Last year, in preparation for writing, Dangerous Prayers: 50 Powerful Prayers That Changed the World, I spent several months researching the lives of some of the world’s most well-known Christians. The group included pastors, missionaries, politicians, authors, social activists, and evangelists. They varied in age, nationality, denomination, background, levels of education, and mission. But the group I wrote about had two things in common; they were all facing overwhelming opposition, and they persisted in prayer.
As Americans living in a fast-paced culture, most of us have grown uncomfortable with waiting. We are accustomed to fast food, instant access, high-speed internet, and overnight shipping. When we are forced to wait, we assume something has gone wrong. If a company can’t meet our demand for speed we take our business elsewhere. I suspect we’ve unwittingly taken that mindset to our prayer lives. Have you ever prayed for something and given up when your petitions weren’t quickly answered? Can you say with sincerity that you’ve prayed long and fervently for anything? Are you comfortable persisting in prayer?
In the parable of the unjust judge, Jesus teaches that when it comes to prayer, there will be times when we have to ask repeatedly for what we want.
“And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to the speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:1-8)
Although the text doesn’t tell us what type of justice the widow was seeking, this passage makes it clear that she repeatedly sought justice from the same judge and was continually denied. He was a man who had no reverence for God or respect for people and therefore wouldn’t have been compelled to help another person based on principle or morality. To complicate matters, in that era, a widow had low social standing and no power. Although she should’ve received special protection from the justice system, the judge continued to dismiss her (Ex 22:22, Deut 10:18,24:17-21, 27:19).
At this point, many of us would’ve felt defeated and given up, but the widow persisted. Finally, she’d asked so often she’d tested the judge’s patience, and he granted her request simply to keep her from pestering him. Jesus intentionally contrasted the unjust judge with our heavenly Father to communicate that if an unjust judge grants the request of a widow he cared nothing about than our heavenly Father who loves us will most certainly hear and answer his people’s prayers.
But Jesus makes it clear that God’s people will be required to persist in prayer. Notice the text says God will grant justice to those who cry out to him, “day and night” (v.7). Christ-followers can’t pray a few half-hearted prayers and be surprised if our petitions aren’t granted. The apostle Paul says we are to, “Continue steadfastly in prayer” (Col 4:2).
Jesus’ words challenge me. As I studied the parable, I asked myself, “How would I describe my degree of persistence in prayer? Am I content with the amount of time and energy I devote to prayer? Do I routinely ask God to empower my prayer life?” Prayer is an area every Christ-follower should continually long to improve upon. If you’d like to read about a diverse group of Christians who persisted despite overwhelming odds you can check out my newest book, Dangerous Prayers: 50 Powerful Prayers that Changed the World. https://www.amazon.com/Dangerous-Prayers-Powerful-Changed-World/dp/1400209056/
J.I. Packer wrote, “I believe that prayer is the measure of the man, spiritually, in a way that nothing else is so that how we pray is as important a question as we ever can face.”
[1] J.I. Packer, My Path of Prayer, (Worthing, West Sussex: Henry E. Walter, 1981, 56.
