Recently I was reading Luke 18 in my daily devotions. Jesus told a parable about a widow that wouldn’t leave a judge alone. He taught this parable to show his disciples (that’s us, by the way) that they always pray and not give up.
If you have your Bible nearby I encourage you to read Luke 18:1-8 and notice a few things along with me.
1. The Plea
This widow had a particular plea: “Give me justice against my adversary.” In other words, “HELP ME!” How many of you have prayed that kind of prayer? I know I have. “Help” prayers are very common – perhaps the most common of all prayers on this planet. And I don’t think God minds it. He asks us to bring him our concerns, worries, and fears. He’s big enough to handle our stuff.
What are you passionate about? What makes your heart beat and your voice sing? Perhaps it’s your family, physical fitness, a hobby or upcoming event. Those are all wonderful things, but I ask you this question: Are you passionate about Jesus?
Notice the word “eventually” in the Judge’s statements. Eventually means possibly, someday, not now but perhaps soon. We tend to think of “eventually” like a child thinks about “maybe” from the mouth of a parent. Parents toss the word “maybe” around all the time in answer to our persistent children. Frankly, we know how frustrating that word is our to kids, but it’s SUCH A GOOD WORD (am I right?)!
Do you ever hear a “Maybe” from the Lord? Rather than quit, perhaps it’s an invitation to persistently and passionately keep praying.
Do give up. Keep knocking. Jesus encourages us 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.”