“[Jesus] told [His disciples] a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against my adversary.” For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, “Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.”’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’” [1]
The Parable of the persistent widow and the wicked judge assures us that God hears the prayer of His people when they persist. We also witness this same affirmation elsewhere in Scripture. For example, the opening verses of THE SIXTY-FIFTH PSALM encourages readers by emphasising that God does hear prayer. But almost immediately, perceptive believers want to ask, “What about the times God doesn’t hear our prayer? What about the times I knock and knock and knock, and God seems to ignore me?” Well, what about those awful times when we pray, and it seems that nothing happens? How can we account for those times when God is silent? Is it possible that He cannot hear us on every occasion? Or does God just ignore us more often than He hears us?
In one sermon, Pastor Rick Brand tells of a nicely dressed, attractive, dignified middle aged woman who visited his office. She had taken her lunch hour to come to see her pastor. Pastor Brand says that her face was a mixture of indignation and sorrow. The woman related a story of a woman in her Sunday School class, one of the teachers, who was constantly testifying about how wonderful our walk with Jesus was. This teacher argued, “We just talk to God every morning, and prayer is like picking up the phone and gossiping with your best friend.” That Sunday School teacher would tell stories of how she might be cooking blueberry muffins for her mid-week Bible study and she would just pray to God that they would turn out right, and voila, the blueberry muffins were wonderful. Jesus was so good to have around. She would speak of rushing to do the Lord’s work somewhere and needing a parking place, and she would pray, “Lord, you know that I am coming down here to do your work. I am running late so I need a parking place.” And lo and behold, somebody would pull out and there would be a parking place. Jesus was so good to have around to answer her prayers.
The woman who was relating her anguish at hearing such stories didn’t know whether to be angry with God or not. She complained, “It makes me angry and it hurts.” What would you say to that woman? Though you aren’t prepared to say so out loud, perhaps as you listen to that story you find yourself agreeing with her. Does it strike you that there are an awful lot of people who appear to see Jesus as some kind of a genie Who is handy to have around. He answers all sorts of requests to make your life easier.
The reality is quite different, as you well know. God does answer prayer; and He does so dramatically on many occasions! Perhaps He has done so even in your life. However, each of us have likely had those disquieting times when we prayed for some intervention and nothing happened. No doubt we questioned why the Lord was silent. Though we were struggling, and though we desperately felt a need for His intervention, He seemed to allow us to struggle and grope in the darkness—He did not deliver us! What was going on? Why didn’t He answer us when we cry out to Him?
THE DIVINE EMPHASIS — “[Jesus] told [His disciples] a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart” [LUKE 18:1]. At the outset, note that we are informed of the reason Jesus delivered this parable to His disciples. He is teaching us that we are to pray and not lose heart! Even when it seems as if the Lord hasn’t heard, we need to understand that God does hear us; and then we need to keep on praying. Just because our God doesn’t immediately give us what we ask does not mean that our request has not been heard.
Are you not humbled by the revelation given in Paul’s encouragement to the Romans? You will recall that the Apostle has written, “The Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” [ROMANS 8:26-27].
Now, that is humbling! We do not know what to pray for as we ought! Of course we know this is correct since we can’t see the end of the matter. However, that doesn’t change our sense of immediate need because this is the time and the place we now occupy. Moreover, we cannot know the impact of our life on the lives of others. We can’t see the impact in the lives of others from decisions that we make. This is especially true when others are grappling with decisions; they may be weighing the decisions they must make in light of what they witness in our own lives. We are unable to see what God is doing in the lives of others as we serve Him. Our requests of Him are always coloured by our physical experience, so upon sober reflection we understand that we cannot possibly know what we should ask of God.
So, Jesus instructed believers that we should always pray and not lose heart. Is there anyone among us who doesn’t believe this to be true? And yet, what will you do when those times arise—and they will assuredly come—when you’re talking to Heaven and suddenly the call is dropped? You will likely quickly attempt to reconnect, but what happens when no one is picking up on the other end. What will you do?
