Desperate Prayers!
In Luke 18:1-8,” Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary. For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out!”
Jesus gave us this parable to give us another look at prayer, and we learn just how amazing prayer can be. Prayer is rapidly becoming a lost virtue in the Christian church. I think one of the main reasons is because our society has become a place of instant gratification. We can look up anything we want to on Google in a few seconds. Food is so accessible - not only fast food, but also at home using the microwave takes just seconds! You can order just about anything on amazon and have it the same day in big cities and within just a day or two further out! This is only a few examples of how we do not have to wait for anything. When Jesus asks us to pray and not give up, it is not so easy! What are some things that this parable teaches us about Desperate prayer?
First of all it teaches us to pray early and pray often. We sometimes look at prayer as maybe next on the list. We want to take our own action to
solve the problem. Remember this – We can do more than pray, but only after we have prayed! We sometimes don’t pray in the good times, we wait until it is really bad. We not only need to pray right away, but also need to pray often. This was the key to how the Widow got her answer, she kept on coming and “bothering” the judge. He finally gave her what she wanted!
The second thing is that desperate prayers build our faith!! The widow did not give up. Because she kept coming back, it built up her determination and commitment to not quit. It built her faith, just like it can build our faith! Because she was determined she was rewarded. The Judge said “because she kept bothering me”, kept coming back!! Maybe you are reading this and you are facing some tough circumstances! Maybe you or a loved one has just got a bad diagnosis from the doctor. Maybe you are in a real tight spot financially? Maybe your marriage or someone’s marriage close to you is on the rocks? This is exactly why Jesus told this parable. I Thessalonians 5:17 Paul says, “Pray continually”! Another translation says, “Never Stop praying”. Don’t quit praying for these desperate situations!
The third thing is we need to WAIT for the answer. What if this widow would have given up before she got the answer? She continued on and didn’t give up! Nothing will destroy our faith any quicker than praying and then giving up without receiving an answer. Look at it this way: when God answers our prayers, there sometimes is about 4 different ways He will answer. God might answer Yes, No, Wait, or yes and here’s more!! Remember because you did get an answer God does care about your situation, even if it wasn’t the answer you were looking for. It might seem hopeless and you maybe are devastated. Remember if you don’t get the answer you were looking for, it means that you need to be patient! If we are patient and wait for the answer, it is so rewarding and really helps build our faith!!
The fourth and final thing is TAKE ACTION! When we have been praying and praying and looking for the answer, when we finally get it, we need to act on it. It might be as simple as saying “Thank you, Lord”! If you have prayed for your health to improve, as much as you are able, do things that will keep you healthy. If the door hasn’t opened yet, try another door. Don’t stop, part of your answer is us doing our part! Remember to pray and not give up! The answer is closer than you think!!