Luke 18:1-8,Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’
4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Once a young man hearing a sermon repented and began his walk towards salvation. The boy began to pray daily on his knees for his wayward and drunkard father. Our Lord who answers every prayer heard the boy’s prayer too.
One day the father called the boy and asked him, ‘Son the trousers you are wearing is not too old. How come they are torn and tattered near the knees?’ The boy became nervous and scared that the father may hit him, and replied in a weak voice, ‘Father, please forgive me. I have been praying daily on my knees for you to return from your drunken ways towards salvation. That is why they are torn near the knees.’ The words of his son were like a stab into his heart. The father repented from his ways.
Here I would like to ponder over the Bible passage given above: Luke 18:7-8,7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly.
In today’s time of technological advancement where everything is available at the touch of a button. Man does not like to wait for things. The Lord teaches us to pray without giving up in pursuit. Sleep and exhaustion while sitting to pray is not just something which the common man experiences. The disciples too experienced it when they were with Jesus. When Jesus took His disciples with Him to pray with Him while He was in pain, they went to sleep. Colossians 4:2, 2 Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
How did Bartimaeus gain sight? Even though everyone around him asked to keep quiet he shouted his lungs out calling upon Jesus to heal him. Jesus heard him and gave him sight. John 15:7, 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. Faith is like a vessel with holes which when immersed in another vessel filled with water gets filled with water.
Sometimes our prayers are unanswered because they are only from the lips and not from the heart. Another reason is that we don’t pray in faith that our prayers will be answered. Mark 11:24, 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
In John 1:12, 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God… Each child has the right to persist their father for their needs. Our Father in heaven too wants us to do that. He wants us to pray to Him persistently.
Each prayer is a battle against the enemy. He tries to distract us in our prayer and pollute our prayer through worldly thoughts. When you sit down to pray, you should pray from your heart and soul. The Father of believers, Abraham was blessed with a son in his advanced age. High priest Zechariah too was blessed with John the Baptist in his old age. One should not forget that they were both righteous in the eyes of the Lord.
How did Peter escape from the prison? Acts 12:5, 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. When Peter was put into prison, the church united in prayer for him. In the same way when we pray for other He listens to our prayers. The Son of God not only talked about the power of prayer but He also led by example. Who needs prayer more, Jesus or us??? The Bible teaches us to pray with faith. James 1:6, 6 But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. Jesus continued the relationship with Father in heaven through prayer.
1 Peter 3: 12, 12 For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous
and his ears are attentive to their prayer,…
Jehovah Roi 