PUSH (Pray, Until, Something, Happens) | Joseph Davis

This episode explores the power of persistent prayer through the parable of the widow in Luke 18, emphasizing a simple but impactful message: pray until something happens. Centered around the idea of “PUSH,” the teaching breaks down how a consistent, faith-filled prayer life, paired with perseverance and confidence in God’s promises, leads to breakthrough. Listeners are encouraged to stay steadfast, resist discouragement, and remain expectant, trusting that God hears and responds. It’s a motivating reminder that persistence in prayer, praise, and belief can bring about real change and align us with the “new things” God has in store.

Transcript

Bible Confession And Opening Prayer

SPEAKER_00 0:00

All right, why don't we get into the word tonight? Aren't you glad? Aren't you thankful for the word? Amen. Amen. I'm thankful for the word. And so tonight, before we um we get into the word, our pastor uh does this every time he teaches. And so I want to do this tonight. Let's just hold our Bible up and let's just make the devil mad and make Jesus glad. And let's just say, Heavenly Father, thank you for the word. And the feeding of the word that I'm gonna receive tonight. Father, I thank you that you have a message for me and I'm gonna receive it and put it into action. In Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. God bless you. You know, um we've been excited about all of the things that God's doing here at Glorious Way Church, and I've said this on several occasions, but it's amazing what you can see, or what the Holy Spirit will show you when you allow the Holy Spirit to have you read Scripture through the lens of whatever it is God has been speaking to you. And right now, the word here for Glorious Way Church is 2026, the year of new things. And so a lot of my Bible reading time has been reading through the lens of new things. And so tonight, uh I have uh have a little something I want to share with you. It's a simple message, but I believe it's it's profound in the sense that there's some powerful little nuggets here. And how many of you know I like to go treasure hunting? Amen. I I see God's word as treasure, and I like to just dig into it and just dig out those nuggets. Uh, and so tonight we're gonna dig out some nuggets. And so if you have your Bibles, uh go with me to uh to the book of Luke. We're gonna turn to chapter 18, and we're gonna start in verse 1. Luke chapter 18, verse 1. You all know the story. This is the parable of the persistent widow. And in Luke chapter 18, verse 1, it starts with uh Jesus, then he, being Jesus, spoke a parable to them. Who was he talking to? He was talking to the disciples, and he said that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying, There was a certain city, a certain there was in a certain city, a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city, and she came to him saying, Get justice for me from my adversary. And he would not for a while, but afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. Then the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge just says. In other words, take note, learn from this. He said, Hear this, hear what the judge just said, listen to what he just said, take note to it. And he said, Shall God not avenge his own elect who cry out day and night to him, though he bears long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on the earth? And so tonight I want to share a simple message. The message title is this Pray until something happens, or simply the acronym PUSH. Let me just say that again. Pray until something happens or just push. We see some examples of the widow in this parable who was pushy. Let's say it that way. And you know, if you're gonna receive what God has for you, sometimes you've got to push. You've got to push, whether it's in prayer, you've got to push, whether it's in standing and believing, you've got to push in the words in guarding your mouth, right? Guarding your eyes, right? Guarding your ears. You've got to be pushy in so many ways. And so we see that this widow was one who pushed. And so I want to go back through this parable. Um, and I just want to pull, I want to pull out the P, the U, the S, and the H in the parable of this widow. So let's go back to verse one. The first thing we see is Jesus gives instruction in the parable. He says, in verse one, he says, Men, that men ought to always pray and not lose heart. And so the first thing that we see in the push, or the P of the push, is prayer. If you're gonna receive everything that God has for you, you've got to be prepared to push. You've got to be prepared to stand and be bold in prayer. Not timid prayers. Now, that don't mean you're gonna ask God, God, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme, gimme. No, that's not how that works. We believe we receive, right? We don't have to ask continually, although the word says ask and keep on asking, knock, keep on knocking, seek and keep on seeking, for everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who seeks will find. Everyone who knocks, it will be open unto you. But that's not, Lord, I'm asking you for this, and I'm gonna keep asking you for this. No, when you ask God for something, and if you believe you receive, then you don't have to keep going back saying, God, I'm still asking, I'm still asking. No, but you can go back to God saying, Father, I thank you, and I praise you for what you're doing. I praise you for the answer. I praise you that you've heard me. And so the first thing we see here is he says, men are to always. Always. Now, there's an implied there. Now, the implication there under the word always is that it's not on occasion, right? If you're gonna receive from God and if you're going to enjoy the benefits of the blessing of fellowship with God, then you have something that you ought to always do. In