Reason #34
One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her 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!" Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 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? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” - Luke 18: 1-8
Growing up, I was involved in a lot of different activities. I danced, played piano, tumbled, attempted to play basketball and softball, participated in band, choir and theatre, and was a girl scout. Some of these activities I liked more than others and some I was better at than others. My sports career was short-lived, as I was mostly a bench warmer (which I actually preferred). I was in girl scouts for about a year, but didn't bring much to my troop. I was not much of a cookie salesman, and I avoided wearing my little badge covered sash because it wasn't the most fashionable accessory. I took a few years of tumbling but after I broke my arm, I was too scared to do much more than a cartwheel. I played the piano for many years, and just when I began to really pick it up, I quit. I had a desire to be a great pianist, but I didn't want to practice. When I started junior high I was involved in band, choir and theatre. I really enjoyed each of these subjects, however, I dropped out of band before high school because I didn't want to wear the band uniforms (vain, I know), I quit taking choir because I was a little intimidated by the high school choir teacher, and I bowed out of theatre because I wasn't getting the roles I wanted. As you can see, the only thing I've really been successful at is giving up on things too early. Now that I'm adult, I regret the decision to give up on some of these activities. If there was one thing I could go back and stick with, it would be playing the piano. When I walk by a piano, I wish I could sit down and start playing. I realize that it's never too late to start, however, I also realize how much I would have to relearn and I don't know that I feel up to the challenge.
As I reflected on the pattern of my past, I began to think about my prayer life. I realized that I do the same thing in my prayer life as I've done with my extracurricular activities.
I found encouragement today as I read about the "persistent widow." We don't know exactly how often she goes to see the judge and asks for his help, but Jesus says she went "repeatedly," so I'm going to assume it was daily... maybe even multiple times a day. In fact, I bet it got to a point that the judge started to expect her at a certain time. When he saw her walking into his courtroom, he knew exactly what she was going to ask for. I wish I knew the details of this lady's story, but Jesus doesn't give us specifics. Whatever was bothering her was important enough that she made a point to make her request known... again and again and again. She took the time to come see the judge even though she had been there multiple times already. She didn't just tell him once and hope that he'd do it, no, she stopped whatever it was she was doing and went to see him.The judge ignored her but she didn't give up. She didn't become discouraged because she felt like she was being unheard. She kept going back with the same request until she finally wore the judge down. The judge knew what this widow wanted and he knew he had the authority to grant it, so I wonder why he made her wait. Maybe he wanted to know that this wasn't just some flippant request but rather this was an important issue to her. As you notice, the widow kept going back to the same judge again and again. She might could have tried to go to a different judge for help, but she didn't. Maybe she knew that this was the man who could take care of her request and was confident in his ruling.
I could take a few pointers from this widow. I come before the Lord with a request and I pray about it for a while, but then if it doesn't get answered soon, I begin to give up and I stop praying about it. I assume that this request must be going in the "unanswered prayers" pile and thus I have my answer. Sometimes, I even reformat my request and think that maybe it wasn't being answered because I wasn't clearly explaining it. I also over analyze my prayer requests and think, "Oh, it's really not that significant. I don't know that I need to waste his time with this one." Or, "I've said this about a million times, I bet he's getting tired of hearing me say the same thing over and over." I look at this persistent widow and I realize that he doesn't get tired of hearing me. In fact, maybe just maybe, he needs me to be persistent in my prayers so that he can truly see where my heart is. I don't need to run to other judges because I know that this one has the power to grant every request I have. He doesn't need my help, even though I try so generously to give it to him. I struggle with being patient and not becoming discouraged after praying a long time about a request, but I find hope in this widow's story because my judge is good, just and loving, so how much more does he desire to answer my cries than the earthly judge the widow went to see? Sometimes, I worry how he'll answer and when he'll answer, but if there's one thing I have seen thus far, I know that he will always answer!
