No One Beyond The Reach Of Prayer
Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing”.
Luke 23:34
When you are suffering from pain and thirst, it’s hard to see beyond your own needs.
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Yet from the agony of the cross, Jesus looked out, saw his tormentors—and forgave them.
To pray for help in the midst of suffering would be understandable; to pray for those causing the agony surpasses human comprehension.
A. W. Pink sees in Christ’s example a parable on prayer—the kind that reaches into hearts considered untouchable.
WALK WITH A. W. PINK
“In praying for his enemies, not only did Christ set before us a perfect example of how we should treat those who wrong and hate us, but he also taught us never to regard anyone as beyond the reach of prayer.
“Christian reader, never lose hope. Does it seem a waste of time for you to continue praying for that man, that woman, that wayward child of yours? Does their case seem to become more hopeless every day? Does it look as though they have gotten beyond the reach of divine mercy?
“Remember then the cross. Christ prayed for his enemies. Learn then not to look on any as beyond the reach of prayer.”
WALK CLOSER TO GOD
Remarkable things happened at Calvary.
A hardened criminal found forgiveness. A Roman centurion acknowledged Jesus as the Son of God. Why? What softened their hearts and made them tender toward the truth?
Might it have been Jesus’ willingness to forgive their hatred?
Might the prayer on his lips—” Father, forgive them”—have pricked their hearts as nothing else could?
People may run far from God. But they are never beyond the reach of prayer. Look around you. The need for fervent, forgiving prayer has never been greater.