Maybe one of our problems is that we are addicted to the immediate. I mean, what did people do back in those days so long ago when they were forced to write a letter, seal it in an envelope, put a stamp on the envelope and drop the letter in a postal box? Did people actually have to wait for a week to receive an answer to their letter? Is it really true that sometimes they waited for two weeks? And is it actually the case that people used to have to find a pay phone if they wished to make a call and they were away from their home or away from the office? Was there actually a time when people got their daily news from a newspaper, or perhaps from a news broadcast at 6:30 each evening? You see, what I’m getting at is that we have become addicted to the immediate. We pick up our phone, that little handheld computer, and everything is there right now!
We want our answers immediately, and we can’t understand why God should delay. Though we don’t think about it, much of our relationship with the Lord is based on feeling. We want to feel that He is near. We want to feel that we have immediate acceptance. We want to feel that He cares. And yet…
We walk by faith and not by sight. Our Lord has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” [HEBREWS 13:5b], and we accept His presence by faith. God urges us to “draw near to the throne of grace,” and to do so “with confidence” [HEBREWS 4:16], and we do draw near by faith. What we may feel is immaterial. We are taught in the Word to “cast[] all [our] anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” [1 PETER 5:7], and the knowledge that He cares for us is realised through faith, not because we feel cared for.
Perhaps it will help if you realise that when you feel as if God has turned His back on you, that you are not the first to feel that way. Did you ever consider how often people have struggled with exactly these feelings as described in the Word? Recall the account of God commanding Abraham to sacrifice his son? In Scripture we read of this divine test. What we read brings a mix of emotions to the conscientious among us.
“God tested Abraham and said to him, ‘Abraham!’ And he said, ‘Here I am.’ He said, ‘Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.’ So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him. On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar. Then Abraham said to his young men, ‘Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.’ And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together. And Isaac said to his father Abraham, ‘My father!’ And he said, ‘Here I am, my son.’ He said, ‘Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?’ Abraham said, ‘God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son’” [GENESIS 22:1-8].
Do you actually believe that Abraham had no questions as he trudged up the mountain? When Isaac questioned where the lamb was, wouldn’t you suppose that his father’s heart was silently crying out to God? “God, where are you? God, isn’t it time to step in and spare this son of promise whom You gave to us?” I can readily imagine that Abraham’s heart cried out repeatedly, and his cries were met by silence.
Moses wandered in the desert for years, longing for God to talk, to do something—anything! He knew that God has appointed him to deliver his people, but God compelled him to run to the most desolate place imaginable. Don’t you imagine that Moses’ heart often cried out to God? Wouldn’t you think that when watching those sheep that he often prayed, pleading with God? And all he got in return was silence.
Job’s life imploded; everything God had given him was taken away in one fell swoop. As you read the book that tells of his trials, it is obvious that He wanted answers from God. And yet, God was silent.
David often wrote of God’s silence. Here are some examples of his cri de Coeur.
“You have seen, O LORD; be not silent!
O Lord, be not far from me!”
[PSALM 35:22]
“O God, do not keep silence;
do not hold your peace or be still, O God!”
[PSALM 83:1]
“Be not silent, O God of my praise!”
[PSALM 109:1]
It is obvious that the Psalmist struggled with feeling isolated, with feeling ignored. And yet, as we read the Psalms it is evident that God was always at work, always doing something greater than the Psalmist could imagine. In the same way, we can be confident that our Father is not ignoring us, that He is not uncaring when we are frightened or threatened. God knows, and God is planning something greater than we could ever imagine.
Paul begged God to relieve his suffering, or at least explain to him why it was necessary for him to suffer. The Apostle writes, “A thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me” [2 CORINTHIANS 12:7-8]. Paul’s prayer was not answered. Surely none of us are so spiritually obtuse to imagine that his prayer was flawed, that he was dishonouring God in asking for relief! Speaking of his prayer after describing the experiences through which he had passed—beatings, stoning, shipwrecks, adrift at sea, constant danger and always on the move, working to the point of exhaustion to supply the needs of his companions and to prepare for his ministry to the nascent churches [see 2 CORINTHIANS 11:23-33], we must believe that Paul offered a prayer straight from his heart.
