Keep Praying

Luke 18:1 - And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart

Do you ever wonder if your prayers do any good? Does it ever seem like God does not hear, does not care, or chooses not to act? It is easy to quit praying when your prayers go unanswered. Jesus anticipated our discouragement and told a vivid parable to keep us praying.

The story is of a widow who needed a judge to rule in her favor. First century Jewish courts were not like ours. This woman had direct access to the judge. Jesus makes the point that the judge did not make his decisions on the basis of what was right: “He did not fear God or man.” It sounds like he was easily bribed. This poor woman had nothing to bribe him with except persistent complaining, and that was enough to do the job. He gave in and gave her what she wanted just to get her to leave him alone.

Jesus uses this extreme example to contrast a good and loving God who wants and does the right thing in every case. Jesus wraps up with his main point in verse 7: If an unjust judge gives justice to a whining widow, how much more quickly will God grant justice for his elect children? 

Notice what Jesus did not say (but we wish he did): “…how much more quickly will God answer the prayers of his elect…” Doesn't that seem to be the point that verse 1 sets us up for? The word justice in Greek has the same root as the word for right. Even in English, justice has a legal connotation, but right functions in everyday reasoning: “It is the right thing to do.” It implies not just a legal settlement but the best decision and outcome possible.

What Jesus is promising is that God will speedily do the right thing for us. Many times that is exactly what we are praying for, but sometimes it is not. Sometimes we do not know the full implications of our requests, but God always does right by us, and our prayers move God to action even if he acts differently than we ask on occasion. Let’s keep praying.