“Always pray and never give up.”
How long are we to continue praying about a particular situation?
We are an impatient society thanks to next-day delivery and immediate access at the touch of a finger. We no longer need to wait until next week for the cliffhanger to be resolved; we can binge-watch an entire season.
Have we stopped to think about how the speed of our culture has impacted the expectations in our prayer life?
Jesus told His disciples a story illustrating how we are to “always pray and never give up.” The story in most Bibles has earned the subtitle, “The Persistent Widow.” (Luke 18:1-8)
The widow had been treated unfairly and continued to go before an uncaring, underhanded judge to plead her case. The judge ignored her pleas for fairness, but she was determined and kept returning. Eventually, the judge was annoyed by her continued presence and relentless begging for justice. The widow’s persistence wore him down, and he finally gave her the justice she deserved.
The widow was a model for us to follow on the role persistence plays in our faith-filled prayer life.
BE PERSISTENT
Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” (Luke 18:6-8, NLT)
A Just God
There is an extreme difference between the parable of the unjust earthly judge and our heavenly Father, filled with mercy and lovingkindness. The stark contrast alarms us about the weightiness of having an accurate view of God and how our view of God can impact our prayer life.
In the parable of the persistent widow, Jesus points out God’s fairness. Our persistence will be strengthened when we embrace the fullness and truth of God’s character. While we may not feel justice is being served to our liking in the present, we can trust God is moving on our behalf despite what we see. We also trust Him to right all wrongs in the end. “He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair” (Deuteronomy 32:4).
Do we believe God is fair?
A Persistent Prayer
The widow showed tenacity. The judge had a reputation for being unconcerned, but the widow demonstrated a strong determination, much like Daniel in the Old Testament. Daniel was taken into captivity and faced with a challenge to eat food that was against the clean and unclean laws God had set up for His people. “But Daniel was resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine…” (Daniel 1:8, NIV).
The widow, like Daniel, had set her mind on not giving up regardless of any cost it may have had for her. Like Daniel, she believed strongly enough to follow through with actions that would not waver. Jesus invited us to have the same attitude of persistence with our prayers.
Do we have the determination to keep on praying?
An Example of Faith
In verse one, Jesus equates our faith with our persistence when he taught us to “always pray and never give up.” We are to be conversing with God continually throughout the day. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). We then match a practice of continuous prayer with a faith that supports our never giving up.
Persistence and faith are partners. Each propels the other. As we ceaselessly pray, we keep our minds fixed on God and His truths, which fuels our faith. Our faith likewise draws us to be in a continual conversation with God.
Do our prayers partner with faith?
Hard is hard, and there is no getting around the hard things in life. Persistence in our prayers is crucial to maintaining our faith through the hard.
I pray that God will help you have an accurate view of Himself that emboldens your faith and fuels your prayers. I pray that you grow in your ability to converse with Jesus throughout your day. When the hard times come, may you remain faithful and never give up. In Jesus’ name, so be it.
Meditate: God is just.
Reflect: Can you see how your prayers can be affected by your view of God? Do you have an accurate picture of God? Do you have a limit on how long you are willing to pray through something? How can you grow in your persistence so you don’t give up?
Deeper: Luke 18:1-8; Deuteronomy 32:1-4; Psalm 42
NOTE: “The Praying Through It” series will cover 5 “Ps” significant for our ability to continue praying over months or even years without giving up.
For further encouragement, listen to the PODCAST on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Google, IHeartRadio, and Podbean. Search God’s Word Gives Hope. LISTEN NOW
Receive Hope Every Week with Janae’s Thrive Newsletter, blog link included – Subscribe here
JSC Life & Leadership Coaching – I believe God has created each of us to thrive. Where are you not thriving? Work? Home? Life? Let me coach you. Contact me to schedule a consultation, and let’s get you moving forward. Contact Janae
Did you know you can follow God’s Word Gives Hope on Facebook and Instagram and be encouraged throughout the week?
(Bible References: NLT – New Living Translation, NIV – New International Version,)
#GodsWordGivesHope
#Hope #Bible #christianity
#PrayingThroughIt
#christianitytoday
#JSCLifeandLeadershipCoaching