So very often people have told me that they came to God with a prayer—they came in a crisis and prayed for the life of a loved one and that loved one died. They were earnest in their request as they pleaded with God to spare their loved one. Because God didn’t give them what they wanted, they have concluded that they will no longer have dealings with a God who would not answer that one prayer. In their mind, that one prayer was a make-or-break deal for their faith.
Paul’s prayer was a pretty significant request of God; but Paul said he could see around him. Even with that thorn which God would not take away Paul could see a providence, a power, and a grace that more than made up for the refusal to remove the thorn. God’s goodness, God’s grace, God’s promises all around that were more than sufficient to enable the Apostle to live in faith in the presence of a “No.”
I have no doubt that Paul’s prayer was earnest. How could it be otherwise—it was a prayer offered by a man who was fully dedicated to God. Nevertheless, what he asked was not granted. He asked three times, but it doesn’t require much imagination to think that whatever his “thorn” might have been, the Apostle confronted the pain on a regular basis. It was only after repeated pleas that God at last gave an answer, and the answer given could not have been what Paul wanted. God seemed to ignore His Apostle, but He had something even greater in mind for Paul. Christ would supply grace, something that the flesh would not welcome, but precisely what was needed if the power of the Living God was to be manifested in Paul’s life. Paul prayed for relief, and God gave him grace. Did you hear that? Paul prayed for relief, and God gave him grace.
Can we actually speak of the silence of the Lord God and not examine one of the most moving prayers found in the Gospels. Our Master was facing the cross, and the weight of bearing the sin of mankind pressed down on His soul. We read of Jesus’ struggle. Taking three of His disciples with Him into the garden identified as Gethsemane, Jesus confessed, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and watch with Me” [MATTHEW 26:38]. Then, He prayed, “My Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will” [MATTHEW 26:39]. And Heaven was silent.
Soon after, the Saviour prayed again, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will be done” [MATTHEW 26:42]. And the Father said not a word.
One final time, Jesus pleaded, saying the same thing, and God was silent. The time had come, and Jesus ceased praying, having never received answer to His cries.
We are provided insight into what was happening when that unknown writer later informs us, “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to him who was able to save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverence. Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him, being designated by God a high priest after the order of Melchizedek” [HEBREWS 5:7-10]. Jesus didn’t receive what He asked—He was given something far greater, something that would bless mankind and glorify the Living God.
Clearly, it is a part of the human condition that people should long for feelings of intimacy. And our desire for intimacy with Him Whom we call “Father” leads us to an expectation of immediacy. Even a cursory review of those who have gone before us in the Faith reveals that our struggle to understand God’s silence is not unique to us. If you go away from this message with no other understanding than that your heavenly Father is not ignoring you, that He is always working for your good and for His glory, that He will rescue you in accordance with His perfect will, you will have achieved something great.
I’m speaking to people who struggle with questions—real questions. I speaking to people who wonder why God would choose to be silent when they cry out. You have faith in the Son of God, and you know that He invites you to come to His throne of grace. And yet, when you do come, you wonder why it seems as if God is ignoring you. You wonder what could be wrong with you that God is silent. I am convinced that God is not ignoring you. After all, you are His child. In the parable Jesus told, the parable that forms our text today, He teaches us to keep on asking. Jesus reminds us that God will answer in accordance with His will and He will answer according to the perfect timing that will be best. Persisting in prayer will glorify God, and when He answers, what is given will be far superior to anything you could have imagined.
THE DIVINE PROMISE — “Will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily” [LUKE 18:7-8]. As you read the parable which Jesus told, you realise that He gave rich encouragement to all who hear what He said. As He draws the parable to a conclusion, He frames the promise in such a manner that one can only answer, “Yes,” when Jesus asks, “Will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?” When we read those words, we know that Jesus is reminding us that God delights to give good gifts to His people, and He will not ignore them forever.
