PREVAILING IN PRAYER BY THE WORD (7)

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men ALWAYS OUGHT to PRAY and not lose heart” – Luke 18:1

PERSISTENCE is an essential precondition for PREVAILING IN PRAYER BY God’s WORD: “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men ALWAYS OUGHT to PRAY and not lose heart” (Lk.18:1). In this most memorable parable, Jesus teaches that: Persistent Prayer Pays! If we do not pray we will give up! In order to be encouraged to pray and persevere in our faith, He exhorts us to pray: with persistence (vv.1-5); and with an accurate view of God, based on knowing His Word (vv.6-8).

Luke began with an unusual one-verse commentary that gives the interpretation prior to the parable! To praye “always” or “at all times” and never lose heart or grow weary implies living dependent on the Father, as Jesus Himself modelled for us. Jesus did not live in the desert as a hermit in order to pray around the clock. Rather, He engage in prayer frequently, even though in a sense, of all men, Jesus had the least need to pray since He didn’t have to wrestle with the inner lusts of the flesh as we do, having been born without sin. Yet He often prayed!

As much as we believe in prayer, it’s easy to neglect prayer! We’ll rather get busy than pray! But there is hope for us to develop a productive prayer life. Few helpful actions steps may include: Setting aside a regular appointed time with God each day, one that works best for the way that God has wired us; making a daily prayer list to prevent a wandering mind; praying out loud and actively to free from distraction; and praying for requests on the spot rather than procrastinating. These would make prayer habitual in our lives and strengthen our prayer muscles. As we grow in these habits, we’ll realise that it’s possible, even in the frantic pace of contemporary life, to make prayer a priority.

Disciples, “ought” to pray at all times. This portrays the idea of necessity. Prayer is not an optional activity for the more committed. It is a necessity for every believer because it recognizes our total dependence on God. We can’t say, “Prayer is not my gift” or “I’m not comfortable praying.” Not to pray is arrogant, because we’re really saying, “Thanks, God, but I can handle this by myself”! But the truth is: We can’t handle anything by ourselves, apart from God’s grace and power! We “ought to pray and not lose heart” or give up in adversity or trial. Instead of losing heart, we’re to hope in Him and persevere in prayer. To do otherwise, guarantees that we will lose heart and give up.

The characters in the story are: an unjust judge and a poor widow seeking help from him (vv.2-3). This judge did not have the two qualities that God esteems the most: love for God and love for man (Mt.22:37-39). This judge was a man without a conscience; tough, selfish, unfair, and powerful. The widow kept coming to him, saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary” – Give me legal protection from my opponent. The widow had to overcome three obstacles: being a woman – with little standing before the law; having no husband to stand with her in court or grown p children to care for her; and being poor, exposed, and vulnerable, unable to bribe her way for her case to be heard.

Though the odds were stacked against her, the widow “kept coming” and wouldn’t take “no” for an answer. The judge thought that by initially rejecting her she would go away. Wrong! She persisted, pressed, and persevered. Every morning she waited for him to show up, until her persistent requests broke him down (vv.4-5). The judge met his match! He relented and gave her what she wanted just to shut her up.

We must pray with an accurate view of God. In contrast, God is not like the unjust judge (vv.6-8). He will not put us off. Rather, He responds to the persistent requests of His children. The question is: Will God’s children remain persistent and faithful till the end?