Why Do We Pray? (2)

Luke 18:1-18

Who is this widow?

Please notice that this is happening in Palestine, in a time when there was no life insurance, no social security, no security at all. Many widows became homeless and had nowhere to go. In the Old Testament, one can find many references where God instructed the Israelites to take care of the widows and orphans. The system was not helping the widows; in fact, the system mistreated them.

What kind of a widow do we have here?

She has a just case, “'Grant me justice against my adversary.”

She is unable to solve this problem alone.

She is persistent.

She gets her plea.

Remember, praying confirms total dependence.

The widow had no one. She was desperate. She was insisting to see the judge. Not just to see, but to make sure that the judge heard her case. Believe me I am from the Middle East. Judges are sometimes corrupt. You need to get their attention. This judge was unjust. He eventually gave her what she wanted. The judge’s intention in helping her was for the wrong reason. He helped her so she would not bother him again. Wrong motive for doing his job.

Again, watch out. Jesus says, our Heavenly Father is not like this judge at all. In fact, I feel ashamed to compare God with this judge, but parables have one point. The point is that the widow was insisting. It is important to have persistence. God is not going to grant our request because we are a “headache.” No, God enjoys hearing our voice. Remember, God is a God of relationships. So why we need to pray?

3. Persistent prayer helps us to grow in faith.

I read about an alcoholic person who was trying to get rid of his desire for alcohol. After rehabilitation, he felt the same desire for alcohol. That made him pray about it. He was not happy that the desire was coming back. So he decided that every time he craved for alcohol, he would start praying. Looking back, he found that feeling helpless, carrying the burden of addiction, helped him rely totally on God to change his life.

In his book, Prayer, Philip Yancey says wrote,

“God views my persistence as a sign of genuine desire for change, the one prerequisite for spiritual growth” (p151).

He is right. Examine your life. How many times when you wanted something, you took it seriously and pursued it until you got it.

Prayer for special topics is similar. It does not mean you change God. No, but it helps to change you. Maybe the answer of your request is no, God helps you to accept the no answer, and helps you develop your Christian character.

God is not grocery store that will deliver whatever we order. No.

Cicero gave a blunt assessment of the purpose of pagan prayer: “We do not pray to Jupiter to make us good, but to give us material benefits.”

He is right, we Christians act with God like a grocery store. Sometimes I feel that way with the TV evangelists. God is a God of relationships.

Yancey adds:

“We may approach God some material benefit in mind, and sometimes, blessedly, we receive it. But in the very act of praying we also open up a channel that God can use in transforming us, in making us good. Persistent prayer changes me by helping me see the world, and my life, through God’s eyes. As the relationship progress I realize that God has a clearer picture of what I need than I do.” (152)

Through persistent prayer, we will become the person that God wants us to be. This takes time.

In Beirut, when I was serving at the Emmanuel Church, I had energetic youth and a ministry. I learned from Rev. Gilbert Leonian about persistent prayer for his flock. Yes, he had a list, and he showed to me that every week he prayed for all his people by name. I took this seriously. When I started my ministry at the Emmanuel church I did pray for my congregation by name once a week. Then, when I became busier with the ministry, I slowed down in this process to almost once a month.

Once I had bad back pain, my disk hernia made me lie on my back. I had to lie down in my bed for six weeks. The only thing I could do was read. However, I was in pain and I could not read very well. I was complaining to my wife and to everyone. Then I remembered my commitment to pray for my congregation. I started again praying for them, name by name.

When I was better, I was not praying as much as when I was on my back. Why? Here is the trouble, when we are well, we think we are in charge; when we are not well, we find out that we are not in charge and we are desperately seeking to God.

The unjust judge delayed his answers for selfish reasons.

Our Heavenly Father has His ways to answer us. Sometimes He delays the answers; other times answers are quickly received. The important thing: OUR GOD IS JUST; He answers us. We need to learn to receive them. We need to have the ears to hear them. We need to have the eyes to see them We need to have the patience to wait, and wait, without giving up.

Someone said, “God does not become more willing to answer because of our persistence, but we may become more capable receiving the answer.”

Let me assure you according to this parable and the bible:

God answer us

God can change circumstances

God can remove our burdens

“And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)

8Yv im Asdova/s 2yr amen bido3ku bidi lyxne ir joqov;yanu [a’owu5 ‘a-kow` Krisdos #isovsin 2y-kow19 “il7 $7!(

Let us summarize.

Through persistence in prayer, God will:

1. Purify our motives and intentions.

2. It teaches us that without God we cannot do anything (The Widow)

3. It prepares us to receive an answer according to God’s will and not our will.

4. It teaches us to be humble so that God is glorified.

AMEN.