August 2007

Pastor Larry Wenzel

Pressing On

“But the fruit of the Spirit is...longsuffering...” Galatians 5:22

Longsuffering means to, “hang in there.” In this age of instant messaging, fast foods, and get rich quick schemes, “hanging in there” is not a trait many of us are comfortable with. We have forgotten how to persevere and press on. The lack of “hanging in there” has also infiltrated our prayer life. Too many times, if we don’t receive an answer to our prayer right away, we give up and stop praying.

How many times do we rush to pray like a sprinter in a 100 yard dash, full of energy and zeal when trouble strikes, only to quickly tire and become discouraged if God doesn’t answer the request right away? Sometimes, praying requires the passion of a long distance runner as we pace ourselves until the request is answered by God. The Apostle Paul said, “Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.” (2 Cor 12:8).

The point is to never give up praying until the answer comes. Like you, I have family members that are not saved. I have been praying for their salvation for decades. I recently learned that one of my close family members gave her heart to the Lord. While I know others were praying for her too, it took 30 years of praying. Hang in there and keep praying until your answer comes.

If you have testimony to share, send me an Email (larrywenzel@aol.com) or contact the office so we can help others overcome the devil.

	Lookup a word or passage in the Bible
		Courtesy of:

©2005 Bethel Assembly of God. All Rights Reserved.