A KNOCK AT MIDNIGHT

Today is January 21, 2019, and a holiday in celebration of the life and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

This morning, I was blessed to google a sermon delivered by Dr. King, Jr., in 1963 entitled: A Knock At Midnight. The sermon text was taken from Luke 11:5-13.

Interestingly enough, many points in his sermon are still relevant today with regard to the great racial divide, bigotry, hypocrisy, a lack of love for all of mankind, and of the complacency and deafening silence regarding the aforementioned issues in the Body of Christ (the church).

More than fifty five years later, we as a nation, as a society, as a community, and as a church have a long way to go as it relates to love and unity. And the only way that we can stem the tide of all of the ills that face our society is unfeigned, unbiased, and sincere prayer.

The sermon text in Luke 11:5 is actually a parable (story) as told by Jesus to His disciples. This parable is about persistence in prayer.

In this parable a friend knocks on the door of another friend at midnight asking to borrow three loaves of bread because a visitor is coming to stay at his home and he wants to be able to adequately feed him. But the friend tells the one at the door that it is late and that he and his children are already in bed and he further tells the friend to go away.

Jesus provides a discourse that even though the friend initially said no; because of the persistence of the friend at the door, the man in the home would eventually get up and give him the bread.

Jesus went on to say this: 9 “So I say to you, ask and keep on asking, and it will be given to you; seek and keep on seeking, and you will find; knock and keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who [h]keeps on asking [persistently], receives; and he who keeps on seeking [persistently], finds; and to him who keeps on knocking [persistently], the door will be opened.

With that in mind, we in the Body of Christ must keep on praying fervently that God will heal our land, our nation, our communities, our churches, our schools, and our homes.

There is a promise in the Word of God found in 2 Chronicles 7:14 that states thusly:  14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you for a modern day Moses in the person of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Raise up others, with a heart of Christ such as Dr. King had, those who will selflessly and courageously fight against the ills of bigotry, hypocrisy, and hatred in our nation. Humble the hearts of those of us in the Body of Christ that we will not make a political party our God, but that our hearts will be turned to You and that we will walk in complete holiness, righteousness, unity, and impartiality in Christ Jesus name, Amen!

If you do not know Jesus as your Savior, and you want to accept Him now, you can click on the Menu button under PRAYER, and pray the prayer of Salvation on the website.