little bit of uh explanation, okay?

Because most of us probably don't understand the phrase the main line.

In the same way, maybe younger generations won't recognize references like Ma Bell, okay?

So the main line was part of this older telephone system, and calls would pass through a central exchange while this operator would connect you to the person you're trying to reach.

And so the main line was the point of access, the place of connection.

But what made this gospel song for me so powerful was the reminder that when it comes to Jesus, there's no operator standing in the middle, right?

There's no waiting for someone to connect the call.

The central idea is this Jesus is available, and he is waiting for you to call him anytime.

And I love that image because it reminds us that prayer isn't some restricted access.

There's no office hours, there's no busy signal, there's no waiting room, right?

There's no limit how many times the invitation just remains consistently uh open.

And that that's that just such a beautiful offering that we have.

And we see this beautiful invitation through this idea of this this widow here.

So those are the practices.

Let's go to this the posture of uh that we see in this idea of persistence.

And so, interestingly enough, the the story, right?

Jesus introduces another character for us.

It's the judge.

Now, what does Jesus tell us about this judge?

He says this in a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people what thought.

So Jesus is making a clear distinction in this about two postures in this parable, okay?

What he is contrasting is two different types of judges, two different kinds of judges.

So first he gives us this earthly judge.

So what do we learn about him?

He neither fears God, he doesn't care about people, right?

His posture is one of indifference, distance, apathy, right?

He possesses authority, that's true, but he lacks compassion.

He has no power.

He has power, but he he he has no concern for those under his care.

Now, this would be so uh strange for the audience there, because here's the thing Jewish judges were expected to fear God, they're expected to uphold justice, defend the vulnerable, act with integrity.

Yet Jesus does this, he intentionally presents the exact opposite this unjust judge.

It's a judge who doesn't care about God, doesn't care about people.

And and now, Jesus, he's not like speaking out against authority here, not saying authority is wrong or unnecessary.

Here's what he's doing he's exposing limitations.

Earthly authority.

Even the best human systems remain imperfect because they're administered by imperfect people, right?

Which leaves this widow in a really difficult position.

The very person she must appeal to is flawed.

The one who possesses authority does this lacks concern.

The one who's responsible for justice is indifferent to her plight, which means persistence really becomes her only option.

She just keeps asking.

She keeps asking and she keeps asking over and over and pleading, pursuing.

And eventually the judge does this, he relents.

Now notice why.

Not because he's suddenly compassionate, he just gets tired.

He's worn down.

Right?

The judge isn't seeking what's best for the widow.

He's just seeking relief from her.

He's not motivated by righteousness.

He's motivated by convenience.

He just settles the matter because he wants to stop being bothered.

And that's why Jesus tells the story this way.

Because this parable is of contrast.

Jesus, once again, he's holding up limited authority in order to reveal something greater.

This is one of those classic Jesus moments, right?

These how much more arguments.

He does the same thing elsewhere.

He says, when Jesus points out the birds in the air, the flowers of the field, he says, How see God cares for them, but how much more will he provide for his children?

And Jesus uses the same approach here.

If this unjust judge eventually responds to persistence request, how much more will a perfectly righteous God respond to his people?

Right?

If a judge who doesn't care but eventually acts, right, how much more with the God who deeply cares for their children, how much more will he act in their behalf?

And that's the contrast.

That's exactly what Jesus takes us to.

He says, and the Lord said, Listen to them, listen to what the unjust judge says.

And not and will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones who cry out for him day and night?

Will he keep putting them off?

I tell you, he will see that they get justice and quickly.

However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?

So the persistence of this widow exposes the character of an unjust judge.

An unjust judge he responds out of this, out of obligation.

A righteous judge responds out of love.

An unjust judge acts because he no longer wants to be bothered.

Righteous judge acts because he genuinely cares.

Unjust judge seeks relief from the person making the request.

Righteous seeks what's best for that person making the request.

And that's where we need to be somewhat even careful about this parable, because Jesus is not primarily making a statement here about timing.

He's making a statement about character.

The takeaway isn't that God answers faster than the unjust judge.

The takeaway is God answers differently from the unjust judge.

This isn't a lesson about speed, it's a lesson about trustworthiness.

The contrast isn't between delayed answers and immediate answers, it's between an authority who doesn't care and authority who deeply loves.

One acts from annoyance.

God acts from love.

One responds because they're exhausted, God from compassion.

One settles just out of appeasement.

God.

He settles from what's good, what is right, and what is just.

If God is good, then his timing, his timing can be trusted.

If God is loving, his timing can be trusting.

If God is wise, his timing can be trusted.

If God is just, his timing can be trusted.

You see, see, the key to persistence is not confidence in a timeline, it's confidence in God's character.

Persistence becomes so much easier when we remember who it is we're waiting on.

It's not a reluctant judge, it's not an annoyed authority, it's not a distant ruler, but it's a loving father.

It's a righteous judge who always acts accordingly to his perfect wisdom.

Simply put, the reason we persist is because we trust the character of the one who we're pursuing.

It reveals this that kingdom faith trusts God's timing.

The reality is we may not understand God's timing.

If we're honest, there are moments when we may even find, maybe not even agree with God's timing.

But God isn't asking for our understanding, He's asking for our trust.

There's a difference there, right?

Because when we find ourselves waiting on God, it's easy to assume that delay is like some sort of denial.

And yet often what feels like delay is actually preparation.

God is working through us in those moments.

He's refining us, he's sanctifying us.

That's why waiting seasons can be so important.

And it just reminds me just waiting seasons are this, they're not wasted seasons, right?

Our waiting is never meaningless.

Our waiting is never without purpose.

Our waiting is never in vain.

