Don’t Give Up

“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” –Anne of Green Gables

I love October. It’s the month when the leaves start to turn and the morning air finally feels crisp here in Northern California. It’s the time of year when I start to bake cinnamony apples in the oven and cover my front step with pumpkins. I get all the cozy feels, and can’t get enough of warm blankets, hot drinks, and chick flicks.

But this October, I’m fatigued. It’s the tenth month of 2020—a year that just seems to keep on going. I feel a bit worn down and beat up. It seems like every time I get my hopes up for a new season, that season gets trampled underfoot by more hard things.

And I feel as though my prayers are on repeat more than usual this year. I’m tired of praying for COVID-19 to end, for my kids to get back to school, for church to return to normal, for people to stop having to wear masks, for fear to flee. I keep praying for something to shift, for divine intervention, for renewed faith, for repentance and reconciliation. I continue to ask God to heal our land, to protect our firefighters and police officers, to grant wisdom to our lawmakers, to bring peace to our cities and our streets. And I pray daily for revival and revival and revival.

I admit I’m not as strong and resilient as I want to be. The little girl in me wants to look forward to Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s, while the adult in me knows I need to prepare myself and my kids for more “let’s get creative”-type cheerleading moments as we come into the holidays this year. And even though I know I have so much to be thankful for, the rest of it sometimes feels like too much.

I think many of us are tired and worn out right now. We’re weary of a twenty-four-hour media cycle that feeds on fear and bad news. We’re exhausted by all the yelling and arguing, the politics and frustration.

What we need, friends, is encouragement. And a good dose of hope. What we need is Jesus.

The Bible verse I’ve had on repeat in the back of my mind lately is this: “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1 NIV).

Did you hear that? Jesus told a story to his disciples (and to you) for the express purpose of showing them they should always pray and not give up. It’s almost like he knew we might stop praying and give up!

In Luke 18, Jesus describes a widow who kept coming to a judge “who neither feared God nor cared what people thought” (v. 2). She “kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary’” (v. 3). For a while, the judge refused the widow’s request. But finally, he said to himself, “because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice!’” (v. 5). Jesus told this story so that we might see the widow’s persistence and find new hope.

What is it you’ve grown weary of praying over? Are you perhaps losing heart after praying for years—or even decades—for a loved one to come to (or come back to) faith in Jesus? Is there a work situation, a tense relationship, or a financial problem that doesn’t ever seem to get better? Are you tired of all the strain, heartache, and disappointment associated with this year?

I’m so thankful Jesus shared the story of the widow with his disciples. You and I can cling to every promise, every parable, and every verse in our Bibles. In the moments when we just can’t kneel down one more time, we can think about that widow Jesus described and remember that he told that story for our benefit, too.

Jesus wants to encourage you today: Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop pleading. Don’t stop interceding. God does hear your prayers. And he’s at work. Right here, right now. You might not be able to see any evidence of it. You probably can’t see his fingerprints on the details. But he’s working.

It’s in the difficult times that persistence is needed. Let’s join hands and hearts and encourage one another—and “all the more” as we see “the Day drawing near” (Heb. 10:25). Don’t give up, my friend. Keep praying. Keep hoping. Keep waiting.

This season, take time to open your Bible and bow your head each day. Curl up with a cup of something steamy and delicious, and allow the Lord to fill you up. Let him know you’re weary. Ask him for encouragement. And start to write down what you see him doing. Take note of the prayers he is answering. List the blessings you see all around you today. Renew your commitment to persistent, consistent prayer.

And while you’re at it, go ahead and make this season extra special. Get creative. Fill your house with the smell of baked apples and homemade pie. Spend an hour reading your favorite book. Go on a walk, and kick through the leaves. Look up at the sky and breathe.

Most of all, don’t give up. You are loved. You are his. And he has good plans for your life.

“But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31 NKJV)

Rachel Dodge is the author of The Anne of Green Gables Devotional: A Chapter-by-Chapter Companion for Kindred Spirits and Praying with Jane: 31 Days through the Prayers of Jane Austen. Rachel teaches college English; speaks at libraries, literary groups, and teas; and writes for Jane Austen’s World. A true kindred spirit at heart, she loves books, bonnets, and ballgowns. You can visit her at RachelDodge.com or on Instagram @kindredspiritbooks.

Photograph © Steven Aguilar, used with permission