Patiently enduring in praying
Category: Prayer
Key Passage: Hebrews 6:13-15
Speaker: Paul Chisgar
Date: June 7, 2024
But this is part of the process. Let’s look at this thing: Hebrews 6. We are going to start in verse number 13. Hebrews 6, verse number 13. If you are able, would you please stand as we read God’s Word together, just to show the Bible, God’s Word, some respect? We like to honor it as much as we can. Hebrews 6 and verse number 13, let’s stand if you are able.
And verse number 13 of God’s Word. In the Bible, God’s Word says, “For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could swear by no greater, he swore by himself.” In a court of law, often they will have someone put their hand on the Bible. There is value, there is worth to the Word of God, for sure. Kind of the same thing: God said, “There is no one greater than me, so I swore by myself. I put my hand, if you will, on myself.” That is what was being talked about there.
Verse number 14, saying, “Surely blessing, I will bless thee,” talking to Abraham. “And multiplying, I will multiply thee.” Here is our text verse. Notice this verse. Everybody look at it. Listen up. Here is the verse: “And so after he”—that is Abraham—“after he had…” Would you say the next two words? That is part of it.
“After he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.”
Last time we preached on the subject, we talked about claiming the promises. They are there. In fact, we passed a handout in the bulletin of so many more that was in that little handout of prayer promises all through the Bible.
And God does not work on my timetable, and I cannot figure it out. Sometimes He does answer quicker than other times, but more often than not, this is part of the formula. So after he had patiently endured… how he gets so frustrated and mad and angry and wanting God to work after he had patiently. It is interesting. God required him to endure it, and He did not say it was wonderful. Enduring is usually a little bit tough to go through, a little bit negative. So after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. You can obtain it, but you have got to patiently endure.
Let’s go to the Lord in a word of prayer. Would you just ask God to speak to your heart about this thing here this morning? Father, Lord, please grow us. Lord, I want to be honest about your word and your promises and the whole formula in this thing. Lord, I sure hope that it would not be a negative thing today. Lord, let it be a positive thing, but let us see it as reality. Father, encourage and challenge us to face this issue that I can do this thing by the grace of God, and I can obtain the promise. Lord, would you work in our midst and grow us and challenge us to obtain many, many promises for years to come because of the patiently enduring of your people? Father, we will thank you for what you do. Lord, we are asking this in faith because we are asking in Jesus’ name. Lord, amen.
Thank you so much for standing. You may be seated.
About a month before I graduated Bible College, I was walking down a hallway at the Bible College. I was coming to the end. It was the end of a hallway. There was a T there, on the bottom level. As I was coming to the very end, I was praying inside. This is what I was praying, and I am not trying to be disrespectful, nor was it disrespectful. But literally what I prayed, I said, “Lord, I have worked”—is what I said—“I worked my tail off for five years.” I was not trying to be disrespectful; the Lord knows my heart. My God, I am not married, and I am not going out into the ministry because I am not married. Lord, this is what you called me to. This is kind of what was in my mind in this part here. I did not say this part: “Lord, I have been preparing, and you have told me to go this way, and I cannot go out into the ministry.” And this is what I said: “Lord, you need to show me who my wife is right now.”
Now, as soon as I said that, I was coming to the end of the hallway, and my wife now walked around the corner. She said, “Hi, Paul.” And I said…
I like to tell that story. It is awesome. I love to hear it myself, and I hope it builds some faith. I usually try to qualify, and I usually say this: God very seldom answers my prayer so quickly like He did that time, but He did that time. But as I was preparing this message, I thought about the story behind that story. Paul Harvey used to say, “Now, you know the rest of the story.” Now, would somebody plug my wife’s ears? Sarah, would you cover your ears for just a second here? Here is the rest of the story.
When I left for college five years earlier, I was seeing a young lady. She was not as pretty as my wife, but I was seeing a young lady, and I was interested. I was praying, “Now, Lord, is she the one you want me to marry? Is she the one?” We were in Florida, but she was about to go to East Tennessee, and I was going to Bible College right outside Chicago. Lord, is this your will? Should I pursue it more? Is this what you want? Are you in this thing? And Lord… I will be honest with you, I left her for Bible College, and I have not seen or heard about her in years and years until recently my wife checked up on her. She is a missionary today. I did not check up on her, okay?
