Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. (vs. 1)
Luke tells us upfront what the point of this parable is!
TIPS FOR MY PRAYER LIFE
- I should always pray
Is it possible to always pray? What is meant is to be in the spirit of prayer or the habit of prayer, the dependency of prayer. Pray often, pray regularly, and pray habitually.
When the English were awaiting the attack of the Spanish Armada in the 1500’s those in the watchtowers were ready for the first sign of the enemy with signal fires to warn everyone. The wood was piled, the wood was dry, the fire to light it was always lit, and everything was ready to blaze the warning signal at the appointed moment. None of this “wait we need to build a fire!” Prayer is spontaneous like lighting the fire, no pause to leave your business or unplug from the world, not time to go to your prayer closet, get on your knees, fold your hands, and close your eyes. There are times for that but sometimes prayers need to be sent quickly, silently, urgently. If your fixing to go over a cliff in your car, you don’t have time to get on your knees or fold your hands, its time to pray. If someone asks you to pray for them why not do it right then. Either silently in your mind or right there with them. That way you won’t lie and say you will and then forget. God has dealt with me on this very thing in the past. When people ask me to pray for them, I often pray for them right then or I may forget. Always pray, anywhere, any time.
- I should never give up.
The second, purpose is to teach not give up. One of Winston Churchill’s speeches consisted of 5 words. Never, Never, Never give up!
How many times have we asked of God and then we don’t get because we didn’t wait long enough. We knock a time or two at God’s door and then go our way. When I was in Junior high there was this devious prank some boys would play. (Ok I would play it too). We would knock at someone’s door or ring the doorbell and then we would run away thinking it was the funniest thing ever. Too many of our prayers are that way. We knock for a time or two and then run away. We want the response on OUR SCHEDULE AND TIME TABLE. We stop. No persistence. In our fast food, microwave, cable modem society we want it done yesterday. When we say jump we want them asking how high on the way up. God is not on our timetable.
WHAT DO I HAVE? WHAT DO I NEED?
Niki’s likes to read fiction, he favorite author is Karen Kingsbury and she told me that Kingsbury has about 10 characters in each story, well unlike a John Gresham novel or Karen Kingsbury story that has a long list of characters to keep up with, this parable of Jesus has only two characters. Short, simple and sweet: a judge and a widow.
He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men. (vs. 2)
The judge. He is described by Jesus in verse 2 who “neither feared God nor cared about men“ Usually those two things go together. You have to be careful not to read too much into the story but you get the idea by this description we know he had no morals no scruples, took bribes. The judge was corrupt, unjust, devoid of all good character, the very opposite of God. He was as warm and loving as an ice cube. When asked why he didn’t send his mother a birthday card he probably said, “Its not that I forgot its just that I didn’t care.” Tell him about what Gods’ word says, he scoffs, tell him what is right and wrong he laughs. In his eyes he didn’t serve the law the law served him. Like Judge Roy Bean in the frontier days, this man was the law.
And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ (vs. 3)
The Widow. Widows show up a lot in Jesus teachings. Jesus was moved by the plight of widows and taught against anyone who would take advantage of them. Men dominated the world at that time. A woman without a man’s support and protection was vulnerable. If she was a widow she was at the mercy of others. So very likely she was being bullied, taken advantage of many ways.
Why so persistent? Since her husband died, he left her a little plot of land, all they had, but a cruel neighbor was looking with greedy eyes upon that little plot and has now taken it. She is with out sufficient food for her little ones, they are crying for food. Oh if their father were alive he would have never let this happen! Now their creditors are about to come and take away her children and sell them into bondage in order to get their money. It happened. “No” she says, I have one chance! I can go to the judge and petition my case. I know he could care less. I know I have nothing to offer him, nothing, no bribe, nothing. But I have made up my mind I shall never rest until he hears me. He may throw me in jail. He may have me killed but I have nowhere else to go. I am reduced to the point of prison or death now anyway. I have nothing to lose.
The widow had nothing but the judge, How about us? What do we have? Today we have other places to turn besides God and we may not pray hard because we have an ace in the hole, we have savings, we have lawyers, we have a bag a tricks. Often God will show us that we need him as well. If not now then some point in your life you will have to depend on God. Prayer is not a just a religious game it is a lifeline, a dependency.
- When I depend on me I get what I can provide. When I depend on God I get what he can provide.
- What am I depending on?
Often we have to depend on God when every other resource is tapped or empty, then we pray hard. What is an area of your life that you feel you have absolutely no protection or support apart from God’s protection and support? Every time I ride on an airplane, I pray because we are going fast and high, every time I go on a long trip in the car, I pray. I pray for my kids because I can only give them so much and then they have to make their own decisions. There will be times when I can’t always watch them, so I pray, I pray for their future, their spouses. For many of us we have to pray for people’s spiritual condition. Maybe you are praying for a spouse or family member to know Christ.
