How hard is prayer  for you?  Do you get discouraged easily?  Think about these questions as you read on.

This Sunday’s parable is the story of a widow and a judge from Luke 18:1-8. 

Jesus told his disciples a parable about their need to pray all the time and never give up.  He said, “In a city there was a judge who didn’t fear God or respect people.  In that city there was also a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’  For a while the judge refused. But later he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or respect people.  Yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice. Otherwise, she will keep coming and wear me out.’”

Then the Lord added, “Listen to what the unrighteous judge says.  Won’t God grant his chosen people justice when they cry out to him day and night? Is he slow to help them?  I tell you, he will give them justice quickly. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

This has always been a strange parable to me and until recently, pushed it a bit to the side.  What are your images and thoughts  as you read  this story of Jesus’?  Lately this has  become convicting to me, especially the last sentence.  Having endurance in prayer means being faithful and being faithful means having endurance at times.  Sometimes when the results don’t come on our timetable, it is easy to get frustrated and lose heart, but this is a call to be faithful in prayer at all times and in all seasons.  Paul picks up this idea in Ephesians 6:18, Pray in the Spirit at all times with every kind of prayer and request there is. For the same reason be alert with every kind of effort and request for all the saints.

What keeps you from being faithful  in prayer to a loving and caring God who wants to give us what we need?

Your thoughts and comments are welcome.