Then I went to Bible College. My freshman year, I was green, nervous, scared. I mean, Bible College—I was the one on the low end of the totem pole. I did not know anything. For most of my freshman year, I just worked, tried to study and pass classes, pay bills, all that good stuff, you know. But towards the end of the year, I said, “Man, I think I ought to try this dating at Bible College a little bit.” So at the end of the year, I paid all my bills, so I quit work about a month before the end of Bible College, and I talked to another girl that I had known for years who was at the Bible College about how to set up a good date. She was a missionary’s daughter, and I thought she was a good girl, and I had a date with her.
Now, Bible College—I will talk about dating at Bible College a little bit. They did it right. By the time—I mean, there was no physical contact. If you looked at a girl too long, you got in trouble. That is a good thing, by the way. I am glad for that today. I do not have all these scars from dating in Bible College. Amen? By the way, I am thankful I did not get involved in a relationship I could not get out of and did not marry the wrong person. Amen?
Anyway, that last part of that year, I began to date a little bit. She was a good girl. So, Lord, is she the one? And I prayed, and I prayed. I do not know how much time I spent praying about that and seeking the Lord and wanting to know God’s will. Summertime came, went back home to Florida. She went wherever for the summertime.
My sophomore year, I thought, “Well, I have kind of learned the ropes a little bit.” I got a little better job, a little closer to college, and I said I had a little more time. I think I will try this dating a little bit more. I kind of like that thing, you know. So my sophomore year, I will be honest with you, I dated fairly a lot. And on a date, man, I prayed a lot about it, both before I asked and after I asked. By the way, it is always interesting to watch a guy ask a girl out on a date. The boldest guy gets nervous. We used to sit around Bible College when we knew a guy was going to ask and just wait to watch him ask her out. We loved it. It was wonderful. Now, when I asked a girl out, I did not get around, you know. But I spent a lot of time praying about that sophomore year, junior year.
By the end of my junior year, I was not any—really was not. I dated a lot of good girls, but it just was not God’s will. By the end of my junior year, I was so a little bit better over this thing and praying about this thing that I said, “I will tell you what, I am…” I was on schedule to graduate in four years; everything was good credit-wise and all those different things and bills and all that. I said, “You know, I am just going to slow down my senior year.” I worked 40 hours a week, and I was busy, and I said, “I was going to slow down a little bit so I have more time to date,” because if I graduate and I am not married, I am stuck here, you know. I do not like to be stuck in Bible College. They do not have good food, amen, at the college. Anybody want to say amen to that? Brother Anthony is on board. He knows.
So I took my senior year in two years. The purpose of that was really to find my mate. I looked everywhere, man. I was praying everywhere. And a little before that incident I just told you about, this is where I was. I was to the point that I would pray, “Lord, is there something wrong with me?” I dated a good girl a little before—I do not know what year it was. I dated a good girl, and I just—I cannot tell you why—but I knew she was not the one for me. So I broke up, and she went to one of her counselors at the college, and he said, “Something is wrong with that guy. He cannot commit,” you know. Word got back around.
I will be honest, I started playing with me. I said, “Lord, there is something wrong with me?” I was to this point. I was to this point, literally: “Lord, it is going to kill me.” I am talking about it is going to kill me. But if you want me to be single for the rest of my life, Lord, you know it is going to be hard, but the best I can, I will do it." I am talking about to that point. I mean, just—I am talking about years and years of praying and laboring and seeking and wondering and trying to figure it all out. It was a stage. I was in a stage. “Lord, the best I could, I was trying to accept the Lord, if you do not want to hear it, okay.” And that is when I prayed that prayer.
Now, God—man, He just, boom, He answered that prayer instantaneously, and I was thrilled about it. By the—it was just about a year after that incident that we were married. Just a little—pretty close to a year, a year and just a couple weeks. But there were years of patiently enduring.
Now that is what the Bible is talking about. Some of you out there are praying for finances, and you want, “God, God, you have got to do something now.” So after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Some of you pray, “Lord, I want this sin gone.” God… But it may be you patiently enduring and claiming promises that God gives you what you want in that area. I think of a good man in our church who battled tobacco, a good man in our church. I would never mention his name for a year. And praise the Lord, he did not give up. He patiently endured. And as far as I know, in years and years, years, years, he has won that victory.
Now that is what the Bible here is talking about. He is talking about a man named Abraham. About 4,000 years ago in Genesis chapter number 12, God told this man Abraham, He said, “I am going to bless you, and of your children, I am going to make a great nation.” And Abraham was not even married, if I remember right, at that point. And about 25 years he waited and he waited, and finally he had a child with his wife Sarah—25 years. Now I want you just to think about 25 years of patiently enduring.
