On the Road to Jerusalem: Persistent Prayer

“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.'" 

—Luke 18:4-5

In the ancient world, a widow was at the lowest rung of society. Widows had no means of taking care of themselves—which is why James said, “Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world”—James 1:27.  Widows had to rely on others to take care of them.

In Luke 18, Jesus told a parable that illustrated the importance of praying without losing heart.  It’s about a widow who kept going to an unjust judge, demanding justice against her adversary.  At first, the judge refused, but her persistent pleas finally paid off.  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.” 

Jesus then says,

“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 them speedily.  Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”—Luke 18:6-8. 

Jesus wanted us to understand that we are to persistently pray that God’s people receive justice.  The widow had no other tool except persistence.  But it was her persistence that paid off in the face of the unjust judge.  And if the unjust judge was willing to grant justice, how much more will God answer the prayers of His elect?  God wants us to come to Him praying in faith.  Thus the reason for the last question, “when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”  The answer is an unequivocal "yes," but the point is that we are to be watching and praying until He comes again.  And as we wait for that day, we continually seek justice for Christians who are oppressed. 

Are we persistently praying for others?  Or are our prayers selfish and inwardly focused?  Lent is a time of humbling ourselves and learning what it means to love God more by denying ourselves.  But it also means giving ourselves in service to others.  By doing so we learn better how to love God and love others. 

May God help us to be persistent prayer warriors, interceding for others before God that they may receive justice and God may receive glory.  Amen.