Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care about men, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!’ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’” Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)
While mulling over the topic of persistent prayer, I was reminded of perhaps the shortest speech Churchill ever delivered. It was a commencement address and standing at the podium he profoundly stated: “Never, never give up! Never, Never, Never!” That’s Jesus’ point of the parable above. Persistent prayer is “protos” (foremost) – it is not an add on nicety or a tip of the hat, it is to be our very lifeblood, our first resort (not last). God loves to be entreated and never turns a deaf ear to His children’s cries. We continue to go to Him, knowing He loves to hear our requests, until we have a peace about whatever it is we are praying for. Certainly this does not mean we always get exactly what we pray for and we can often ask amiss. Sometimes the answer is “Yes”, sometimes “No”, and sometimes “Wait”. What I have come to discover is that His “No’s” and His “Wait’s” are always for a far greater “Yes”. We are to continue praying and asking until the peace arrives. “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in You.” (Isaiah 26:3) Believe me when I say we want to stand firm in all His will mature and fully assured. We want what He wants. To will what He wills brings peace to the soul.
Remember as well, God has our best interest at heart - always. He is a gracious open-handed God Who delights in giving “immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine” (Ephesians 3:20) as long as it will not harm us rather prosper us, giving us hope and a future as Jeremiah 29:11 tells us. God is all good things and every good thing. When He is our portion we discover in Him all that our heart desires. And He loves to give without measure. You can trust Him and His timing even if the present answer is “No” or “Wait” there is a reason. Nothing is chance or happenstance with the One Who makes known the end from the beginning. Everything is pregnant with purpose.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Romans 12:12 (NIV)