Can I be honest with you about those 25 years? He was not perfect. There was one point in those 25 years of him just waiting on this prayer promise God had promised him. At one point, he said, “Hey, Lord,” he said, “I have got an idea.” He said, “In our Old Testament law here, sometimes if you do not have children, then your senior servant gets the inheritance.” So he said, “Hey, Lord, how about you just make Eliezer, my senior servant—you make of him that great nation you are talking about?” That is how weak he got at one point. And God said, “Nope, Abraham, it is going to be through your wife, Sarah.”
Then a little while later, his wife Sarah comes along, and she says, “Hey, Abraham, look, we are just not having kids. I mean, I know what God promised you, but come on now, it is not happening. How about you take our servant over there, Hagar, the Egyptian woman? Will you marry her, and you have a child through her?” By the way, Abraham believed and did that. By the way, if you track it down, just about every major war today, or war at least today, happens because of that sin right there. Ishmael, which was Hagar’s son, going against Isaac’s seed, Israel—that is where it all started from, by the way. It is going to happen until Jesus comes back. Man of Christ, give us a brief piece there, but it will be a false piece. But I am talking about 25 years.
Anybody—let me be honest with you—anybody think, “I have been praying a prayer for 25 years”? Anybody out there like that? “I have been praying a prayer for 25 years.” Raise your hand if you can think of it. Yeah, just be honest about it. It is a good thing. Abraham was there.
And then finally he had a child through his wife, Sarah, like God said, when he was 100 years old, his wife was 90 years old. Can you imagine that? Some of you thought you were past child-bearing age. Brother and Mrs. Fontaine are going to have a child pretty soon. Do not believe your pastor. Do not believe me on that one there.
Here is another deal about the whole thing. Actually, actually, when Isaac, the son through his wife Sarah, when he was—and there is a debate about 25 years old—many would say God said, “Hey, Abraham, I want you to take that son.” God’s words were that only son; He used to walk through the promise, that only son. “And I want you to take that son over there to Mount Moriah, and I want you to offer him up.” We will not get into the story, but Abraham passed the test, and he took him up there, and he was going to offer him up. And that is when God led the angels, “No, no, do not do that. I have a ram caught in the thicket.” Many of you know the story. And actually, it was right after that test that God said, “Hey, in blessing, I will bless thee.” That is what He is referencing back to.
Now think about all the 25 years. Now Isaac is 25 years or so old. And now God says, “Hey, I told you back there, but now you obey Me.” It is not just going to be blessing; “In blessing, I will bless you now.” It kind of gives him confirmation, and he multiplies a little bit. By the way, is not it a blessing when God gives confirmation? It is not wrong in praying for that, by the way. God gives him that confirmation.
But can I say this: Isaac did not get married until he was 40 years old. Think about all those years Abraham was waiting: “When in the world is my son going to get married?” Now, praise the Lord, he waited to marry the right one. Amen? But he was 40 years old when he got married, and then he did not even have a son to have a child until after his mother, Sarah, Abraham’s wife, died. I believe that is right, if I remember right. Actually, Abraham did not have a grandson until he was 160 years old. He died when he was under 75.
Now that is the story the Bible here is talking about when it says, “And so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Now, can I be a little bit frank with it just for a moment, okay? Just hang on just a moment. Shame on me when I am praying for someone to get saved, and their soul is going to heaven forever or their soul is going to hell forever, burning forever, and I say, “I am just going to give up. I am tired of praying that prayer.” And they do not go to heaven; they burn in hell because I do not pray. Shame on me.
That is the reality of it. Now, I do not know what is going to happen always, but friend, the Bible says, “And so after he had patiently endured.” I am saying if you have financial problems, do not give up, do not throw in the towel, do not say, “Well, it is all over.” Sometimes you are going to have to patiently endure in that thing. I think I met with a lady years ago, and it was about a marriage issue, and I said, “Did your parents have a good marriage?” And she said, “You know, they had an awful marriage of fault and fuss like cats and dogs. But it just seemed like it reached the point, God blessed their marriage, and they had a good marriage at the end.”
Now, I do not know, but maybe someone patiently endured and kept praying, “Lord, would you do something about my marriage?” And they kept praying, and they kept praying, and God heard that prayer.