Eventually, right, we we recognize that it's it's it can be challenging for us to wait, right?

But it's not in vain.

And I get like, listen, for those of us of us who are carrying some heavy burdens, right?

Those praying for maybe a loved one to come to faith, for prodigal son or daughter to come home, praying for healing, right?

Praying, those even carrying chronic pain or physical limitations, wrestling through mental health, right?

Those are difficult places to wait.

I recognize that.

They're places where waiting can feel endless.

And Jesus never does, he never minimizes the difficulty of those seasons in scripture, right?

Scripture never pretends suffering isn't real, but what does what God does promise is that waiting is not wasted because our judge is good, our God is loving, our God is just.

Paul speaks about it this way.

He says, For I consider the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that's to be revealed to us.

Paul later goes into the this in Romans 8 a little further, where he talks about all of creation is waiting, right?

In labor pains, waiting for this moment, for all creation to be set free.

And there's just a reality that the waiting itself, it's worth the wait, right?

You think about childbirth, right?

The labor process.

You think about yes, it's painful, but you think about the delivery of that that that wonderful gift, right?

You just it's tough to look back and look at the labor pains in those moments.

At least what the ladies tell me, at least.

I should never have talked about that.

Oh my goodness.

Okay, uh I'm about to close this out here.

Um so just just uh real powerful thought that I had.

Um the the beauty of of just wrestling with God, right?

Sometimes in our prayers, God's God calls us to just draw near to him and even persist, like this widow.

And and and I think I love this example of Jacob in the Bible, um, Old Testament, right?

Uh Genesis 32, Jacob, he's wrestling with God.

Now, if you're picturing Jacob like entering the ring with like an entrance music and championship belt, right?

That's that's not really what's happening.

But Jacob, he does find himself in some sort of main event, wrestling with God throughout the night.

And why does he wrestle with God?

He desires this blessing from God.

It's not just simply material prosperity, not just earthly success.

It he desires affirmation that he belongs to God, that he's part of God's covenant family.

And what's fascinating is yes, God wants that too.

God wants relationship with Jacob.

And so if that's true, why the wrestling match, right?

Why not simply hand Jacob the blessing immediately?

Well, God isn't merely interested in just granting a request, he's interested in cultivating a relationship.

And wrestling accomplishes something unique, right?

Wrestling is not distant.

It's not like standing across the field from someone, right?

It's not like a duel from like a safe distance.

Like wrestling requires closeness, proximity, contact, connection, right?

And so throughout the night, Jacob is clinging to God and says, I will not let you go until you bless me.

Right?

What a what a per what a picture of persistence.

And this isn't manipulation, this isn't bargaining, it's not earning, it's just refusing to let go of God.

It's just holding on, staying present, it's remaining near.

And eventually God, God, God grants Jacob what he seeks.

And not because God is exhausted, God could have gone a couple more rounds, right?

Not not because Jacob wore him down, but but but because God's timing and God's purposes can be trusted, right?

And and God's the beauty of that moment is that God offers relationship through what's called intimacy.

That's the most intimate moment.

Wrestling, grappling with God, right?

The closest connection.

And I think there's an invitation to us not to necessarily battle God in the ring, but to uh to cling to him and to desire that incredible uh offer of invitation, offer of just intimacy and relationship with God.

And so as as we close, I just want to just recognize how we get to that relationship, and and it's through the beauty of the gospel.

Uh we we spoke a lot this week in uh VBS about the gospel, and it's it's the good news that um that God loves us and and that as we um as he created us in love, and yes, we found separate from him because of our sin, that God didn't leave us just to be apart.

All right, you think about the intimacy part, right?

He desires relationship once more and how we receive that.

Well, God decided that um out of his great love, he was gonna send his one and only son Jesus to come down to rescue us, to live a perfect life we never could.

We all fall short, we all sin.

None of us are righteous enough to restore that relationship, but there is one who is, and it's Jesus.

And Jesus came and he lived that perfect life and he takes on the sin of all of us, each one of us, he takes our sin and he places that sin to death, and he and he enters death because of the penalty of sin.

But the good news is this death isn't doesn't have the last word, right?

Resurrection does.

And Jesus rises again from the tomb, offers us a new life, offers that restored relationship to this God who loves us, this this just judge.

And in that, it's an offering of what's called just receiving.

We can never do anything to earn it, we can never do anything to just access that.

We just receive Jesus, we receive what he's done for us on our behalf.

It's all by grace as we put our faith in what he has done.

And from there, we have the access to have Jesus as Lord over every area of our life.

He's a good judge, he's a good king, he loves us, and he invites us to allow him to work in every area of our lives.

And so I just want to invite anyone who's maybe never taken that step of just inviting Jesus to be Lord in your life, just repenting of sin and turning from sin and turning to him.

It's it's it's it's the most incredible news that we could ever share, that we can ever offer.

And uh I just want to invite you into that now.

So we pray.

Even just the patience, Lord, as we wait upon you, Lord, would you just remind us in those moments, there's those those moments are not wasted moments, God.

Uh and I pray, Lord, for for those today, maybe are just been waiting for a long time, Lord, just waiting on just just prayers, Lord, and just seeing loved ones come to know you, seeing healing, just seeing deliverance, seeing God, just you move.

I just pray that you would just encourage them today to continue to just seek you, Lord.

To bring those requests to you, Lord.

That through Jesus we have access to you, God.

And I pray for those who maybe have never taken a step towards you as Lord this morning, God, would you just just just bring it just a beautiful invitation to their hearts this morning, God?

And just Jesus, you you you offer, yes, eternal life, but you also like offer life in abundance, Lord, here and now.

I just pray that invitation would be uh just just so joyful, Lord.

And uh we pray this in Jesus' name, amen.