“Men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1b).
“Time to get ready for bed, Taylor. When you are done, I will come pray with you.”
“Dad, does God hear me when I pray?” Taylor asked.
“Well of course, Taylor. Why do you ask?
“Oh, I don’t know. It just seems like a lot of things I pray for don’t ever happen. Maybe I’m just not asking God enough times.”
“That reminds me of a parable in the book of Luke. Jesus sometimes used parables, or stories, when He taught His followers. This one has to do with prayer. Jesus told a story about a judge and a widow. A widow is a woman whose husband has died. This widow needed help. The judge was the only one who could give her what she needed, but he refused. After a while, the judge saw that this widow was going to keep bugging him. He did not want her to bother him anymore, and he did not want others to think he was a bad judge, so he finally gave in,” Dad said to Taylor.
“Oh, so I just need to keep bugging God,” said Taylor.
“No, Taylor, there is more to the story. Jesus explained that if this unjust, uncaring judge would give the widow what she needed, then certainly God, Who is just and caring, will give His children what they need. And He will do it quickly.
“But, Dad, I don’t see all my prayers being answered quickly.”
“Well, at the beginning of the parable, we are told that Jesus used this story to teach people to be faithful in prayer. A person who prays faithfully does not become discouraged, but, rather, trusts that God will give people what they need when they need it. Now, finish getting ready for bed so we can pray.”
God hears our prayers and expects us to pray faithfully.
My response:
» Do I trust God to know and meet my needs?
» Am I more concerned with how God answers prayer or with how I pray?
» How can I be faithful in prayer?