One of my favorite Greek words in the Bible is “proskartereo”. It means persistence, tenacity, never give up. It was used in a historical reference to describe the siege of a city when the attacking forces laid siege to a walled city and refused to give up until they overcame the enemy. Several times the word is translated “devote” yourselves to prayer.in the New Testament (Acts 1:14 & 6:4). But I think the word “be devoted” seems a little weak. I think it could be paraphrased – be relentless and never give up. Jesus taught His followers to keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep on knocking (Matthew 7:7-8). The Apostle Paul also encouraged people to pray and not give up (Romans 12:12 & Colossians 4:2).
I suspect it also relates to plumbing. Keep pressing on and don’t give up! I did a lot of praying while I was working on the plumbing.. Praying God would protect me while I used a flaming torch to solder pipes together. Praying for safety as I climbed up and down ladders. Praying for strength when I got tired and discouraged.
On Thursday evening I thought I had finished the project. I had assembled the last pieces of pipe and turned on the main water valve. I brought my wife out to the garage to see the finished work. We decided to take showers and run the dishwasher now that the water was back on. However, about an hour later as I was cleaning up in the garage I heard a hissing noise and saw water dripping from the pipes.
We shut off the water again and went to bed tired and discouraged. The next morning I tried to solder the dripping joints but could not stop the leak. I decided to disassemble some pipe above the hot water heater and rebuild that critical section. I bought more materials and reassembled the pipes. On Friday evening I held my breath as I turned the water back on again. It worked! No leaks! I kept checking throughout the evening – still no leaks. It was a crazy week without water.
Let me encourage you to never give up praying for yourself and others. Call on God for help with the personal problems you and others are facing. And you might want to call a plumber for help with your water problems. You will be glad you did and he will too.
You can read 365 more stories by the author in his book “Let Me Encourage You” by Mark Hopper. There is a story for every day of the year. During our holiday sale you can purchase two books for only $30 plus postage ($5). Buy one for yourself and one to give to a friend. Order your books today at markh@efreedb.org.
Let Me Encourage You by Mark Hopper 