“In a certain town there was a judge, a thick-skinned and godless man who had no fear of others’ opinions. And there was a poor widow in that town who kept pleading with the judge, ‘Grant me justice and protect me against my oppressor!’ He ignored her pleas for quite some time, but she kept asking. Eventually he said to himself, ‘this widow keeps annoying me, demanding her rights, and I’m tired of listening to her. Even though I’m not a religious man and don’t care about the opinions of others, I’ll just get her off my back by answering her claims for justice and I’ll rule in her favor. Then she’ll leave me alone.’ The Lord continued,
‘Did you hear what the ungodly judge said-that he would answer her persistent request?’ Don’t you know that God, the true judge, will grant justice to all of his chosen ones who cry out to him night and day? He will pour out his Spirit upon them. He will not delay to answer you and give you what you ask for. God will give swift justice to those who don’t give up. So be ever praying, ever expecting, just like the widow was with the judge.” Luke 18:2-8a TPT
We are told to pray, and in our prayers, to ask God for the desires of our hearts, but how do we react when our prayers are not answered immediately? He tells us to be persistent in our prayers, patiently keeping our requests before him. We are to learn to persevere, as we patiently wait for an answer.
In this passage, Luke, the physician, is using the example of this widow, to illustrate the importance of persistence, especially in our prayers. God hears immediately, but so often our answers tend to take some time. His desire is for us to live by faith, while we learn to grow in character, faith, and hope, as we continue in the asking! Heavenly Father, help us remember the importance of praying consistently, as we learn to wait upon You with perseverance for an answer, for which we are ever so thankful.
In Christ Love
Margaret