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590 The Long Awaited Answer To Prayer. Jan 23, 2025 


 KEY SCRIPTURE. Luke 18:1-7

And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man; And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 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?


RELEVANCE

Well, I have some good news to share with you, which I didn't have last week, the week before, or a year before.  


A couple of days ago, a friend rang me excited about a turn of events. Let's call him Bill. Bill lives in a lovely block of units in a reasonably unsavoury area. He is in Unit No. 5. and his block of units is like a well-loved rose in a street of thorns.


I always believed the Lord chose the place for him, and it certainly seemed that way at the beginning. When he moved in, all the other inhabitants tended their units with care, were friendly, and had lovingly planted gardens all about. Next door to Bill in No.6 was an old Spanish guy about 90 years old who would push his walker to the mailbox several times a day to keep fit, mingle with others, and sing in Spanish as he went. He was a lovely old gent who often cooked a mouthwatering Spanish BBQ, enticing Bill (and myself when I was there).There was an elderly lady in No.3 and two couples in Nos. 1 and 2 who had been living there for years. Oh, and there was an old roughhead we called 'The Pirate' in No.4. He never had a cigarette out of his mouth and had a raggedy old cat that was his lifeblood. 


After a few months, and much to Bill's disappointment, the Spanish guy passed away. It was sad, as he was always cheerful. His disposition was that nothing was going to ruin his day. 


Government Housing cleaned Unit 6 and brought in someone completely different. Let's call him Dave because that is his name. Dave is a small-fry drug dealer, drug user, and kleptomaniac who played music very loudly with the doors and windows open any time he feels like it, day or night.


Bill would see him walk past his unit on the way out but ride a bike back that he had just stolen. He stole kids' pushers from front yards, plants, and anything not nailed down. He was a thorn in Bill's side. 

Then the Pirate left Unit 4, and Housing put in another drug user and larger dealer who had just finished a 7-year prison sentence for drug dealing. As soon as he got out, he returned to that filthy business. He is Chinese, and his name is Uncle. Bill couldn't figure out what he had done to deserve such a dramatic change.  He often pleaded with God for answers and prayed to remove these two dealers. Their customers would climb through the fence from the next units or pour up the walkway, urinating where they felt like it and sitting around half-stoned.


The police came several times after knife fights or to search Uncle's place for drugs, which were never found.  We began a prayer vigil to get rid of them or save them. Dave was carted away by the police a couple of times and told to quiet down. Upon his return, he would remain quiet until the probation period finished; then, the music and noise would rise up again. Bill took matters into his own hands more than once. The last time, Dave pulled his head in and remained quiet. Dave also gave up selling drugs. 


However, Uncle had customers from everywhere beating the path to his door and abusing some of the inhabitants. In no time, a car had knocked down the front fence; addicts were dumping rubbish and junk in the private carpark, making the place look as run down as the other addresses. One of the elderly couples left their unit after Uncle threatened the husband with violence. To top it all off, someone had defecated on the doorstep of No.3.


There was a bit of extra excitement one evening when about 10 Vietnamese turned up with knives and machetes to kill Uncle, who seemed to survive everything thrown at him. Bill also had his fair share of arguments with both Uncle and his customers. In the space of a few months, the place had gone from an Eden to a Dodge City.


Bill and I kept praying for change. We visited Housing with evidence to get Uncle removed. They were also keen to see the end of him. But he applied to VCAT, who overturned Housing's eviction notice because poor Uncle 'had nowhere else to live.'   


For two and a half years, it seemed as if the Devil was winning. But this is where the rubber hits the road with prayer. Three days ago, the police came and took Uncle away and boarded up the unit. Prayer answered.Were we as persistent in prayer as we should have been?Well, when Bill called me, he said he felt ashamed that he'd dropped the ball a few times.I must admit, so  I did a couple of times. But the Lord hadn't dropped the ball at all. 


We don't know why The Lord took so long to answer. Maybe that will become clear in time. But Bill is certain the Lord was trying to teach him something—maybe patience, or long faith, or perseverance, or simply trying to live life peacefully with God when trouble is all around you. He's not sure. Maybe all of them and more.


So, what is the takeaway from this story of one man's trouble? Bill's actions during those times and under that pressure bear remembering. He read his Word, prayed, and meditated daily. Yes, there were times when he simply got angry and gave up for the day or three. On occasions, he also had some words with Uncle—loud and threatening words.


But for the most part, he tried to do what he thought the Lord would want: obedience to His Word in peace during troubled times.


Bill, myself, and others are praying now that God puts someone really nice in there—a person who fits the place and will be an asset to their small community. If you want, you could stand by Bill and pray for this outcome. He would appreciate it. 


So next time you find yourself dealing with a situation and timeframe as long as Bill's, where the answer doesn't seem to come at all, think of Bill. Think of what he did, how he passed his time, and how he got back on track every time he found himself off it. You will be surprised how important that will be for your growth and presence of mind.  


PRAYER

Dear Lord, thank you for finally answering Bill's prayer requests. It's a good lesson for me that you don't forget your people and that you use time as a teacher for many of our shortcomings.

Photo by Patrick Fore 

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