In talking about prayer I am not excusing us from doing the right things. I am not condoning laziness. We must work and we must pray. It is easy to get into extremes. We work hard and leave God out, or we pray and leave work out and do nothing. I love what one person has said, “Work as if it all depends on you AND pray as if it all depends on God.” This is biblical! The widow did both, she worked hard and she depended on the judge. *For our church to grow we must work hard: practice our music, print the bulletins, maintain our buildings and grounds, prepare the kids crafts, refreshments and lessons, plan ahead, mail out mailers, invite our friends, put out signs, maintain our website, do videos, If they don’t happen, we will stop growing BUT, we must pray too, it’s both! I must admit sometimes as a pastor I get caught up in work and I don’t pray as hard or as persistent as I should. We encourage hard work, and we encourage prayer.
HOW TO PRAY EFFECTIVELY
Why was the widow successful? It wasn’t her many words or her superior eloquence. She only spoke 6 words. “Grant me justice from my adversary.” No plea about her widowhood or about her children, lack of food and resources, just “Grant me justice from my adversary.” Her success did not depend on the power of her rhetoric but her persistence. The power of a prayer does Not rest on the eloquence of its words. Some people think that the more words the better, the longer the better. I’m sure we have all been in places and someone prays and they go on and on and on. And then we wonder what they said.
- I don’t have to use MANY words
You see many words only impress those around you they don’t impress God. God knows true sincerity and fancy talk. Listen to what Jesus says
“And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.” Matthew 6:7
Charles Haddon Spurgeon says that “verbiage is not better in prayer. Too many words are cumbersome to prayer.” He says, “When you pray in public as a rule the shorter the better.”
- I don’t have to use BEAUTIFUL words
Spurgeon compares words in prayer to feathers. What will put wings to your prayers? He says,
“The prayers that reach heaven are like the eagle’s feathers with strong, and intense desire behind them. It is not the peacocks, although very beautiful and elaborate feathers, but that will get you nowhere.” Charles Haddon Spurgeon
- I do have to be PERSISTENT
Why was the widow successful. Listen to the words of the judge.
“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!'” (vs. 4-5)
I think it’s easy to read over this to quickly and miss the point. The judge’s words are strong. This word bother means to cause trouble, to make him work, cause him labor with intense trouble. She was a stack if bricks on his chest, a monkey on his back. Not a small nuisance. Niki tells me that growing up her younger brother would pester her and badger her to the point of driving her crazy, insanity. Niki’s brother Chad, he loves to tease and harass people. She would tell her mom, “Mom Chad’s pestering me” and mom’s response was, “Just ignore him.” Niki says trying to ignore Chad is like trying to ignore a broken leg. You can’t do it. Chad cannot be ignored. He doesn’t give up. He is a youth minister now. He is being repaid for his childhood either that or we should feel sorry for his kids. If he prays the way he pesters, His prayers will be answered. This widow was this way to the judge. Nothing you could ignore. I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming!'” (NIV)
The Greek word here means literally to blacken the eyes.
(hupopiazo-) 1) physically to beat black and blue, to strike so as to cause bruises 2) metaphorically: to give one intolerable annoyance; to wear one out 3) that part of the face that is under the eyes because of tiredness and weariness. Do you see the picture? This man who fears NO ONE, not God and no man, fears this woman. She wore him out. She got on his last nerve. She caused him to turn gray or to turn bald as he pulls his last hair out.
Why was the widow successful? It was her persistence. We don’t know how long she pestered this judge. 2 week 2 months 2 years. We don’t know if she bursts in court room 10 times a day, follows him home begging, knocks at his door at home, yells at him from his window at home. Camps on his lawn, follows him to work. It could be, but the point is she is persistent to the point of wearing him out wearing him down. Do you persist in your prayers to the Lord? Not that you wear out God or bother him but are you persistent?
- Am I persistent in my prayers?
Do you remember something that you wanted as a child for a birthday or Christmas? Do you remember asking and begging and pestering your parents for this? I remember when I was of driving age; I thought I had to have a Camaro. Every time possible for a year, I would say, I want a Camaro, I would tell my dad which ones I liked. Every one I saw, which ones were for sale, showing him newspaper ads, auto trader. Guess what, it worked. Christmas my junior year, there was a Camaro in the driveway, my dad also got me a loan through the bank but I didn’t care, I had a Camaro. My father loved me so he listened to what I asked for.
Our heavenly father will hear as well.
GOD WILL HEAR
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. (vs. 6-8)
This parable is in an IF –THEN form.
- IF this judge who is unjust will hear the widow’s case (that he cares nothing about) only because of persistence, THEN how much more will God who is just and loving will hear his children (that he does care about) when they are persistent.
I guess God is like us as parents. When Kaleb and Noel were younger, they would often see something and want it. We can’t give them everything they lay their eyes on, its not good for them for one and for two, 3 minutes later they forgot what they were asking for and are now asking for something else. Have you ever bought something for your kids that they had to have only to find the next day they didn’t want it. Or never played with it again? It’s frustrating because it seems they didn’t really what it. We learn to listen to repeated requests. If they see something they want, we’ll say when your birthday come or for Christmas. If they keep asking for it then its something they really care about. If they never ask again, probably wasn’t that big of a deal. AND when they get it at Christmas or Birthday and they had to wait for it, it means a lot more. When we ask it shows how much we care. If we ask once and then forget about it is it that important? God wants to see some desire, some persistence. Its shows us what is important to us and when we do get something we have been praying for for a while, it means more.
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