Pray and not to faint!

 Scriptures: Luke 18: 1-8 “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary.” 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”

6 Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”

Story: There were two neighbors, the first one recently lost his job and struggling to meet his daily needs but every morning he woke up, stood up on his porch quietly and pray and with a loud shout of Hallelujah, ends his prayer thanking God. The other neighbor also every morning, drink his coffee and read newspaper on his porch before going to work, seeing and hearing his other neighbor also shouted to him back with sarcasm “there is no God” and these things goes on for a week. Until one Sunday morning, the neighbor who don’t believed God exist, brought a bag full of groceries to his neighbor who prayed, and told him “I am giving you this to prove to you, your prayers is useless because there is no God, but the other neighbor gladly received the bag and even shouted loudly thanking God saying “Praise the Lord, indeed you heard my prayers, providing my needs and even made the devil paid for it.”

Luke 18:1 “Men always ought to pray and faint not!  And again in James 5:16 —the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

Today’s Scriptures tell us not just the importance of prayer, but also to pray continually not just until we get the answers but to pray always at all times knowing and believing God hears and answers prayers. Philippians 4:6 “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God. 

When we pray, and ask God it is not because he does not know what we need, that we have to remind him. NO, it doesn’t mean by that as the scriptures says but rather when we pray we humbly accepting and acknowledging His will and sovereignty that He is able to do and  act on our behalf of what we cannot. 

Prayerlessness is not a sin, but a man who does not pray and disregard God is acting in pride by trusting his own ways and understanding and in this case such pride is a sin — just like the “unjust judge”- I do not fear God…   

Now, the truth we can apply to our lives in these scriptures is all about the importance of systematic prayerful life. The attitude, the behavior and the habitual practice of every believer. Jesus emphasized it telling his disciples “And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him. The parable is not pointing, merely to pray and not give up until you got the answers. Yes it says there is power in persistent prayers but we have to understand the contents of our prayers to get the results as well.  James 4:2-3 …Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures”.   Now, that is the mistakes we commonly do in our persistent prayers, do we pray in accordance to God’s will and purpose or we pray for our personal desires and pleasures? 

So in case you are wondering why until now your prayers are not getting results in spite of your perseverance, instead of blaming God for the delayed result and doubting His love towards you, why not examined our list of prayer contents first. 

1 John 5:14-15 “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15 And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.

Three important principles in this parable of Jesus. 

1. The attitude of a person who prays – persistently with constant request. (repeated request) now the process of repetitions here, is not the same as what was written in Matthew 6:7 “ And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” 

The “vain repetition” Jesus was referring to was the mindless and faithless prayers. The poor widow prayed intentionally and specifically with her constant request. 

1. The content of prayers – justice be served! And as we all know justice is truly administered properly when it is equally weighed, that both parties, the widow and the adversary treated fairly. 
2. To whom we ask in prayer – the widow is seeking for justice, and she seeks the Judge whom she knows and believed has the power and the authority to do so. 

 “Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! (Luke 18:7-8 NLT version)

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! (Matthew 7:7-11) 

Jeremiah 33:3 “‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’

Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” such an odd question but it does not mean it is irrelevant in this context.  The fact that Jesus mentioned about faith, is because He valued the importance of faith in prayers. Hebrews 11:6 “  But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him. 

 This is what I loved the most all of Jesus teaching and the Bible, it is not just a set of inspirational stories and parable but transformational truth, a great revelation of His power and glory. The Scriptures are not just randomly written but orderly in His divine wisdom. In this chapter Luke 18, Jesus begins with a commanding statement yet very encouraging words that always produces result in our lives. For the word of God will never fail. (Luke 1:37)  Men always ought to pray and not lose heart! And to pray, is to draw near to God in humility asking Him in faith. “And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith. (Matthew 21:22) 

Now, at the last few verses of Luke chapter 18, is the conclusive reality and the application of what persistent prayers and faith can do. Luke 18:35:43 “Then it happened, as He was coming near Jericho, that a certain blind man sat by the road begging. 36 And hearing a multitude passing by, he asked what it meant. 37 So they told him that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by. 38 And he cried out, saying, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”

39 Then those who went before warned him that he should be quiet; but he cried out all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”40 So Jesus stood still and commanded him to be brought to Him. And when he had come near, He asked him, 41 saying, “What do you want Me to do for you?”He said, “Lord, that I may receive my sight.”

42 Then Jesus said to him, “Receive your sight; your faith has made you well.” 43 And immediately he received his sight, and followed Him, glorifying God. And all the people, when they saw it, gave praise to God. 

P-U-S-H – Pray Until Something Happen! 

Luke 19:46 “It is written, My house is the house of prayer;