Hey, young folks—some of the young folks, and I am not in your shoes. I was not there, and I am not trying to be down on you. And I am sorry that it is different for you. But some of your parents are in church, and they might not be saved. And they might be going to hell. Someone said, “Hollywood makes things that aren’t real seem like they’re real,” and us Christians make things that are real seem like they’re not real. So let us just be honest about it. Sometimes those parents are dying and going to burn in hell forever. I am not trying to be mean; that is just a reality. And their best chance to get saved might be you praying for them. And it might be the long haul, and I will pray with you, and I will witness to them, and I love them, and I want them to get saved. I will do what I can, but sometimes it has got to be a son or a daughter that just keeps praying and prayed, “Lord, I am not going to quit praying until you work on my mom or dad.” That is what it is talking about there.
It may be a grandson, a granddaughter, it may be a niece or a nephew, it may be a neighbor down the street that needs a Christian that loves them enough to say, “Lord, I am just going to keep praying. I am going to pray it. I am going to ask you to work. I am going to beg. I am going to plead. I am going to fast. I am doing it halfway because I am going to patiently endure to obtain that promise.” It is part of prayer.
There are so many promises, and I hope that builds our faith, but the reality is somebody has to claim them by faith many times over the long haul praying. “So after he had patiently endured…” Would you say that? Maybe if it just stopped at the message, “So after he had…” Would you finish those two words? Here we go: “And so after he had…”
I hope that sticks with us. Now let me give you a couple thoughts about this saying. We are going to be done today. Number one: God is more concerned about your growth and your faith than time.
Look if you will over in Psalms 90. Psalms chapter number 90. Very interesting verse. Psalms, Proverbs, Psalms chapter number 90, and verse number four. Psalms 90, verse number four. I will not fully grasp it. I do not know that you will. You may do better than I, but it is God—you are not going to fully grasp me, I will say that. We will try to grasp how God works and thinks through God’s Word, but He is 10,000 light years above us, folks. Look at this saying in Psalm 90, look in verse number four, if you will. Psalms 90, verse number four. Once you are there, would you say, “Amen”? Psalm 90, verse number four. The Bible says, “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday.” Now let us just try to grasp that. If somebody lives 100,000—they lived a long time. God is not talking about a hundred years; He is talking about a thousand years. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday. God can look back a thousand years into God; that is just like 24 hours back there, like you think about yesterday and what all happened yesterday and the day of yesterday. It is just yesterday. God thinks that way about a thousand years.
Let us keep reading. We are just trying to grasp how God works. And by the way, apart from God’s Word, you are not going to get it. I am not going to get it. So we take His Word: “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday passed, and as a watch in the night.” A watch was three hours.
Look, friend, you said, “Man, I have been praying for 10 years for this.” God is not bound by time like you and I. God does not think about time like you think. A thousand years to Him… By the way, we are stuck. We are stuck in this, boom, right here today. What is today? It is November 24th, 2019. We are stuck today. You cannot go back to yesterday. You cannot go to tomorrow. You are stuck right here. It is 11:41. You are just stuck here. God is not stuck here. God is not the same with time as you and I are.
Isaiah 57:15 says, “For thus saith the high and lofty One…” Now listen to this, “…that inhabiteth eternity.” Now, it is going to be hard for me to grasp, for me to try to explain it. I will not do a good job because it is so far beyond me and you and I are thinking. But God is—this happened a little over 4,000 years ago with Abraham. God is still there; He inhabits eternity.
I do not know what is going to happen. Maybe the Lord is going to come back. I do not know. The Bible says we do not know the day or the hour. Signs are there, but maybe the Lord is going to come back in 2025. I do not know. The Lord is already there. Maybe in 2050, maybe we are all in heaven. I do not know. But God is already there. He is way back there. He is way over there. He is today. He is all of them—all places at all time. He inhabited eternity. Now that is God. So when I am saying, “God, you have got to hear my prayer right now, I need it,” God is already living in tomorrow when He answers that prayer. He is not quite as concerned about time as you are.
I will tell you what God is concerned about. Let me slow down here. Amen. He is concerned about you being conformed to the image of His Son. He is concerned about you being more like Jesus. And often it takes more time for you to grow to that point. And as you keep praying about that, it grows you a little bit. And God is more concerned about that than He is about the time.
