'Persistent Prayer Pays Off'

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1 1 'Persistent Prayer Pays Off' - Luke 18vs Altona Baptist, August 23rd, 'Persistent Prayer Pays Off' Luke 18 vs 1-8 In October 1941 at the Harrow School in England Winston Churchill is recorded as saying 'Never, never, never, never give in - in nothing great or small, large or petty'. In football coaching circles we hear similar words in slogans like 'never give up' or 'we will never stop, stop, stop...' Jesus said something the same to his disciples in Luke 18 when he encouraged them to pray and keep on praying. We know this is easily heard but harder to put into practise. We should always pray (at all times) and not give up. Persistence in prayer is particularly important in view of the parousia (the coming appearing of Jesus our Lord and Saviour). Jesus will return personally, visibly, suddenly and expectantly and gloriously and triumphantly. At that time He will right everything that is wrong in this present world (chpt 17 vs). For Christians this will be a grand day, but for those not ready it will be an utter disaster. Christians are currently in their historical 'waiting room', in the in between time, as they look forward to the return of their Saviour and Lord. Dr Leon Morris describes this period as 'prayer in the long interval'. This interval will feature trouble and turmoil, judgment and grace. It is a time that calls for steadfast, persevering prayer offered in great courage. We should pray at all times and not give up. The Constant Temptation in Prayer is to Give Up I have heard it said that prayer is as easy as breathing. No it is not! Prayer is a battle. There are constant inward and outward deterrents. People battle with their own reluctance to pray, with laziness, with lack of time, with tiredness and battle with the Devil who is constantly about encouraging self dependence rather than God dependence. It is hard to pray when things are going well and hard to pray in tough times. We can have seasons when we are really moved to pray, but then comes the hard part of persisting. It is hard to keep praying when the Lord appears 'slow' in answering. It is hard to keep praying when we

2 2 are faced with continual, increasing opposition i.e. the Victorian Andrews government plans to remove Christian Religious Instruction from the weekly classroom curriculum. It is hard to keep praying when members of our family are indifferent, even hostile to the things of God. It is hard to keep praying when our prayers for the sick appear not to be answered with God's healing. It is hard to keep praying when the unemployed don't find work. It is hard to keep praying when our prayers for reconciliation in marriage result in divorce. The 'all- too- hard' basket is never far away. We are often found living by sight not by faith. These inward and outward deterrents need to be combated. How do we do that? Well we take up Jesus' teaching on prayer in Luke 18. Here we have two parables on prayer in close proximity. Firstly in vs 1-8 and then in vs This follows Jesus' earlier instruction on prayer back in Luke 11:1-13. We also need to read the likes of the Lord's encouraging words to Abraham concerning his wife who laughed off the idea of giving birth very late in life. The Lord's sobering question to Abraham was 'is anything too hard for the Lord?' (Genesis 18:14). Another thing we can do is call to mind good songs and music i.e. 'My God is so big so strong and so mighty there is nothing my God cannot do. 'What a friend we have in Jesus...what a privilege to carry everything to God in prayer! Oh what peace we often forfeit; O what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer'. The important thing is to keep focusing on the person and nature of our God. It is seeing His character that is our greatest reason not to give up, but continue in steadfast, persevering, courageous prayer. God is our reason to KEEP COMING! Not to keep going to God is sinful neglect. A Needy Widow Refused to Stop Asking and it Payed Off. In Luke 18 vs3 it says 'there was a widow... who kept coming' to a judge. The Old Testament pictures a widow as a person in a powerless and dispossessed position. Their legal rights were often ignored. Despite her position she is undeterred - she courageously persists in her asking for justice - 'she kept coming'. She refused to give up. She persisted. It is this feature of her coming that is to be a major facet in our prayers.

3 3 In the case of the widow the Judge reluctantly rewarded her persistence. The judge was 'bothered' by the woman... he regarded her as a nuisance, yet she kept bobbing up...he would turn around and there she was again requesting his response and attention to her need. She was so persistent that he thought she would wear him out c.f. vs 5 in the New Revised Standard Version says '' I will grant her justice, so that she will not wear me out by continually coming'. The judge feared being 'worn out' so he gave in to her request. His fear was even stronger than what we think. The idea is taken from the world of boxing and means literally to receive a 'black eye'. Perhaps we would best understand the judge's fear as receiving a 'splitting headache'. The judge sees she is not going to give up and that her persistence will give him a 'splitting headache'. He had to rid himself of her. Unless he gave this woman her request then he was never going to have peace of mind. So the judge begrudgingly gave her justice - she received belated justice. The superficial learning from this story could be that we need to 'nag' God until we get what we want. That if we 'cry to him by day and by night' then he will cave into our requests. This isn't Jesus' point. God Isn't a Begrudging Giver but a Willing Generous Answerer. It is a little ironical but in order to appreciate God's willing, generosity we need to know more of this judge. Jesus' point is more about a contrast, than a comparison. This judge 'neither feared God nor respected man' (vs2). In vs 6 Jesus refers to him further in most uncomplimentary terms as the 'unrighteous judge'. A number of oriental commentaries have translated vs2 as 'he is not ashamed before people'. The problem with this judge is not his lack of respect for people, but his inability to sense the evil of his actions in the face of one who should cause him to feel shame. Kenneth Bailey in his book 'Through Peasant Eyes' says 'He should feel shame, but he feels none'. This is the kind of judge this woman comes to. Today we expect high standards from the judiciary and complain when their rulings are deficient or when they are overtaken by corruption. This is nothing new. Go to the book of Amos, to chapter 2vs 6-7; and chapter 5vs10-13 and you find the same concerns.