Perhaps you will recall a lesson Jesus gave His disciples. The Master said, “Which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine has arrived on a journey, and I have nothing to set before him;’ and he will answer from within, ‘Do not bother me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything?’ I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” [LUKE 11:5-13]!
The promise the Master made in our text raises and answers some serious questions. Among those questions is this: To whom is the divine promise given? Carefully reading the text, I note that the promise appears to be made to “the elect.” Those who are in view are denoted as crying to God day and night. It appears obvious that the Master delivered this parable to encourage His followers, those precious individuals who seek His glory and who lift their hearts in prayer to Him. Jesus is seeking to encourage His people to pray persistently, to pray expectantly, to pray confidently. So, here is the question. Do you pray? Do you pray persistently? Expectantly? Confidently? This is God’s desire for each follower of the Christ.
Another question asked and answered is What is the promise God has made? According to the text, God will give justice to His people, and He shall do so speedily! Jesus’ words are framed in such a way that a positive conclusion is expected. Jesus said, “Will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night” [LUKE 18:7a]? Either God is just, or God is unjust; there is no middle ground in this issue. We can be assured that God is just! Since God is just, it is appropriate that He promises justice to His people. And if God has somehow dissimulated, then we should not serve Him. However, with the Apostle I contend, “God is true, even if everyone else is a liar” [ROMANS 3:4a]. Each twice-born follower of the Saviour will agree with this assessment. God does not lie. God speaks truth.
When someone has the temerity to complain that God is not fair, is not that person focused on his or her own desired outcome of a given situation? Isn’t it because that individual has situated himself or herself at the centre of life that that person would even think of complaining about what God has done. And because we have situated ourselves where we determine we want to be, anything that makes us uncomfortable is deemed bad.
When some Christians were complaining about God’s sovereign choice, the Apostle challenged, “Who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’ Has the potter no right over the clay, to make out of the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for dishonorable use? What if God, desiring to show his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction, in order to make known the riches of his glory for vessels of mercy, which he has prepared beforehand for glory—even us whom he has called, not from the Jews only but also from the Gentiles” [ROMANS 9:20-24]?
We forget that we are not the centre of the world—not even our own world. And we who are followers of the Risen Christ have made Him the ruler over our lives. There is no longer any aspect of life over which we claim control. We have crowned Him as Master and seated Him on the throne of life. We no longer have a right to claim mastery over our own situation because we have surrendered that right to Christ the Lord!
What is expected of those who will receive the promise? The context of the parable appears to indicate that the Son of Man expects that His people will continue to trust Him. God’s people are expected to propagate the Faith, since the question is raised, “Will [the Son of Man] find faith on earth” at His coming? In light of the progressive drift from diligence to pursue righteousness, in light of the tendency to seek personal comfort rather than opportunity to serve the Risen Saviour, can our Master expect to find the churches doing what He commanded as He ascended into Heaven?
Jesus had just spoken of His purpose in coming to earth. The Lord had testified, “The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost” [LUKE 19:10]. Emphasizing this point, Jesus told a parable meant to instruct the righteous. This is the parable Jesus told. “A nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and then return. Calling ten of his servants, he gave them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’ But his citizens hated him and sent a delegation after him, saying, ‘We do not want this man to reign over us.’ When he returned, having received the kingdom, he ordered these servants to whom he had given the money to be called to him, that he might know what they had gained by doing business. The first came before him, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made ten minas more.’ And he said to him, ‘Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities.’ And the second came, saying, ‘Lord, your mina has made five minas.’ And he said to him, ‘And you are to be over five cities.’ Then another came, saying, ‘Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief; for I was afraid of you, because you are a severe man. You take what you did not deposit, and reap what you did not sow.’ He said to him, ‘I will condemn you with your own words, you wicked servant! You knew that I was a severe man, taking what I did not deposit and reaping what I did not sow? Why then did you not put my money in the bank, and at my coming I might have collected it with interest?’ And he said to those who stood by, ‘Take the mina from him, and give it to the one who has the ten minas.’ And they said to him, ‘Lord, he has ten minas!’ ‘I tell you that to everyone who has, more will be given, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away. But as for these enemies of mine, who did not want me to reign over them, bring them here and slaughter them before me’” [LUKE 19:12-27].