Can I say this? We are created for His pleasure. Revelation 4:11 tells me that. That is why we are, and we are created for His pleasure. Help me out. Without this element, it is impossible to please God. What is the element? Faith. “Without faith, it is impossible to please Him” (Hebrews 11:6). So wait a second. When I am praying for that lost loved one, for my neighbor, for my granny, for my grandson to get saved, to get their life straight and that, and I am praying and praying for years—that takes a lot of faith, and you are pleasing God, and we are created for His pleasure. We are like, “God, why won’t you answer that?” God is not as concerned about time, the day, whereas He is concerned about your growth and about faith.
So look, don’t get all upset. Well, He hasn’t answered. Sometimes when you pray, it seems like it goes in reverse. Don’t get all worried about that. Patiently endure. It is part of prayer typically. Very seldom in my life has God just—boom. Every once in a while, but I cannot control that. That is not mine to control. Mine is to claim the promises of God.
So look, as you are seeking God, don’t get too upset about time. When is God going to answer this prayer? It may be when I grow, when I can learn to patiently endure. I think Abraham grew in that area. He was pretty young in this whole timeline when he said, “Lord, use my servant Eliezer.” He was pretty young when he came to Hagar and had a child. But it seemed like as he grew, he got better about realizing God is going to take care of this thing, and in His time, I am just going to patiently endure. And that is when he obtained the promise.
It is very interesting as I was reading this morning—I did not write the reference down—but it seems like sometimes God compares patience on one side of the formula and on the opposite side, pride. It made me—my pride is that I do not have any patience. But after you patiently endure… we are all wired different. I am not trying to just have to patiently endure.
Number one: Hey, God’s more concerned about my growth than time. Concerned about my faith. Number two: Let’s get a couple other things here. “And so after he had…” What? He had… Man, let’s try it again. “And so after he had…”
Let’s get this second thing. Sometimes, sometimes heaven’s mail system takes time. I wouldn’t say that if it wasn’t in the Bible. Remember back in the day the Pony Express? I was looking this thing up this week, and they would have posters how they would brag that they could mail something in New York, and it would go all the way up from New York, as they say, New York, all the way over to San Francisco, and they could do it in 10 days. That is pretty impressive with ponies, you know, but it took time. Now, we don’t have to be it out real good, but in Daniel chapter number 10.
You can turn over there, maybe just keep your finger there. We are going to kind of go through the story. We will read a couple of verses in just a moment here. But Daniel, chapter number 10. Daniel here is seeking an answer in prayer about a vision. God gave him a vision. He didn’t understand it; it was about the end times. So Daniel, for 21 days, had a prayer meeting. Now, I am not saying he didn’t work in the process; I don’t know. But for 21 days, the Bible mentions a couple things Daniel did. Daniel mourned. The Bible mentions that. I mean, he shed tears over the same. By the time, you shed some tears in your prayer closing. The Bible says Daniel mourned 21 days.
Now here is the tough part: Daniel only drank water for 21 days. Here is another tough part: Daniel ate vegetables for 21 days. Now, I like vegetables, but for 21 days, no meat. I like some good meat, amen. I will take some chicken. I am a Baptist preacher; that is the Baptist bird. I mean, steak doesn’t hurt my feelings either. You know, come on. 21 days. Then the Bible uses this phrase: He didn’t anoint himself for 21 days. People argue about that. What is that? He didn’t use certain oils and whatnot, you know, and some say he didn’t take a bath for 21 days. I don’t know, but if he was married and he didn’t take a bath for 21 days, he’s got—I feel sorry for his wife, I will tell you for sure. Good thing he wasn’t married, you know. But he didn’t anoint himself with something, and he’s having this 21-day prayer meeting, okay, waiting for God to answer this thing.
All right. And let’s see. You’re in Daniel 10. Look in verse number 12, if you would, please. Daniel 10, look in verse number 12. He’s been praying 21 days, mourning and eating vegetables and drinking water. He’s on a Daniel fast, they’ll call it. And look at this thing, Daniel 10, look at verse number 12. “Then said he unto me”—it’s probably Gabriel, an angel; we’re not sure, but probably Gabriel—“Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard: and I am come for thy words.”
It is very interesting. He gives us a glimpse into the spirit realm right here. “But the prince of the kingdom of Persia”—that’s the world system, the world power here, and probably speaking of Satan—“withstood me one and twenty days: but lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.”
“Now I am come to make thee understand what shall befall thy people in the latter days: for yet the vision is for many days.”