4 4 What we need to see is the parallel of God with the judge. This judge is not a prototype of God. If the judge would do something like getting up and answering despite his name, his character and his bad track record. If he could do it albeit so unwillingly, how much more will God act! If this poor woman's needs are met; how much more will the needs be met of those in good relationship with God, who pray not to a harsh judge, but to a loving Heavenly Father. Here we are being encouraged to look at the person and nature of our God. Our living, loving, Father must be our prime focus. In his teaching Jesus says of the judge, 'For some time he refused' (vs4), but of God he says 'And will not God give justice to his elect' and 'will He delay long over them' (vs7). Jesus is telling us God will vindicate his elect. Meantime He wants us to have an ongoing operative faith. Yes, there is a place for praying to God by 'day and night', not because he has to be persuaded to change His mind, nor because He is hard of hearing or doesn't listen, but because of the precise opposite - because God does listen! We have a Heavenly Father who pays attention to our prayers, who takes very close notice of what we say to Him and what we ask of Him c.f. 1 Peter 3:12 '...His ears are attentive to their prayers'. This woman, this widow received what she wanted from the judge because of her sheer pertinacity. She never gave up on the judge. We God's 'elect' or 'chosen' people have even greater reason not to give up on our God. God's people can expect to have their prayers answered. It is one of the really great things that happen in becoming a Christian. Being a Christian is being elected by God to believe and enter into relationship with Him. It means we are special to God. We are part of his especially chosen people. It means He has special regard for us. It means we are in a wonderful position to personally address Him as our Heavenly Father in prayer. It also means we can experience answers to prayer in a way better than anyone else. Non Christians pray and Christian's pray but from a whole different footing. A Christian prays out of love, out of devoted dependence - others pray out of desperate dependence. It means despite all kinds of trouble and turmoil God will vindicate his elect c.f. v7. His chosen ones will triumph! If this is all true why then isn't our church prayer meeting the best attended meeting in the church? Shouldn't it be a standout: More important than

5 5 business meetings or luncheons or dinners or bike rides or other community meetings. Other meetings don't come anywhere near the value of praying together. Effective prayer energizes, it fosters relationship, it gladdens the heart and breeds anticipation. If you read the stories of 'Praying Hyde' in India, or Rees Howell in Wales or David Brainerd in America it will encourage your heart to pray and keep at it. At the conclusion of this parable Jesus asks a searching question in vs 8 - 'When the Son of Man comes will he find faith on the earth?' What a good question. His disciples are standing there listening to the parable, already forgiven, befriended and loved. So Jesus asks them the question to make them think about their state of readiness and to keep assessing what they need to be about. 'When the Son of man comes...' It is not 'if' but 'when' - when Jesus returns will He find people praying and not giving up? Luke 18 vs1. The answer to the question can be a resounding "Yes"! Why? Because when Jesus returns He will find many sticking at prayer. But the question gets even more personal. His question is directed to all disciples of all ages and stages in life. It is directed to you and me. When he comes will He find you in the faith? Will he find you using the gift of faith He has given you? Will He find faith as part of our daily experience? We have to cultivate and fertilize our faith. When adversity comes; when we find ourselves in troublesome and tumultuous times is then we have to turn up the heat of our prayers. Both in times of judgement and grace our faith needs to be in action, in prayer. Conclusion For Christians the one thing better than slogans is God's Word. As the Word of God says in the first parable of Luke 18 we have good reason not to give up or lose heart when it comes to prayer. The reason is we have a Heavenly Father who is not like the unjust judge who had to be badgered into responding. In His love and grace our Heavenly Father has His chosen people whom He listens to. He always has their best interests at heart. As His chosen people we are held in higher regard than the nameless widow. So right up until the time when Jesus returns God will go right on answering prayer. So keep exercising faith and don't stop praying; keep coming to God on a daily basis for His will to be done in your life and for your daily bread needs to be met - 'Always pray and don't give up'.

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