Be persistent in prayer

I can’t read the parable about the widow who persisted in her pursuit of justice with a crooked judge (Luke 18:1-8) without thinking of my mom and my grandmother.  They definitely knew how to persist in prayer.  The widow in the parable, like my mom, was one tough widow and she eventually wore down the worldly judge who rendered a just decision.  Luke connects this parable with the theme of perseverance in prayer: “pray always without becoming weary.”  But the parable is also clearly about the pursuit of justice.  We often pray for justice, but how often do we see our pursuit of justice as prayer?

When we’re whole-heartedly convinced that injustice must be addressed, no matter the odds, then we’ll persist in our pursuit of justice.  And this conviction comes from God.  As Christians, God calls each of us to work for justice, to hear the cry of the poor and to love the most vulnerable in our society.  This may manifest itself differently in each person and we each need to discern how and where God is calling us.  Only then does our work for justice become a prayer as we discover our calling.  God’s calling ignites a fire within our hearts, deepening our calling so we “pray always without becoming weary.”  God gives us the energy to pursue justice with persistence like the widow.

We often misunderstand the purpose of seeking God's help in prayer.  We see prayer primarily as a means of controlling God for material advantages for ourselves or others; we don’t see prayer as a way of acknowledging the most fundamental relationship of our life, our relationship as creature to our Creator-Father.  But through persistent prayer we have the occasion to become more aware that as creatures we’re not self-sufficient but are dependent beings, like children to loving parents.  And through persistent prayer we slowly come to realize that our Father-Creator does respond to every prayer.  The response is often the best gift God can give—God’s own presence through the Holy Spirit. With this presence we have the guidance and strength to handle life's stress and problems.

Think about this.  In the time of Jesus, a widow was essentially powerless.  This widow went directly to the judge for a decision…and she didn’t stop until she received a verdict.  I can only imagine her frustration, but she persisted.  This probably even came with some risk.

I, like many others, have a severe case of COVID fatigue.  I’m very weary of the constant chaos, bickering and unrest all over our world.  Too many people live in a constant state of fear worry and anxiety.

Is this any way to live?  I say no.  What can we do about it?  We must be patient, help each other and pray fervently.  When it doesn’t seem like our prayers are being answered, keep praying.  When hope is running out, keep praying.  When we don’t know what else to do, …keep praying.  Pray fervently and remember that Jesus walks beside us always.  His presence is persistent. Let us be persistent in our prayer.