Now here is what’s going on. Here is what’s going on. Daniel started praying 21 days ahead of time. He was mourning, and he wasn’t eating meat. He was on a certain type of fast. He was eating vegetables, and he was drinking water. He didn’t anoint himself, whatever that means. 21 days. And finally this angel of God, Gabriel, comes in. He’s kind of, “Hey, Daniel. He said, ‘21 days ago, God heard your prayer, and God had sent an angel down to send you the answer, but the devil’s been fighting with his angel. There’s been a battle going on over your prayer life.’” By the way, you want to get involved in the spirit realm? Start praying. That’s how you win. God’s got the victory available for you. And he said this battle is going on, and he said, “I was fighting with the devil, and finally, one of the generals of God’s army, Michael, came, and he fought with the devil, and I was able to go, and I’m here to give you your answer.”
Now here is what I’m saying: In heaven’s mail system, sometimes it takes time for the answer to get into your life. Could God do it today? You know God—He can do anything. Nothing is too hard for God. But God chose for that to happen, and in your prayer life, sometimes you must patiently endure.
Now think about it. When you start praying for your Aunt Josie to get saved, I guarantee you the demons—they don’t like that, the little smutty face himself. And I guarantee you there’s a battle that starts up. They know the big thing in battle and the war, the big thing is casualties. God and His forces know that, and Satan and his forces know that. I guarantee you when you start praying for that child, that grandchild, that wayward person to get saved or get right by God, I guarantee you there’s a battle in the spirit realm. You might have to continue in prayer. I don’t know how long. It may be 21 days. It may be 21 years.
But Abraham, “And so after he had…” What? Help me out? Hey, it’s a wonderful thing. I’ve had the privilege several times—I don’t have time—to lead some to the Lord, and they’ll say, “You know, my granny’s been praying for me for years and years. My granny that’s in heaven—she’d be happy to see this. She’s been praying for this a long time.” By the way, she’s in heaven. I believe she saw it.
My dad—he’s from Hungary. That’s why his son, me, is always hungry, amen, you know. And some of his ancestors back on his mom’s side were godly Baptist people, the best we can understand in Hungary. And my dad thought—and I believe it might be right—he said, “I believe some of them,” I’ve heard stories about some of those old ones back there in Hungary were prayer warriors, “and maybe my dad a generation or two later on got saved because somebody back there was praying.”
Friend, who’s going to be—their life might be changed because you’re patiently enduring? What grandchild, what future generation, what neighbor? What neighbor? They may move away and 10 years later get saved, and nobody will know it, but heaven knows it, but it’s because your prayers back there were praying for them. God doesn’t view time. I mean, a thousand years are just three hours of watching the night to God.
He’s more concerned about your growth, your conformity to Jesus Christ, and your faith than time. And heaven’s mail system sometimes—God’s built in there—that it takes time to get it delivered.
That’s the last thing. We’re done. Last thing. We’re done. We’ve got to hurry along. Everybody awake out there? Ready to go? Good deal. Good deal. Anybody sleeping beside you? Would you poke them in the eyeballs or something like that? Make sure they have glasses on or something. I don’t know. Make sure they’re not big; they might hit you back. Amen, you know. Let’s get this last saying. Here’s number three. We’re going to go quickly here. God may be already working in their heart.
It so often seems like prayers about people’s lives getting changed and hearts getting changed take time. Let me give you a couple scenarios real quickly. The church at Corinth had a very sinful man there. Actually, in the church, everybody knew—just commonly reported—this guy was having incest. And he was in the church. Everybody knew about it. They weren’t doing anything about it. God said, “You need to mourn. You’re getting proud over that thing, looking down your nose at it. You ought to mourn over it. It ought to break your heart.” And He said, “You need to remove him.”
Now let me read for you what the verse says, and I’ll just read it for you. First Corinthians 5:5: He said, “Remove… and he said, to deliver such an one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus.”
Now God in His Word is telling that church, “You need to give that guy—and just give him to the Lord and allow the Lord to work.” And God might be taking His hands off of him and allowing the Lord to work in him so his flesh will be destroyed. He’ll hit rock bottom so in the end he’ll get saved. Sometimes it takes time.
It was a great blessing to me years ago when I read Psalms 107. The first time I ever read it, in this line, there are really four different scenarios at the beginning of that chapter—different times that God works in someone’s life. They hit rock bottom in different ways—financially and business-wise and health-wise and different ways. And they hit rock bottom, and then they turn and look to the Lord. And then four times they will say, “Oh, that men would thank the Lord for His wonderful works for the children of men,” because in the end they would look to God. But friend, that takes time. And it may be you’re praying for that grandchild, and God is working in their heart and allowing circumstances in their heart for their flesh to not be doing so good, but God has a plan. At the end of the day, He wants their heart, their spirit, to get saved. I’d rather have tragedy down here and go to heaven forever than have a wonderful lifetime and end up in hell forever.
