Introduction

Good Morning, church. I hope you all are doing well and are ready to delve into God’s word. We are going to talk about persistence in prayer today, and our key Scripture is Luke 18:1-5. Oswald Chambers, a renowned Christian evangelist and teacher, once said, "Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work."

Let's read from Luke 18:1-5, "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them they should always pray and not give up. He said: 'In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’"

Let's bow our heads in prayer before we discuss this further. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your word today. We ask for Your spirit to guide us as we explore the depth of Your word. Open our hearts and minds, Lord, to understand and apply Your teachings in our lives. Help us to be persistent in prayer, to keep pursuing You, and to always believe in Your provision. In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.

I. Don't Stop Praying

In this parable, Jesus is teaching us a valuable lesson about persistence in prayer. The widow, despite her seemingly hopeless situation, never ceased to plead her case before the judge. She was relentless, insistent, and unyielding. She did not let the judge's initial refusal deter her from seeking justice. Her persistence eventually paid off, and she received the justice she sought. This is a powerful illustration of how we should approach prayer.

A. Prayer is to be a continuous dialogue with God. It is not a monologue where we speak and God listens. Instead, it is a two-way communication where we speak to God and also listen to what He has to say. We must not stop praying, even when it seems like our prayers are not being answered. The widow in the parable did not stop pleading her case, and neither should we stop praying.

B. In our prayers, we must be honest and open with God, expressing our deepest desires, fears, and hopes. We should not be afraid to pour out our hearts before Him. God is not a distant, unapproachable figure. He is our loving Father who cares for us deeply and wants to hear from us. He is always ready to listen, and He is always ready to answer, in His own time and in His own way.

C. Persistence in prayer also means being patient. We live in a world where we expect instant results. We want our prayers to be answered immediately. But God's timing is not our timing. He sees the bigger picture and knows what is best for us. Sometimes, He may delay in answering our prayers, but that does not mean He has not heard us or that He will not answer. It simply means that His timing is different from ours.

D. Persistence in prayer also requires faith. We must believe that God hears our prayers and that He will answer them. The widow in the parable believed that the judge would eventually grant her justice, and she was right. In the same way, we must believe that God will answer our prayers. Even when it seems like our prayers are not being answered, we must hold on to our faith and continue to pray.

E. Persistence in prayer does not mean we have to use many words or pray for long hours. It simply means we keep the lines of communication open with God. We keep talking to Him, keep listening to Him, and keep trusting in Him. It means we do not give up on God, because He never gives up on us.

F. We must remember that prayer is not about getting what we want from God. It is about aligning our will with His. It is about seeking His kingdom and His righteousness. It is about growing in our relationship with Him. When we persist in prayer, we are not trying to change God's mind or convince Him to do what we want. Instead, we are allowing Him to change us, to mold us, and to make us more like Him.

Pastor – Share a personal story that illustrates the importance of not giving up on prayer.

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