Persevering Prayer

1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: "In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, 'Grant me justice against my adversary.'
4 "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don't fear God or care about men, 5 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!'"
6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 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? 8 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

Living in a “fast food” society where instant gratification is the norm, waiting for God to act, even when we know He will, can sometimes be difficult. This must have also been true for the disciples or Luke would not have included the above parable in his gospel. It may have been that the truth of this persistence became real for him after Jesus’ ascension and he had to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit. Or it may have been necessary for Paul as he waited in prison for God’s purposes to be worked out. The perseverance is even listed as a fruit of the Holy Spirit in Paul’s letter to the Galatian Church (5:22) where the word used is makrothumia which can best be translated long-suffering or fortitude
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In any case, it is clear that at times we have to wait for God’s timing before moving forward. Nonetheless, Jesus also makes clear that we are to keep praying throughout that time. It is the widow’s persistent entreaties that win the day not just her patience. We are also not to give up. If God has spoken to us of His will then we are to continue to bring that intention back to Him again and again. Unlike the uncaring Judge, God will hear us and not tarry a moment longer than necessary in answering our petitions.

C. H. Spurgeon, the great Victorian preacher instructed his listeners: “If you are sure it is a right thing for which you are asking, plead now, plead at noon, plead at night, plead on. With cries and tears spread out your case. Order your arguments. Back up your pleas with reasons. Urge the precious blood of Jesus. Set the wounds of Christ before the Father’s eyes. Bring out the atoning sacrifice. Point to Calvary. Enlist the crowned Prince, the Priest who stands at the right hand of God. And resolve in your very soul that if souls are not saved, if your family be not blessed, if your own zeal be not revived, yet you will die with the plea on your lips, and with the importunate wish on your spirits.”

I thought you might like to reflect in your prayers today on a tale of two frogs:

The two frogs fell into a can of cream,
or so it has been told.
The sides of the can were shiny and steep,
The cream was deep and cold.
“Oh, what’s the use,” said number one,
“It’s plain no help’s around.
“Good-bye, my friend, good-bye, sad world”
And weeping still he drowned.

But number two, of sterner stuff,
dog paddled in surprise.
The while he licked his creamy lips
And blinked his creamy eyes.
“I’ll swim at least a while,” he thought,
Or so it has been said.
“It really wouldn’t help the world
If one more frog were dead.”

An hour or more he kicked and swam,
Not once he stopped to mutter.
Then hopped out from the island he had
Made of fresh churned butter.
(Author Anonymous)

Mike Clarkson