Abraham here… Help me out. We’re almost done. “And so after he had…” That’s when he obtained the promise.
How many have ever heard or sung, “You’ve got to raise your hand on this,” Amazing Grace? Probably the most popular Christian song in the world. The author’s name, the guy that wrote that, was a guy named John Newton. Let me briefly tell you just a touch about John Newton. John Newton’s mom was a good, godly lady, a good Christian. But she died when he was a young man—a little bit, but he was still a youth, a minor. A little debate about that; I think somewhere around 17, but some will debate that. His dad was a captain of a ship.
John, the son, kind of followed in that, and John became a sailor. Mom died when he was fairly young, and John went very sinful in his life. You ever hear—not all sailors are, but you’ve heard stories about sailors’ mouths and all those things. One of the nicknames of John Newton was “the great blasphemer.” That’s how bad he was; even the sailors would call him the great blasphemer. Very sinful.
Now, before his mom had died, she had tried to plant in him Bible verses and truths, and she prayed that one day he’d be a preacher. But it wasn’t going that way. In fact, at one point, John Newton had a scuffle with the crew, and so he was left in Africa, and actually, he was a slave trader. But actually, he was left in Africa, and for a while, he was a slave to the slaves. That’s how low he was. Some Hollywood has twisted it; some parts aren’t true. But that’s how sinful and low—the great blasphemer they called him, John Newton.
And eventually he was on a ship called the Greyhound. They were in just an incredible storm. They had been in a storm for 11 days, to the point the sailors thought there was no hope. 11 days. They they would have sunk, but they say they had pumps, you know. Can you imagine just pumping the water that would come in? The ship is about to—but they kept pumping the water out. John Newton got to the point he was so tired he couldn’t pump anymore.
But his dad was a sailor and captain and whatnot; he knew the seas. And so they took him, and they say they actually tied him to the helm where you steer the ship back in the day. They just strapped him to it in this storm. And he was on that helm from 1 o’clock until midnight, they say. When I was there, everybody thought they were going to die. All those truths his mom had put in his heart started coming back. He thought about the last part of Proverbs 1: “Do you reject God? God rejects you. He laughs at you,” and his life was a wreck. He began to think about all these truths. John Newton’s strapped at the helm in this storm.
March 21st, 1748, John Newton asked Jesus to save an old wretch like him. They got saved. Eventually he became a preacher, and he’s the one that wrote Amazing Grace: “How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me.” That happened because his mom patiently endured.
Would you bow your heads and close your eyes, please? You hear this morning, you say, “Preacher, I have to quit praying.” Maybe a victory in your life, marriage, grandchild—“Preacher, I’ve quit praying somewhere along the line. Now I’m going to get back to it. I’m going to patiently endure. I’m going to do what it takes. I’m going to pay the cost. The Lord’s just going to find me asking and asking and asking. It may be here; it may be after I die. But I’m going to patiently endure.” God spoke to my heart. I’m going to get back to the prayer closet in the area where I’ve dropped off. I’m going to get back to it. Anybody like that? Would you raise your hands this morning? God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Many, many hands altogether. Thank you so much. You can put it down.
Maybe you say, “Preacher, I’ve not given up, but I get weary sometimes, and I’m committing, unless the Spirit of God leads me and says, ‘Hey, quit praying that,’ I’m just going to keep praying. I’m going to stay in there. I’m not giving up. I’m going to stay in there. I’ll get weary, but I’m going to keep up there saying, praying.” I’ve got to love one. I’m praying for you to say, “But whatever may be, whoever, I’m going to keep praying until God answers, unless the Holy Spirit—God says otherwise. I’m going to keep praying.” Anybody like that? Just let your hand up, preacher. That’s me. That’s me. Going to stay in there. God bless you. God bless you. Oh, friend, can I encourage you? Keep praying. Don’t give up. “After he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” We’re talking about the souls of somebody this morning. We’re talking about somebody’s eternal destiny. We’re talking about a young person getting their life right. Maybe in the letter you’re getting their life right with the Lord. Don’t give up, uncle, grandpa. Don’t give up. Keep praying. Thank you so much. Thank you so much. You can put your hands down.
