Persistent Prayer!

May 1, 2023 Monday Message:

Luke 18:5 NLT, Jesus teaching: “The judge ignored the persistent widow for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”

In Jesus’ parable, the persistent widow’s goal was fairness and justice. She was asking the judge for the right thing for the right reason, so she kept on asking, kept seeking justice. In the end, her request was granted, albeit for the wrong reason. The unfair judge did not become a better person, and deep down he was uninterested in justice. But the woman’s persistence wore him down. In the end, justice was served, not because of, but in spite of the unfair judge.

The point of the story is that we too should be persistent. Never give up on prayer. God, as our supreme judge, is fair and honest, unlike the judge in this story. Jesus explains: “Don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!”

Jesus concludes with a rhetorical question: “When the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” Persistent faith?

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship