Luke 18:1-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
Parables on Prayer
18 Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart, 2 saying, “In a certain city there was a judge who did not fear God and did not respect man. 3 There was a widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘[a]Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ 4 For a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow bothers me, I will [b] give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will [c]wear me out.’” 6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge *said; 7 now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, [d]and will He delay long over them? 8 I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find [e]faith on the earth?”
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Have you ever been stuck?
Not behind a massive traffic jam, or in the mud or a blizzard or snow drift – but stuck in life – you cannot go backwards, the present is super glued to the floors.
Imagine you have an adversary who is making your life extremely difficult.
Certified letters come in the mail, and you are summoned to a court hearing.
You receive a letter in the mail and it is the tax man wondering about the math.
You are in a job, there is either no or very limited prospects for advancement.
You are a Pastor and your church is not growing, the congregation is dwindling, the building is in need of uncountable numbers of both minor and major repairs and there is little to no prospect of the budget supporting repairs and the salary.
Pick your own scenario and create that one worst possible story surrounding it.
You have prayed, and it seems that God is not acting on your behalf.
You ask God, “If you are my Father, why don’t you help me?”
In the court room, the judge adds insults to your injury and has no empathy for you – you know the tax man will not be any kind of empathetic or sympathetic.
Where do you turn?
Jesus told a parable about a woman in a situation like that, to show his followers that they should “always pray and not give up.”
The woman wanted what was rightfully hers.
And yet she appeared to be powerless, without money or connections to bail her out, and she lost case after case – but she still continued to bother the judge.
This harsh judge, who didn’t care what God or people thought, relented, finally surrendered and acted on her behalf, and she received what was rightfully hers.
In the midst of hopelessness in this world, Jesus promises hope in a far greater courtroom, where he defends his own.
He says,
“Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.”
Followers of Christ are called to be persistent in the midst of adversity, for we have a mighty Advocate who comes to our defense!
Never Give Up through Unanswered Prayers
Luke 18:1-8 The Message
The Story of the Persistent Widow
18 1-3 Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’
4-5 “He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”
6-8 Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”
Some believe if you ask God once, you don’t need to ask Him again.
However, Jesus taught His disciples to always pray and not give up (Luke 18:1).
In one of His parables on prayer, Jesus proposed what you might do if a friend comes to you in the middle of the night seeking food for an unexpected guest.
You might be tempted to tell him to go away because it’s late, and you and your family are in bed.
However, because he’s your friend and has so boldly approached and asked you for help, you most likely will get up and give him all He needs (Luke 11:5-8).
Luke 11:5-8 New American Standard Bible 1995
5 Then He said to them, “[a]Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children [b]and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his [c]persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
In summing it up, Jesus said,
“So I say to you; Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; know and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened” (Luke 11: 9,10).
Jesus tells in another parable of a godless judge’s dealings with a widow who refused to accept his unwillingness to grant her justice from her adversary.
After relentlessly pursuing the judge with her case, he gave into her merely because she refused to give up.
To His followers, Jesus reassures that if an unjust judge who doesn’t fear God will bring about justice to a widow simply because she kept bothering him, how much more will God do for His chosen ones who cry out to Him day and night?(Luke 18:2-8).
Philippians 2:1-4 New American Standard Bible 1995
Be Like Christ
2 Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any [a]affection and compassion, 2 make my joy complete [b]by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. 3 Do nothing [c]from [d] selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4 do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
Jesus also urges in Matthew 7:7 to, “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”
So instead of seeing unanswered prayer as a reason to stop praying, view it as a motivator to not ever give up.
As Romans 12:9-13 admonishes us …
Romans 12:9-13 New American Standard Bible 1995
9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; [a]give preference to one another in honor; 11 not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, 13 contributing to the needs of the [b]saints, [c]practicing hospitality.
As Thessalonians 5:17 encourages, “Pray continually.”
Keep Praying!
If you’ve been struggling with unanswered prayers, find comfort in knowing God has not forgotten you.
So instead of withdrawing from Him when it seems like He isn’t answering, consider what He might be teaching you during these times, knowing as you draw closer to Him, He will draw closer to you (James 4:8).
How Can We Get Close to God?
James 4:8 New American Standard Bible 1995
8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.
What do you do when you can’t find God?
The Christian author C. S. Lewis searched for God during the illness of his wife without finding him.
In his book A Grief Observed, Lewis wrote, “Meanwhile, where is God? … Go to him when your need is desperate … and what do you find? A door slammed in your face, and a sound of bolting and double-bolting on the inside. After that, silence. You may as well turn away.”
Many believers have searched for God without being able to find him.
David, who wrote of the wonderful comfort of God in Psalm 23, also cried out in Psalm 22:1, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus said those same words on the cross (Matthew 27:46).
If for some reason you can’t seem to find God, let him know you can’t find him—and then listen.
God is right where he always is.
C.S. Lewis found that perhaps his own cries deafened him “to the voice [he] hoped to hear.”
He wrote later, “I have gradually been coming to feel that the door is no longer shut and bolted. Was it my own frantic need that slammed it in my face?”
Accept God’s invitation: “Come near to God and he will come near to you.”
Come as you are, empty handed, with weary souls, and with a simple prayer.
Psalm 23 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 23
A Psalm of David.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my soul:
he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:
thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
God is where we are.
Says Jesus in John 6:37, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”
It’s a sure promise!
Do You Believe This?
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 13 New American Standard Bible 1995
Prayer for Help in Trouble.
For the choir director. A Psalm of David.
13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
2 How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart all the day?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
3 Consider and answer me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes, or I will sleep the sleep of death,
4 And my enemy will say, “I have overcome him,”
And my adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken.
5 But I have trusted in Your lovingkindness;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
6 I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.
Lord Jesus, thank you for giving us hope in our dark times as we wrestle against adversaries. Hear our prayer and act quickly on our behalf. Lord our God, show us your presence in our lives. Savior Jesus, Help us to trust that you will never let go of us. BFF Jesus, As you have always promised, you will never forsake us. Alleluia Amen
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 