#34 - Because I know he hears my requests and he will answer.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:6
Growing up, I was involved in a lot of different activities. I danced, played piano, tumbled, attempted to play basketball and softball, participated in band, choir and theatre, and was a girl scout. Some of these activities I liked more than others and some I was better at than others. My sports career was short-lived, as I was mostly a bench warmer (which I actually preferred). I was in girl scouts for about a year, but didn't bring much to my troop. I was not much of a cookie salesman, and I avoided wearing my little badge covered sash because it wasn't the most fashionable accessory. I took a few years of tumbling but after I broke my arm, I was too scared to do much more than a cartwheel. I played the piano for many years, and just when I began to really pick it up, I quit. I had a desire to be a great pianist, but I didn't want to practice. When I started junior high I was involved in band, choir and theatre. I really enjoyed each of these subjects, however, I dropped out of band before high school because I didn't want to wear the band uniforms (vain, I know), I quit taking choir because I was a little intimidated by the high school choir teacher, and I bowed out of theatre because I wasn't getting the roles I wanted. As you can see, the only thing I've really been successful at is giving up on things too early. Now that I'm adult, I regret the decision to give up on some of these activities. If there was one thing I could go back and stick with, it would be playing the piano. When I walk by a piano, I wish I could sit down and start playing. I realize that it's never too late to start, however, I also realize how much I would have to relearn and I don't know that I feel up to the challenge.
As I reflected on the pattern of my past, I began to think about my prayer life. I realized that I do the same thing in my prayer life as I've done with my extracurricular activities.
I found encouragement today as I read about the "persistent widow." We don't know exactly how often she goes to see the judge and asks for his help, but Jesus says she went "repeatedly," so I'm going to assume it was daily... maybe even multiple times a day. In fact, I bet it got to a point that the judge started to expect her at a certain time. When he saw her walking into his courtroom, he knew exactly what she was going to ask for. I wish I knew the details of this lady's story, but Jesus doesn't give us specifics. Whatever was bothering her was important enough that she made a point to make her request known... again and again and again. She took the time to come see the judge even though she had been there multiple times already. She didn't just tell him once and hope that he'd do it, no, she stopped whatever it was she was doing and went to see him.The judge ignored her but she didn't give up. She didn't become discouraged because she felt like she was being unheard. She kept going back with the same request until she finally wore the judge down. The judge knew what this widow wanted and he knew he had the authority to grant it, so I wonder why he made her wait. Maybe he wanted to know that this wasn't just some flippant request but rather this was an important issue to her. As you notice, the widow kept going back to the same judge again and again. She might could have tried to go to a different judge for help, but she didn't. Maybe she knew that this was the man who could take care of her request and was confident in his ruling.
I could take a few pointers from this widow. I come before the Lord with a request and I pray about it for a while, but then if it doesn't get answered soon, I begin to give up and I stop praying about it. I assume that this request must be going in the "unanswered prayers" pile and thus I have my answer. Sometimes, I even reformat my request and think that maybe it wasn't being answered because I wasn't clearly explaining it. I also over analyze my prayer requests and think, "Oh, it's really not that significant. I don't know that I need to waste his time with this one." Or, "I've said this about a million times, I bet he's getting tired of hearing me say the same thing over and over." I look at this persistent widow and I realize that he doesn't get tired of hearing me. In fact, maybe just maybe, he needs me to be persistent in my prayers so that he can truly see where my heart is. I don't need to run to other judges because I know that this one has the power to grant every request I have. He doesn't need my help, even though I try so generously to give it to him. I struggle with being patient and not becoming discouraged after praying a long time about a request, but I find hope in this widow's story because my judge is good, just and loving, so how much more does he desire to answer my cries than the earthly judge the widow went to see? Sometimes, I worry how he'll answer and when he'll answer, but if there's one thing I have seen thus far, I know that he will always answer!
#34 - Because I know he hears my requests and he will answer.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." - Philippians 4:6