Two Aspects of Effective Prayer

Luke 11:8, 13 – “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs… If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!”

Have you ever had a prayer go seemingly unanswered? This is one of the biggest challenges for many of us in spiritual growth: What does it take to get our prayers answered? Although, Jesus does not answer every question on why we do not always get what we request, in this extended passage on prayer he highlights two seemingly ironic things that get results in prayer.

At the opening of the chapter, he had just finished praying and his disciples asked him to teach them to pray. After laying out what we call the Lord’s Prayer (what the Catholics call the “Our Father”), he told the story of a man whose neighbor and friend asked to borrow some bread in the middle of the night to feed some unexpected guests. Jesus closed with the surprising words above: …he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend… In this case, the relationship is not the reason the neighbor gets what he wants. Instead, his nonstop, annoying, persistent begging accomplishes the goal.

Right after this story, though, Jesus uses another parable to say the opposite. We fathers give good gifts to our children because of our relationship with them. Which is the key to prayer, our relationship to God or our persistent asking? The answer is both. Anyone who has parented a small child understands this. Most children learn the skill of persistence early: “If I beg for the cookie long enough, I might wear daddy down, and he just might give it to me.” At the same time, we parents love our children and want the best for them. Sometimes we say no because we know one more cookie is not really the good gift the child thinks it is. A sweet snack just before bedtime or the twentieth cookie of the day are not a good thing, but a reward after three hours of yard work is well earned and eaten. 

I know we all want the quick answers to our prayers, but in my life and in those I have served and loved, I have seen many get their requests answered after hours, days, or sometimes years of prayer. Persistent prayer from God’s kids gets the attention and action of their loving Father.