Two more questions. We’re done. You’re here this morning. I pray you honestly ask myself, “I’m not saved.” I’m not going to call your name. I don’t want to embarrass you, but I’d love to pray for you in just a moment myself. Anybody like that? You said, “Preacher, you need to be honest with myself, I don’t know that I’m saved. I’m not going to heaven. I’m not going to settle. I’m not on my way to heaven myself. I’m not saved. I’m not saved. I’m not saved.” I’m not going to be able to God. I’m not going to be able to God. I’m not going to be able to God. I’m not going to pray for you. Anybody like that? Don’t know that I’m going to heaven myself.
One last question. You hear, you say, “Preacher, I need to get some things right so I can effectively pray.” The Holy Spirit, please let me know I need to get some things right so I can have some power in prayer. And God spoke to my heart about that this morning. I’ve got to get some things right so I can be effective. And I want to patiently endure. Too many people’s lives, too many things are going to stay, and I want to get my life right so I can patiently endure. God spoke to my heart about that. Would there be anyone like that? Just let me have your hand up, preacher. That’s me. That’s me. I got to get some things right. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. God bless you. Oh, friend, it would be worth it. You’d be happy yourself. Prayer lines are opened up. Oh, too many, too many lives are on the line. Power in prayer. God’s given us. Let’s take advantage of it. God loves you. He’d be glad to be thrilled. Let’s just get things right with Him. Thank you very, very much. And put your hands down.
Let’s all stand, if you would, please. We’re going to have a word of prayer. Then we’ll sing number 286, “Just As I Am, Without One Plea.” Let’s just be obedient. Maybe tonight or this morning should be a great time. Let’s just say, “I’m going to patiently endure this morning.” We’ll come to an altar. I think of a wife that came to the altar and she just wept like I’ve never heard a lady weep. Praise the Lord, her husband’s in heaven today. Let’s just do business with the Lord this morning. Let’s be obedient to Him.
Father, thank you that you gave us this example of Abraham. Lord, help us to patiently endure and obtain the promises. Please let us be obedient. Would you work in our hearts? Give us a vision of what you’d like to do through our prayer lives. We will thank you for what you do, Lord Jesus, in Jesus’ name. Amen. Would you be obedient as we sing? That’s right. Everybody else, God spoke to you—if you would, come spend some time with the Lord, be obedient to Him. That’s right, it’s good. You might be their best chance to get right with the Lord.
Our heads are bowed and eyes are closed. How many are there? You say, “I have someone I love, whether it be a relative or not. Someone I love, I’m praying for their salvation.” How many like that? Just raise it up. How many like that? Oh, friend, I just encourage you to hang on. We’re talking about the most important thing: their eternal destiny. They might not realize that. They might not like it. They might be mad, but you may be their best chance, their best friend, for them to go to heaven. Oh, friend, hang in there. Hang in there. Keep praying. Keep praying.
Would you have your heads bowed, please? Just for a moment. How many it’s a financial issue? “I’m praying about a financial issue.” Anybody? Anybody? “I’m praying for finance.” I see that. I see that. Can I encourage you? Keep praying. Maybe it’s a relationship. How many is a preacher it’s a relationship? “I’m praying about a relationship.” Anybody like that? Just look it up. I see that. I see that. “Oh, and so after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise.” Can I just encourage you? Keep praying. Oh, God likes it when His children—you say, “It’s going to get tired of me and all.” The Bible says, “The prayer of the upright is His delight. No good thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.”
Let’s do this. So many raised your hand about different issues. Let’s just pray collectively as a church family for those people that are praying about those issues. You pray now: “Lord, would You encourage these people? Give them faith to keep praying. Lord, remind them of Abraham, all those years patiently endured. Father, Lord, remind them of the importance of it. Lord, turn these folks—they already are—but keep them, Lord, as prayer warriors for You. We will thank You for what You do, Lord Jesus, in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
Boy, I tell you what, you get a bunch of Christians praying, how to put the devil on the run, amen. I like that. Let’s just patiently endure. We’re going to have a closing prayer. Be back in your place tonight, 6 o’clock, looking forward to God working in our hearts and lives again tonight, and glad you’re here this morning. Brother Johnny, would you mind dismissing us in a word of prayer? Would you please, sir? Brother Kerry, Ms. Johnny, I’m sorry. Yes, sir. Would you please, sir?
Original File: Patiently Enduring in Praying - Pastor Chisgar