fellowship with God, you ought to always pray. It's not on occasion, it's not only when you need something. How many of you know God doesn't God's not that kind of a God? I like to put it this way: God's not a baby daddy. He's not looking for visitation rights, he wants full parental rights. And so if you're going to have that kind of a relationship with God, then you have something you need to do, and that is to always be in prayer. And even the word aught there, Jesus. Now, interesting that Jesus compared, Jesus paired the word always with art. In other words, you you need to do this on a regular basis because you should do it. Ought. Ought implied there means that it is your obligation or your duty, your responsibility to pray. And then there's another implied there. And I love this because, see, not only does he say we ought to always pray, we always ought to pray, but there's implied there, there's an implied there. And so when you go to Matthew chapter 6, starting at verse 5, we see the teaching of Jesus who is teaching about praying. And I found something very interesting. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 6, starting at verse 5. And Jesus is teaching, giving instructions on how to pray, what to pray. And he starts in verse 5. He says, And when you pray, and he goes on to say, You shall not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of streets, that they may be seen by men, assuredly I say that they have the reward. But then he goes on in verse 6, and he says, But when you pray, go into your room. And when you have shut the door, pray to your father who is in the secret place, and your father who sees you in secret will reward you openly. Then he goes on again in verse 7. So just in case you didn't get it, let me say it one more time. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do, for they think that they will be heard for their many works. And so three times he implies and he says, when you pray, when you pray, when you pray. And so, what is he saying? He's not saying if you pray, it's understood that you ought to pray. And so when you do, here's how you do it. And so, if you're gonna push to receive what everything that God has for you, you need to pray. You need to pray on a, you need to have a regular prayer life, a daily prayer life. I like it, I like likening into just having daily conversation with the Father, fellowship with the Father, spending time with the Father, praying. And there's so many ways you can pray. You can pray while reading scripture. You can pray through, did you know worship is an act of prayer? You can pray as you um, as you pray in the spirit, pray in the Holy Ghost. There's so many ways to pray. But again, if you're gonna receive all that God has for you, you've got to push, and pushing means you gotta pray. 1 Thessalonians 5, 7, uh, chapter 5, verse 17 says this. First of all, verse uh verse 16, verse 16 says, Rejoice always. Well, rejoicing means it's it's it's worshiping, praising, being glad in. Rejoice always. And then he goes on in verse 17, he says, but pray without ceasing, praying continually. This morning during our staff devotion time, I we were about to start our devotion time, and and I and I asked the staff, I said, How many of you, when you are awake but you're not really awake, but you are aware or you're you're subconsciously aware that that you're awake because something's going on in your spirit man, either you're singing a worship song or you're you find yourself already praying, even before you get up and move around, your spirit man's already going. And and what is he doing? Praying, praying. This morning I woke up and my spirit man was singing, My soul, my soul magnifies the Lord. I mean, before I could even get up, and my spirit man was already at already engaged, praying without ceasing. And so the Bible tells us to do that. Now, in 1 Thessalonians chapter 5, verse 16, 17, and 18, verse 18 of that same passage of scripture, it says, and in everything, give thanks. For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. So we also understand that if we're gonna push, there are times when we we pushing means thanksgiving. Did you know thanksgiving is not thanksgiving until thanks is given? Now some of you say, wait a minute, what do we let me say that again? Thanksgiving is not thanksgiving until thanks is given. Amen. Some of you'll get that on the way home. Ephesians chapter 6, verse 18 says, praying always with all prayer and supplications in the Spirit. Again, pushing, praying, praying. Now, why do you think there was such an emphasis on the passage in the parable where Jesus prayer was the most, prayer was the first thing that he talked about? Men ought to always pray. Why do you think that is? Because he understands the importance of prayer, he understands the significance of prayer. We actually have a way to communicate with the Father through prayer. And so we have to continue to be persistent in prayer. We have to continue to push in prayer. We've got to continue to stand in prayer. Then we have, let's go back to Luke chapter 18 and go back to verse 1. I want to pick up the back end of that verse when he said, Then he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. Stop right there and say, and not lose heart. Say after, repeat after me, and not lose heart. In other words, he's saying, You gotta keep praying and don't get discouraged. And so if you're gonna push, uh, the acronym for the you is until. Push until. And so Jesus said, don't lose heart. In other words, hang in there until you get what you what you're asking for. We see this widow was content, was willing to hang in there until she got justice. She was willing to go before the judge however many times she needed to go, however long she needed to go before him, until she got justice. And notice that in the scripture it talks about this judge that says he had no regard for