The Prayer - Faith Link

 Luke 18:1–8 (ESV) - The Parable of the Persistent Widow

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.  He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man.  And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 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.’ ”  And the Lord said, “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?”

     Before you read this article, take a moment to review the parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18:1-8. Then, when you read this passage, what questions arise?  What is the Holy Spirit trying to impart on your heart? I was intrigued by the very first verse, which told me the exact reason why Jesus was telling this parable.  My attention was drawn to the last three words in verse one.  It tells us not to lose heart when we pray.  Another way of stating this is don't become discouraged.  Jesus pulls his listeners into the story of the Persistent Widow by sharing her story of injustice.  Can we relate to her prayer?  The widow's prayer demanding justice reminds me of the many times David expressed the same sentiment in his prayers.  Unlike David, however, the widow made her request for justice to an unscrupulous judge who did not fear God nor respect man.  David took his requests directly to God.

     Because Jesus is making a comparison in this parable, I feel it is worth our time to follow His line of teaching.  We are called to take our case to God rather than process it through a man-made system when Jesus makes this comparison.  He's asking us to consider God's character.  What could the widow have known about the outcome of her persistence?  She had no clue whether it would work or not.  But she kept trying.  She trusted in her determination, believing her resolve to receive justice was better than the judge's tenacity to withhold it.  Her persistence was like hand-to-hand combat.  Jesus tells us that we can count on justice being served when we cry out to God (day and night); it's not a battle of wills.  James 5:16b says, "the prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working."

     The parable of the Persistent Widow is meant to draw our attention to how badly the woman desires a remedy.  In light of our own prayers, what injustice are we trying to resolve or problems are we hoping to overcome?  Do our prayers exhibit such fervency?  How deeply do we express our needs to God?  As I ask these questions, I must confess that the Holy Spirit is exposing the condition of my prayer life.  If you're reading this article, maybe the Holy Spirit wants to offer you something too.    

     Let's look at this parable from another perspective; let's evaluate the heart of the judge.  At first, he refuses to give the woman what she desires because she is annoying.  Then he decides to give her justice because she is annoying him.  It’s become personal.  In the KJV (King James Version), the word 'avenge' is used in place of justice.  Avenge means to inflict pain on another. That's not a positive response; it's a worldly response. 

     In this parable, Jesus tells us that God is interested in our seeking.  He is willing to listen.  He is not pestered by our requests. On the contrary, he is eager to respond to our needs.  This parable is reassuring that we cannot wear God down.  His heart is inclined toward us.  But, next, I see the word 'Nevertheless.' Isn't that an odd place to deposit us after we've been reading about the goodness of God?  How would we use this word in a sentence?

Nevertheless, is a word often used to replace phases like these: (1) despite this, (2) regardless, or (3) don't be misled.  Jesus' final words regarding this story point us to faith.  Jesus says, " 'when the Son of Man returns, will He find faith on earth?" (v.8). But, how is faith tied to our prayers?  Is building our faith a goal of prayer?  Do my prayers stimulate faith, or do they cast doubt?  Am I praying in such a way that faith has an opportunity to flourish? Aren't our testimonies built on answered prayers?

     The resulting questions that have come to mind indicate that I must more strongly consider how I pray, why I pray when I pray, and what I pray for.  I believe this passage is doing what it is intended to do for me.  When we can ask ourselves questions and recognize we need growth, why not turn that into a faith-building prayer?  Could your prayer life be the catalyst for trusting God more?  Are you willing to share what is most pressing on your heart with God?