Yesterday I introduced to you a rather bizarre story that Jesus told His disciples in order to get them to see prayer as a priority and to pray persistently. If you didn’t read yesterday’s blog posting you really should before you go on and finish the story in today’s posting.
It appears that the widow in the story would simply stand outside the tent and holler into it. Can you imagine that? All through the day as the judge is inside presiding over cases, outside is this woman who just jeeps hollering over and over and over and over again:
“Hey, judge! Please help me! I need protection! I’m being taken advantage of! Hey, judge! Please help me! I need protection! I’m being taken advantage of! Hey, judge! Please help me! I need protection! I’m being taken advantage of! Hey, judge! Please help me! I need protection! I’m being take advantage of! Hey, judge! Please help me! I need protection!”
Now folks, I don’t care who you are, that is a bit bizarre, wouldn’t you say? It almost makes me chuckle to think about it and try to picture it in my mind. Can you imagine how annoying this must have been to this judge? But he was a hard man. Remember, he didn’t fear God or respect men. So at first, he stands his ground and is unwilling to grant her request. But a man, even a hard-hearted man like this judge, can only take so much. In the end, the judge gave her the protection she requested.
But why this sudden change of heart? The reason is clear. He didn’t change his mind due to fearing God nor did he change his mind due to respecting man. He changed his mind due to her persistence in asking. Her constant requests became a bother to him. Her constant requests wore him out.
Now, how is this story teaching us to be persistent in prayer? Is this story saying that if we annoy God enough He will get tired of us and say, “Here take what you want, just leave me alone”? Of course not. In verses 6-8, Jesus gives the thrust of his bizarre story. He begins by comparing the judge in the parable with God.
This parable is not teaching that God can be “bothered” into changing His mind. What it is teaching is that even when there are delays in seeing answers to our prayers we should continue to pray. The moment we send God a prayer that is in his will, He begins to work…we may not see it now but one day we will (1 John 5:14-15). If a poor widow got what she deserved from an unrighteous judge by being persistent, how much more will we, who are God’s children, receive from our Heavenly Father if we pray persistently.
In fact, for just a moment compare this widow’s condition with ours as followers of Jesus. She was a stranger to the judge while we are God’s children. She had no advocate to stand up for her while we have Jesus as our advocate. She came to a court of law while we go to a throne of grace. If her persistence brought blessing to her in her situation, how much more will our persistence in praying bring blessing to us in ours? LET US PRAY PERSISTENTLY!
It appears that the widow in the story would simply stand outside the tent and holler into it. Can you imagine that? All through the day as the judge is inside presiding over cases, outside is this woman who just jeeps hollering over and over and over and over again:
“Hey, judge! Please help me! I need protection! I’m being taken advantage of! Hey, judge! Please help me! I need protection! I’m being taken advantage of! Hey, judge! Please help me! I need protection! I’m being taken advantage of! Hey, judge! Please help me! I need protection! I’m being take advantage of! Hey, judge! Please help me! I need protection!”
Now folks, I don’t care who you are, that is a bit bizarre, wouldn’t you say? It almost makes me chuckle to think about it and try to picture it in my mind. Can you imagine how annoying this must have been to this judge? But he was a hard man. Remember, he didn’t fear God or respect men. So at first, he stands his ground and is unwilling to grant her request. But a man, even a hard-hearted man like this judge, can only take so much. In the end, the judge gave her the protection she requested.
But why this sudden change of heart? The reason is clear. He didn’t change his mind due to fearing God nor did he change his mind due to respecting man. He changed his mind due to her persistence in asking. Her constant requests became a bother to him. Her constant requests wore him out.
Now, how is this story teaching us to be persistent in prayer? Is this story saying that if we annoy God enough He will get tired of us and say, “Here take what you want, just leave me alone”? Of course not. In verses 6-8, Jesus gives the thrust of his bizarre story. He begins by comparing the judge in the parable with God.
This parable is not teaching that God can be “bothered” into changing His mind. What it is teaching is that even when there are delays in seeing answers to our prayers we should continue to pray. The moment we send God a prayer that is in his will, He begins to work…we may not see it now but one day we will (1 John 5:14-15). If a poor widow got what she deserved from an unrighteous judge by being persistent, how much more will we, who are God’s children, receive from our Heavenly Father if we pray persistently.
In fact, for just a moment compare this widow’s condition with ours as followers of Jesus. She was a stranger to the judge while we are God’s children. She had no advocate to stand up for her while we have Jesus as our advocate. She came to a court of law while we go to a throne of grace. If her persistence brought blessing to her in her situation, how much more will our persistence in praying bring blessing to us in ours? LET US PRAY PERSISTENTLY!
1 comment:
Thanks Scott,
One more comment: the widow was not only persistent, she was asking according to her legal rights. The judge not only answered because of her persistence, but because she was right on the basis of her legal standing. Satan tries to squat on our spiritual territory and take advantage of us in many ways, but all of his attempts are illegal according to the legal position of the believer in Christ. God honors our persistence in prayer based on our legal position in Christ, which as a just God He is bound to honor!
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