man. In other words, this judge, one translation said he didn't care what people thought about him. He didn't care about uh man's opinion of him. But he said, but because this woman is gonna keep coming to me, I'm gonna have to do something. And so push means you can't have the push without the until. Until. Well, how long is until, Pastor Joseph? Until. Well, I've been waiting a long time. Until. Galatians 6 9 says it's we all know this scripture. It says let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season, underline due season. Did you know it's your due season? For in due season we shall reap, if we not lose heart. Now, didn't Jesus just say in the same parable, men are to always pray and not lose heart? So there you see that same thing again, that same admonishment again in Galatians 6 and 9. If we do not lose heart, if we don't give up, if we don't quit, if we don't stop, if we don't shut up, if we don't be quiet, the devil wants us to continue to talk, wants us to wants us to shut to shut us down, to stop us from talking, from praying, speaking the word of God. I got a tickle in my throat here. For in due season, we shall reap. Now notice there's an absolute there. For in due season you shall reap. You shall get the prize. If you keep pushing until you shall receive. If you keep moving forward, you shall receive. Well, how do you push? You can push through prayer, you can push through praise, you can push through declarations, declaring the word of God. I like to say it this way: decree and agree with God. Let your declarations be declarations that agree with God's word or his promise. I declare in the name of Jesus whatever the word says about you, applied to himself. I declare that I'm strong in the Lord in the power of his might. What are you doing? I'm decreeing, and and by decreeing, I am agreeing with God's word. Now, there's something else that I want to point out under that due season, and I like it to this. While waiting for the due, you must do. While waiting for your due, your due season, you must do. What must you do? You must be persistent. We see this widow was persistent. She kept going before the judge. Avenge me, avenge me, avenge me, avenge me, get justice for me, avenge me. She was persistent. And she resisted. She resisted the judge's attitude. He had attitude. Now it didn't say that, but you could read that just by his initial response. He had attitude. I don't care what people think about me. Why should I do anything for this woman? So you've got to resist discouragement. So while waiting for you, D D U E, you have to D O. Resist. Resist discouragement. Resist distractions. Stay focused. Remind yourself, I'm in it to win it. I'm not going to quit until I get what I came for. First Corinthians chapter 15, verse 58 says this. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. In other words, stand your ground. That's an until attitude. I'm going to stand my ground. I'm not going to be moved. I'm not going to be moved by what I hear. I'm not going to be moved by what I say, what they say. I'm not going to be moved by what I hear. I'm not going to be moved by what I feel. I love it when I I love something that our pastor has said, and we've adopted that in our house, and this is it. When he hears something, he says, Oh, it's not as bad as it looks. It's not as bad as it sounds. So what is he doing? He's hanging in there until. He's posturing himself for an until moment. Until I get a better report, I'm not going to receive that one. Until. Be steadfast, immovable. And you'll have lots of opportunities to be moved. My bank balance is zero. And I got this big bill coming. And I don't know how I'm going to do this. But Philippians 4.19 says, and but my God shall supply all of my needs according to his riches and glory through Christ Jesus. The doctor's giving me a bad report, and it looks like I'm not going to make it. But by the stripes of Jesus, I'm healed until. You've got to resolve, I'm going to hang in there until, until, until how until it changes. Until I get a different report. Until I get something that I, you know, I've had enough opportunities with doctor's visits that when a doctor says something that I don't agree with, I just tell him I don't agree with that. And so I'm going to wait for a better report. And I smile. Because that's that's got to change. You do what you do in the natural, but I'm going to believe God. I'm going to do what I do in the supernatural, in the spirit realm. That's got to change. Over in Genesis chapter 32, I love this story. Starting in verse 22. You know the story of Jacob who wrestled with God, wrestled with an angel. One translation says he wrestled with God or being like God or an angel. Genesis chapter 32, verse 22, he started arose that night and took his two wives. He was leaving, headed back to his brother to meet his brother, his two wives, his two female servants, his 11 sons, and crossed over the fort of Jabak. He took them, sent them over the brook, and sent over what he had. Then Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the socket. Meaning in other words, he had been wrestling with this man or this being, this angel. And when the angel saw that Jacob was Jacob had a grip on him. That was an until grip. Well, how do we know that? Because the angel had to touch the socket of his leg to get him out of joint just to get him to let up. And so then Jacob said, and he touched the socket of Jacob's hip was out of joint as he wrestled with him, and he said, Let me go for day breaks. In other words, I gotta go. I gotta go. I gotta go. But what did Jacob say? I will not let you go unless you bless me. I'm gonna hang on until you bless me. And that's the attitude we have to hear that we have to have. I'm gonna hang on until you bless me. I'm gonna hang on until I get my answer. I'm gonna hang on until I receive my new thing. I'm gonna hang on until things