Luke 18 - Don't Give Up On Prayer!

Luke 18 - NIV

Luke 18 - Enduring Word Commentary

Verses for the Day

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?”

Commentary

Jesus often taught on prayer, and he modeled in every aspect of his life. He often spent the whole night in prayer before major decisions, like choosing the disciples and before he started his public ministry. Prayer is indispensable in the Christian life. Jesus said, "You have not because you pray not!" James 4:2

Jesus gave a model for prayer when he taught the disciples the Lord's prayer. Paul taught, "Pray without ceasing." 1 Thesalonians 5:17

When Jesus teaches the disciples the, "Parable of the Peristent Widow", he reveals several key principles about prayer. One of the most frequent challenges when we pray is not getting the answer we are hoping for. We wonder, "Is God listening? Does God care? Is He too busy answering other people's prayers which are more important than mine?" 

So, let's see what Jesus teaches in the parable of the persistent widow. Widows faced major challenges in Jesus' day. 

"In first-century Judea (Jesus' day), being a widow was synonymous with being "forsaken" or "left desolate," as the title often meant the loss of all social and economic support. Because Jewish society was patriarchal, a woman’s security was tied to her husband, father, or sons; without them, widows were among the most vulnerable members of society, often facing extreme poverty and marginalization." - Evangelical Magazine

This women had faith in God and believed that prayer would help her, as she fought her adversary. We don't know who this adversary ism or what he is trying to do to the widow, but clearly he is causing her problems. This is surely not making her already challenging life any easier.  Whatever he was doing to her, the widow thought going to judge was her only hope. 

The woman is called "the persistent widow" for a reason. She is so persistent that the judge, although he didn't really care about her or her case, granted her justice. So what is the point of this parable?

In a nutshell Jesus is saying if the unjust judge hears the woman's persistent prayer and reluctantly answers it, how much more does our Heavenly Father grant justice to his sons and daughters whom He loves. 

How does this apply to our unanswered prayers?

There is no easy answer to this question. But if we stick with certain principles about who God is, we will know how to understand it as much as we can on this earth. 

1. God loves his children, even more than their earthly parents. This is not to demean the love of a  parent, but to show how God's love is unlimited, unchanging, and unconditional. Though we do our best, we cannot measure up to God's perfect love.  We can be limited, fickle, and conditional in our live at times. 

2. When we pray, we trust God hear and answers our prayer according to His will. This is where it gets sticky, because we often think we know what God's will should be for us. This is where our faiht comes in. We need to trust that even though we don't see what God's will is, it is always best for us and those we love in the long run. 

3. Sometimes it is a matter of timing. God doesn't work on our time table. He is outside of time and space. Often as we look back, we might see why God did not answer one of our prayers. I.e. Marrying someone, a job change, or a potential move to another place. 

Application:

1. What does your prayer look like? It is often best to pray as soon as you get up, before the worries and distractions of the day kick in.  Do you persist in prayer as a sign of your faith? Is there an unanswered prayer in your life right now? How might the persistent widow's example help you?

2. I have found journaling your prayers helps you to keep from being distracted, and is a good way to see if and when your persistent prayers are answered. 

Prayer

Jesus, thank you for the gift of prayer. Thank you that you care about us and always provide  us what we need, when we need it. Help us to be like the persistent like the widow, and not give up when we don't get the answer we are looking for. We trust you that Your will is always best for us Amen.