ALWAYS PRAY. NEVER GIVE UP.
Opening Prayer
Holy Spirit, thank you for your inspiration and conviction in my life. Please continue to teach me; enable me to walk more closely to Jesus and to share his love with others.
Read LUKE 18:1–8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
18 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Why do you pray? How do you think God feels about your prayers? Be honest. He can cope!Unlike with some parables, here we are told bluntly what this one is all about (v. 1). What is unusual in this story is that it teaches us what our Father is not like. He is not distant, uncaring, grumpy, self-focused, or merely pragmatic (vv. 4, 5). He is close. He is loving. He listens. And above all, he is powerful and eager to act (vv.7, 8). This leaves us with an interesting challenge. Why should we persist in prayer—and why doesn’t God usually drop everything and answer our prayers as we would like? For many of us it often feels like we’re dealing with the judge in the parable. It’s as though we need to get his attention by our persistence and wear him down until he gives in and answers us.
Prayer is part of a bigger scheme. When we pray, we are not letting God know about something that has skipped his attention. Nor are we letting him in on news he hasn’t heard yet. Prayer doesn’t change God. Prayer changes us! It is God’s way of letting us into his mind and heart so that we might be changed into his likeness and join in his agenda for his world.
Apply
Reflect on Romans 8:26,27: ‘… the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.’ Quiet your heart and mind. What is God moving you to pray about today?
Closing prayer
Lord God, you never tire of me; you welcome me whenever I come to you in prayer. You readily receive every one of the thoughts I express—my praises, my petitions, my complaints, my questions. Forgive me for those times when I do not persist in prayer; help me to be more faithful.
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