Persistent in our faith is one thing, but being persistent because of our faith is even a step closer to getting the attention of Jesus Christ. Not that Jesus is deaf and needs us to repeat our petitions, but I believe that He wants to know that we are serious about what we are asking. Stay with me as we dig into our Scripture today, and develop this thought. This word still very much applies to us today.

DATE WRITTEN: Friday, 2021-05-21
WRITTEN AT: Nassau, Bahamas

By: Ed Algreen

SCRIPTURE FROM: Mark 7:25-30
TRANSLATION: The Passion Translation (TPT)

BIBLE TEXT: 25 … a woman whose daughter had a demon spirit heard he was there, she came and threw herself down at his feet. 26 She was not Jewish, but a foreigner, …. She begged him repeatedly to cast the demon out of her daughter. 27 Finally he said to her, “First let my children be fed and satisfied, for it isn’t fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the little dogs.”  28 She answered, “How true that is, Lord. But even puppies under the family table are allowed to eat the little children’s crumbs.”  29 Then Jesus said to her, “That’s a good reply! Now, because you said this, you may go. The demon has permanently left your daughter.” 30 And when she returned home, she found her daughter resting quietly on the couch, completely set free from the demon!

APPLICATION: It is important that we not only read today’s Scripture, but also read Matthew 15:21-28 to hear the extra details offered by Matthew’s perspective. There were several things that I believe the Holy Spirit ministered to my spirit about in this story, and although you may receive even more enlightenment as you read the Scripture, I wanted to share my thoughts with you, in hopes that you might be encouraged:
~ In spite of feeling like a foreigner to the ministry of Jesus, this mother still knew about the power of God through His Son, and because of her desperate need, she dared go to Jesus with her issue. For us, I am impressed that she didn’t go to the priest for prayer for her daughter, nor to ask that him to accompany her when she journeyed to see Jesus. It seems like we are so quick to call the pastor, or an official of the church to ask them to pray for our sick child. And while I know that the prayers of the righteous children of God availeth much, we should never expect that kind of request to supersede our deepest moments in prayer to the powerful God that we know, and believe in. Remember, the veil has been removed, and we have direct access to the Father. He wants to hear from us and to minister directly to us, in addition to any needs that we may bring before Him;
~ In spite of the disciples pushing her away and trying to protect the time of their Master, she was persistent enough that she caught the attention of Jesus. While helping our daughter to find a job, we asked a young waiter in a popular restaurant how did he secure his job there. I believe I will always remember his response: ‘I am convinced that because of my persistence, my employer saw that I truly wanted the job, and if I was that persistent about my application, they could only imagine how persistent I would be about my job, if employed by them.’ Do you convince Jesus that you truly care about, and want a response from Him because of your persistence? If you are a church leader, are you ever guilty of ‘pushing a desperate parishioner away’ because of the way they look, smell or act, or do you help everyone seeking Jesus to truly find Him and develop a relationship with Him? Please don’t be a stumbling block to any of Jesus’ children seeking to draw near to Him;
~ In spite of Jesus’ first response to this mother, she insisted on making sure that there was no misunderstanding about what she wanted. Her daughter was terrorized by a demon, and she wanted that stopped. Knowing that Jesus was the only one who could perform that miracle, the lady continued in persistent faith to call on Jesus. Don’t you feel like we often give up too soon when we are pleading our case before the Lord? Although the Bible teaches us to not continue in repetitive prayer lines, I am convinced that this refers to recorded lines by local religious officials. I know that when I pray from a sincere heart, because of a strong personal relationship with my Lord, He will hear my cry and He will respond in ways that will keep me in the center of His will.
Dear friends, Jesus is not deaf to the pleas of His children. Seek earnestly today and be persistent in asking according to Your desperate needs. Jesus loves you as His very own child and He will strive to show that love better than our earthly father or mother could ever have done. Keep on keeping on, my friend!

BLESSING(S) NOTED: We are all God’s precious children. Although not a Jew, Jesus still found time to visit with the desperate mother about her daughter who was terrorized by a demon. I believe He still listens keenly and intently for the cries of His children today!

PRAYER: Often we feel like our problems are too minor to bother the Creator of the entire universe, but Lord, I believe that You are way more concerned about every issue that bothers us. Our earthly fathers try hard to provide for our needs and love us unconditionally, but because of earthly distractions they sometimes failed. Praise God, Your love for us is greater than anything we could imagine, so I must ask that You kindly place a refreshing spirit within us to call on You, and chat with You about our every need, and to never neglect to praise You for Your many blessings on us. Your action on those things that we consider ‘minor’ will build our faith to seek only You in those serious times that seem impossible to us. Please draw us close to You oh God and deliver us from the evil of this world in which we live, so that our relationship with You will be enriched and we will come to depend on You as our constant source of help in our time of need. AMEN!