Jesus told his disciples a parable
about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary.
What was the secret Jesus was attempting to teach about prayer? It seems altogether too easy to become weary and lose heart. It often appears to us that the miraculous response of God to our requests is the exception rather than the rule. More often we appear to receive a response that feels indifferent at best. The first thing to realize about this feeling is that Jesus expected we would have it.
He said, "There was a judge in a certain town
who neither feared God nor respected any human being.
Jesus compared the lack of response from God to this unjust judge, and prayer to the constant pestering of a highly motivated widow. The eventual response of God was thus compared to that of the judge who was afraid that the widow would eventually come and strike him if he didn't concede. This comparison did not mean to imply that God was himself in any way unjust or indifferent. And yet it recognized a real understanding of the human perspective on prayer and responded to that perception in a way that was humorous and even playful. It was as if to say that Jesus knew that the Father would at times seem to us to be that way, and that at such times it was appropriate to stay as persistent and motivated as the widow.
"I shall deliver a just decision for her
lest she finally come and strike me.'"
The Lord said, "Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says.
Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones
who call out to him day and night?
The widow did eventually secure the decision against her adversary that she desired through persistence. And, although it is not accurate to say that we change the mind of God by our own perseverance it is still a useful comparison to think of it as if we do. If we thought all was hopeless, and that we faced only an unjust judge whose mind could not be changed, we could not persist long in prayer. But in the Father we have a righteous God and in Christ Jesus, "who will judge the living and the dead", we have a judge who is absolutely just. The delay of his answer to our prayers has more to do with our limited human perspective on what he is in fact doing in the world and in our hearts. There is actually an immense spiritual battle going on behind the scenes that our prayers directly and immediately impact, even if the tangible, visible results do not appear immediately.
Meanwhile Aaron and Hur supported his hands,
one on one side and one on the other,
so that his hands remained steady till sunset.
Our prayers are like Aaron and Hur in that they help keep the arms of a spiritual leaders raised so that the world rulers of this present darkness can be mowed down by the edge of the sword of the Spirit, the word of God.
The fact that the primary impact of our prayers is spiritual is not meant to prevent us from seeking physical manifestations such as healings, and seeking them persistently. It is rather to say that the priority and immediacy always goes to the spiritual without which an answered prayer for a physical blessing might turn out to be a curse. Indeed every blessing will eventually be given, even the physical, to the righteous at the resurrection of the body. But we can have confidence that our just judge is already hard at work behind the scenes before that time. That time itself may seem to be far off even as we cry out for the Lord to come and set everything right. But if he seems to delay it is only that his mercy might be more perfectly manifest, so that he might find a robust faith on earth (see Second Peter 3:9).
How, then, can we be good prayer warriors, spiritual soldiers in the unseen battle? We too should take up the weapon of the sword of the Spirit (see Ephesians 6:17).
All Scripture is inspired by God
and is useful for teaching, for refutation, for correction,
and for training in righteousness,
so that one who belongs to God may be competent,
equipped for every good work.
With this holy sword we should do what Jesus and Paul both emphasized and persist, "whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching."
Rooted and grounded in the love (see Ephesians 3:17) we learn from the word of God we can have the confidence we need to pray and to not lose heart.
May he not suffer your foot to slip;
may he slumber not who guards you:
indeed he neither slumbers nor sleeps,
the guardian of Israel.
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