change and turn around. I love that. I'm gonna hang on until you bless me. Now let's go back to Luke chapter 18, verse 5. And we're gonna look at another one of the letters in the in push, the acronym, the letter S. Chapter 18, verse 5 of Luke. Uh verse 5 of chapter 18 in Luke. This is the judge speaking. He says, But yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her. Lest by her continual coming she weary me. Now, if you're gonna receive your new thing, then you've got to decide I'm gonna push until something changes. I'm gonna push until something. Now you resolve whatever something is. I'm gonna push until I see it. Jacob said, I'm gonna hang on until you bless me. I'm gonna push in prayer. I'm gonna prevail in prayer until something happens. Something can be expect a response. I'm gonna push until something, something may be an answer, something may be a response, something may be a door open, something may be a door closed, something may be a change in decision. But I'm gonna push until something changes. Maybe that something is a move. Maybe that something is a decision at work. That you're you got a boss that's just not kind. But keep pushing until something happens. And you know what? Something will happen. Something will happen. Verse 5 of that, it goes on to say, um, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her lest by her continual coming she weary me. Then the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. Now he goes on to say in verse 7, this is Jesus talking, and shall God not avenge his own elect? Do we not have the right to expect something? When you're pushing through in prayer, when you're pushing through in praise, when you're pushing through, standing on the word, believing the word, confessing the word, declaring the word, will he not? Yes, he will. He will, he will answer. As a matter of fact, let's go back to that something real quick in Jeremiah 33 and 3. God spoke to the prophet Jeremiah. He said, Call unto me and I will. You call, something's gonna happen. Some kind of a response, I will answer. If he promised that to Jeremiah, then how much more does that promise apply to us? Call unto me and I will answer and show you. I will answer and give you direction. I will answer and give you instruction. Something's gonna turn around, something's gonna change. And so expect a response. And then, of course, the last thing in the acronym of PUSH is H. First John chapter 5, verse 14 and 15. I love that scripture. It says, now this is the confidence. Aren't you glad we can be confident in the word of God? Aren't you glad that when you back when you speak something all of when you speak the word of God and you make a declaration in agreement and in alignment with the word of God, all of heaven's ready to back you up? This is the confidence that we have in him. In who? In Jesus. In other words, in everything that he did for us on the cross. That if we ask anything, Jesus says, No man can come to the Father but by me. That if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. Now we can have confidence in that. That when we ask according to his word, he hears us. When we push, be persistent in prayer, we're gonna get an answer. That if we ask according to his will, he hears us. And if we know, there comes a time that you've gone to the Father and you've made that request and you just know, you just know. Not because you're having to ask him continually, Lord, I need, Lord, I need, Lord, I need, Lord, I need, Lord, I need, Lord, I need no. He knows what you have need of, but he told us to ask. And then when you ask, when you ask in faith, then you can walk away saying, Father, I thank you, that it's done. I believe, I receive. And if we know that he hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions. This widow kept petitioning the judge, avenge me, avenge me, avenge me, avenge me. Now he was an ungodly man, avenge me. Didn't care what people, he didn't care about the popular opinion, but our father does. And we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of him, but that comes through pushing, praying until something. Happens. Amen. Praise God. Thank God for the privilege that we have of pushing. Amen. Amen. Let's just lift our hands and just thank God. Father, thank you for the privilege that we have to come before you in prayer. Thank you, Father, that your word says that this is the confidence that we have that when we pray according to your word, Lord, that you hear us. We don't have to wonder if our prayers are gonna go from our mouths and hit the ceiling and bounce back down and hit us in the face. But your word says that when we pray, according to your word, that you hear us. And because we know that you hear us, Lord, whatever we ask, whatever we ask, Father, whatever we need, that new thing, Father, that you promised us, Father, we know that we have it. We know that we've already received it. And so we thank you and we give you the praise. Father, we thank you that your word says that the moment we pray, the tide of the battle turns. It turns. The situations turn around. Things change. It's not as bad as it looks. And so, Father, we thank you that we resolve today, Father. We choose today to say we're gonna be pushy. We're gonna be pushy. We're gonna push through, push through, push through. Now, sometimes that pushing means we have to press in, press into his presence. For in his presence is fullness of joy. Father, thank you. For in your presence is fullness of joy. In your presence is peace. And so we thank you for that, Father, and we give you the praise in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. Amen. Pushing. I've resolved I'm gonna be pushy this year. Amen. How many pushy folks we got out there? I'm gonna be pushy this year. Amen. Gonna be pushy in Jesus' name. All right. Praise God. Praise God. Praise God. Well, I I pray that that blessed you. Amen.