Persistent Prayer

Luke 18:1-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?”

There was a widow, in that town who kept coming to him with the plea for justice against her adversary.

To understand how bad this woman situation was, we need to know a little bit about the Jewish culture.

Back in Jesus day women we're not allowed to speak in a court of law. And these women were viewed as inferior.

We also learned her story that she was a widow, which means she didn't have a husband to speak on her behalf.

And being a widow also meant the woman was in all likelihood, very poor. And she couldn't afford to hire someone to defend her in a court of law.

Also in Jesus day, judges could be bought. People who had money and resources were usually the ones who won in the court cases.

And so this woman is at a tremendous disadvantage in this situation, but they notice your determination.

She was determined, and she was persistent, day after day in making her plea to the judge.

If we found ourselves in a situation that was beyond our control, that we would be so desperate and so helpless, that we didn't know where to turn.

This widow if she was going to receive Justice she was going to have to receive it from this judge.

She had nowhere else to turn, she had no other resources, this is a wonderful reminder that in our circumstances, our situations, our troubles, we have nowhere else to turn but to God!

Like I said, judges could be bribed.

She had nothing to give him nothing to offer him the only thing she had was her persistence and trying to find Justice for herself!

When we come to God we have nothing to offer we have nothing to give to him the only thing that you and I can do is come to him often make our petitions known to him and believe in his mighty hand!

Because that's what you're doing when you continually lifting up your prayers to God!

You are in essence saying, "That God, I trust you! I believe in you! And you are my only hope!"

If there's anything we can learn from this widow woman, it would be this.

Be persistent. Don't give up, don't stop praying!

I think too many times when we're praying about a situation or about a person or about a problem when we see no results we've become less likely to pray when things stay the same way or a person doesn't change we begin to give up.

Or I believe sometimes we become sidetracked about what we've been praying for.

It becomes less important than what is got our attention at the present time.

This widow never took her eyes off of receiving Justice for herself.

It was the most important thing to her that is why she wouldn't leave the judge alone until she received Justice for herself.

The widow woman went daily to see the judge. As we should go daily to God.

With our request, with our situations, with our circumstances, with our petitions, and on behalf of someone.

We should go daily!

She didn't wait for somebody else to go to the judge!

She didn't expect anyone else to go to the judge!

She did it herself. She didn't leave it up to others!

She didn't say oh well, somebody else will pray about it.

Somebody else will be concerned about it.

Somebody else will get involved in it.

She went to the judge for herself.

Just like we're supposed to go to God for ourselves.

We're supposed to God, on behalf of others!

You might think well somebody else is praying for someone!

Somebody else is going to, to be concerned!

We should never leave it up to other people, we should be the ones praying!

We should be the ones seeking, we should be the ones knocking, we should be the ones asking!