Praying Without Ceasing and Following the Lord

Introduction

The Lord is coming back soon. In that light, every day counts. Your life is nothing more than the sum of your days, and every day is made up of the choices you make, the values you prioritize, the priorities you set. Through Luke 17:20 to 19:27, Pastor Rutz invites you into a life of persistent prayer and faithful obedience, so that you are ready when the Master returns.

One day, the Pharisees asked Jesus: "When will the kingdom of God come?" He answered: "The kingdom of God is not coming in ways that can be observed, nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There!' for behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you" (Luke 17:20-21). This kingdom isn't only the future heaven, it's already present in the heart of anyone who lets God reign over their life today.

Article Outline

1. The Kingdom of God Is in Your Midst

When Jesus says the kingdom is "in the midst of you," he's talking about a reality that is both inward and communal. The kingdom of God is a territory governed by his laws, his standards, his values. It isn't your own way of thinking, nor the standards of the society around you, nor the trends of your time: it's the will of God that reigns.

If the Lord truly lives in your life and governs it, fear should retreat. The gratitude and joy he gives should fill you. You should be freed from many chains: financial anxiety, the weight of illness, relational tension, the stress of a world in crisis. Of course, the trials haven't disappeared. But in prayer, in contact with the Lord, you learn to see your difficulties differently. What seemed like a misfortune becomes an opportunity for growth, for deeper intimacy with God, for a clearer understanding of his plan. The peace he gives, no one can take from you.

That is the kingdom you are called to establish within yourself and within the church. You are a citizen of heaven in training, and this earth is your training ground.

2. As in the Days of Noah and Lot

Jesus continues by warning his disciples: "Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man" (Luke 17:26). People were eating, drinking, marrying, buying, selling, planting, and building, until the day the flood came and swept everything away. The same happened in the days of Lot: Sodom lived in excess and indifference until the fire consumed it.

Noah built his ark for more than a century without ever having seen rain. He was mocked, despised, called a foolish old man. But he believed the word of God and obeyed, day after day. Lot, for his part, was righteous, but compromised with the culture of Sodom. It took angels practically dragging him out of the city to save him.

Today's world resembles the days of Noah, only worse. Evil has reached its peak, and God's patience is nearing its end. Jesus states it plainly: "So will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed... Remember Lot's wife" (Luke 17:30-32). Don't look back. Don't let your heart cling to this world that is going to disappear.

3. The Rapture: Two Men, Two Women, Two Destinies

"I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left" (Luke 17:34-35). Two men will be working the field, two women will be grinding together; one will be taken, the other left. This scene foreshadows the rapture of believers, the moment when the Lord will take his own before the final tribulation breaks loose.

This will happen in an instant. The time to prepare is now. The time to repent, to seek God, to walk with him, is today, not when everything turns upside down. At that point, it will be too late to improvise.

4. Praying Without Ceasing: The Parable of the Unjust Judge

Jesus then teaches his disciples "that they ought always to pray and not lose heart" (Luke 18:1). He tells the story of a widow who pesters a judge who neither fears God nor respects people. By sheer persistence, she finally obtains justice. Jesus concludes: "And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?" (Luke 18:7).

If an unjust judge eventually gives in because of persistence, how much more will your heavenly Father, who loves you, hear your cries. True prayer is the kind that seeks God's will: "Your will be done in me." Persist day and night, and the Lord will act in his time.

Pray in tongues as well. When you pray in the Spirit, your prayer goes straight through to heaven without being intercepted by the enemy, because it is your spirit interceding according to God's plan. Paul himself rejoiced in this: "I thank God that I speak in tongues more than all of you" (1 Corinthians 14:18). This gift grows your spirit, opens your understanding of Scripture, and unlocks the other gifts God has placed in you.

But Jesus asks a sobering question: "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Luke 18:8). The problem isn't that God doesn't answer. The problem is that too many believers have stopped praying.

5. Two Prayers, Two Hearts: The Pharisee and the Tax Collector

Jesus then tells the story of two men who went up to the temple to pray (Luke 18:9-14). The Pharisee stands and prays: "God, I thank you that I am not like other men, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get." The tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his chest, saying, "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" Jesus settles the matter: it's the tax collector who goes home justified.

Fasting and giving tithes are good. Avoiding blatant sins is good. The Pharisee's problem isn't what he does, it's what he thinks of himself. He has nothing to confess, nothing to ask for, nothing to receive. Yet Jesus came for sinners, not for those who think themselves righteous. "Those who are well have no need of a physician" (Luke 5:31).

The mature Christian's worst enemy is spiritual pride. Time in the faith, biblical knowledge, spiritual gifts: none of it protects you. When God puts his finger on a sin, the real question is: will you receive the correction with humility, or will you reject it and justify yourself? Those who refuse correction stay stuck. Those who let themselves be broken grow.

6. The Rich Young Ruler and the Radical Call

A young ruler comes to Jesus: "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" He knows the commandments and has kept them from his youth. Jesus tells him: "One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me" (Luke 18:22). The young man becomes very sad, for he was extremely rich.

Following Jesus isn't a matter of scoring points. It isn't about accumulating good deeds. It's about giving him everything: heart, possessions, plans, attachments. "What is impossible with man is possible with God" (Luke 18:27). You won't get there by your own willpower alone. But when you sincerely decide to follow the Lord and ask for his help, the Holy Spirit makes possible what the flesh refuses.

Key Takeaways

• The kingdom of God begins in your heart today, before it becomes your eternal destination.
• The Lord's return will be sudden, like the flood: your preparation is your faithful daily life.
• Praying without ceasing, including in tongues, is the central weapon of the last days.
• God resists the proud and gives grace to the humble: receive correction without justifying yourself.
• Following Jesus isn't about checking boxes, it's about letting go of every attachment and letting him reign.

Personal Application

• Where does my heart seek its kingdom today: in possessions, career, family, or in the Lord?
• How much time do I truly spend in prayer each day? Do I persevere when the answer is slow to come?
• Do I look more like the Pharisee who justifies himself, or the tax collector who beats his chest?
• What recent correction have I rejected because it wounded my self-image?
• If Jesus asked me today to let go of everything to follow him, what would hold me back?

Verses Cited

• Luke 17:20-21 · The kingdom of God in your midst
• Luke 17:26-30 · As in the days of Noah and Lot
• Luke 17:32-33 · Remember Lot's wife
• Luke 17:34-35 · One will be taken, the other left
• Luke 18:1-8 · The parable of the unjust judge
• Luke 18:9-14 · The Pharisee and the tax collector
• Luke 18:17 · Receiving the kingdom like a little child
• Luke 18:18-27 · The rich young ruler
• Luke 18:28-30 · Those who have left everything
• 1 Corinthians 14:18 · Paul and praying in tongues

FAQ

What does "the kingdom of God is in your midst" mean?

Jesus is speaking of a present reality: wherever God actually reigns in your heart and in the community of believers, his kingdom is already at work. It isn't just a future place to reach, it's a way of living today under his authority.

Why does Jesus place such emphasis on persistent prayer?

Because the real risk in the last days isn't that God won't answer; he always answers what is in line with his will. The risk is that faith disappears and believers stop praying. The parable of the unjust judge is a call to never give up.

Do you really have to sell everything to follow Jesus?

What Jesus is targeting is your attachment. For the rich young man, wealth was the idol. For you, it might be something else. The principle stands: nothing and no one should come before the Lord. What God gives you, you receive with gratitude, without letting your heart cling to it.