Lost Parables: Persistent WidowPosted by Phil on May 20th, 2009
think back to when you were a kid and there was a toy you just had to have. did you get it? how did you ask for it? how many times did you have to ask? cause you had to ask more than once…my parents said no far more often than they said yes. but time after time, the more you asked the more you wore them down.
why do you think that is? i probably asked for hundreds of things…most of which i asked for once and then gave up on. parents probably say no initially and then find out how much you want it. but when you really want something, you’ll be persistent.
we come to the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18 and it explains right up front what it’s about. in short, a widow keeps coming to a judge every day pleading for justice. she keeps coming back over and over until the judge gives in and grants her wish. and it says this is how we should pray.
prayer doesn’t seem like it should be a difficult thing…but for me, it is. too often, i pray for something or someone a few times and then i forget and stop or i just give up.
why don’t we pray more persistently? sadly it usually comes down to selfishness and a lack of faith. selfish in that i value my time, at night i want to get to sleep, or i just get caught up in other things. and lack of faith because if i really thought that God would act…wouldn’t i keep praying?
Jesus tells this parable and says, if this calloused judge will answer the widows request, how much more will a loving Father respond when we constantly call on him?
have you thought that maybe God wants to you keep coming? to keep asking? to wrestle with him? the process of coming back to God over and over and over again will build faith.
sometimes you might feel like the widow when you pray. that your prayer falls on deaf ears. but Hebrews 14 tells us that we have an advocate that pleads on our behalf. so approach the throne with confidence. you can show your motives in prayer through your persistence. it shows a genuince call for change.
if we were a community of persistent prayer, what do you think would change? what would happen?
verse 7-8 says that if we cry out to him day and night, will God put us off? no, we will receive justice…and quickly. this parable ends with this….”when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” when Jesus returns, will he find people of faith who persistently cry out to God believing that He will respond if we keep calling.
pick 1 area where you want God to work…and for 2 weeks…daily take it to God….more than once a day. beg God to act.