In light of Jesus’ expressed purpose, which was “to seek and to save the lost,” His return to Heaven meant that His servants were to engage in business until He comes. The Master anticipates that His people, those who are called by His Name, will be busy about His business throughout the days until He comes again! And Jesus’ business is the salvation of souls! This was, you will remember, His final command to His people. “Therefore, as you go, disciple people in all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you. And remember, I am with you each and every day until the end of the age” [MATTHEW 28:19-20 ISV]. The heart of the Master longs for the salvation of lost people! The tender heart of Jesus is for lost people to be saved. And He has charged His followers to bring the lost to Him that He might save them.
In order to stay on track for this particular message, note that your personal comfort is not the priority of the Master. It is obvious that the priority of the Risen Saviour is the salvation of lost people. Is God gracious? Of course God is gracious. Does the Lord give rich gifts to people? Yes, the Lord is richly munificent toward all people. We know that “[God] makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust” [MATTHEW 5:45].
We are encouraged to ask for what we need when Jesus teaches, “I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened” [LUKE 11:9-10]. Jesus then applied what He had just taught when He told His disciples, “What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him” [LUKE 11:11-13]!
Clearly, the Master is urging disciples to seek what will equip them to serve as God assigns rather than seeing our relationship to the Living God as some sort of cosmic Amazon store that is just waiting to ship out what we want for our personal comfort. It is only when we realize our helpless condition that we will be able to discover what our true needs are. Only when we reach the end of our own abilities can we expect to learn what real hope and faith are. The more we have, the less we hope for; the more we are able to do, the less we hope. In the midst of our success it seems that we have become a people who have a dearth of hope. We are hopeless in the face of climbing divorce rates, so we bring in no-fault divorce. We are hopeless before our inability to change society, so we build more and larger prisons. We are hopeless when we witness families choosing to sacrifice the life of the unborn, so we will protest by standing silently in the cold.
To be a person of faith is, in a very real sense, to realize that you are defeated; it is to die, to not be able to get what we want, to have our prayers refused, so that we have to come and admit that hope is exactly what we cannot get for ourselves. Nevertheless, hope is the gift that must be given if we are to have any sort of life. Maybe our persistent prayers for our own agenda are not answered so that we are forced to discover that if we are to find the Kingdom of God it has to be given to us. We cannot bring the Kingdom of God to pass even with our demanding prayers. For that kingdom to become reality, we need to live in faith, we need to hope and trust in the love of God to give it to us.
You have prayed, but the request you continue to make is not being answered. Yet, you must admit that you have around you enough of the gifts of God to sustain you. We have all we need—and more! Maybe this bounty that characterizes our lives is a reminder to all of us when our persistent prayer is not heard that we need to step back and look at the whole picture. Is this one matter, is this one prayer, is this one need big enough to cause you to give up, quitting God if He does not answer it the way you want?
Again, we should ask, When will the promise be fulfilled? The whole of this parable spins about a point identified as “when the Son of Man comes.” The answer to this question is, “I don’t know,” and “Perhaps immediately.” No one knows when the Son of Man will return. The Master cautioned His disciples, “Concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only” [MATTHEW 24:36]. Those who engage in speculation concerning the time of Christ’s return are deluded, or perhaps they are simply evil and seeking to confuse the faithful.
Jesus then told a parable concerning a slothful servant who failed to anticipate the return of his master. The conclusion of the parable was an admonition to stay awake. Jesus warned, “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites” [MATTHEW 24:50-51a]. Disciples don’t know when the Master will return. They must be ready for an imminent return.
He followed up this teaching with another parable telling of virgins, part of a wedding party who were appointed to meet the bridegroom, escorting him to his bride. Five of these virgins prepared for an extended wait, bringing extra oil for their lamps, and five of the virgins didn’t anticipate that they would be required to wait, so they failed to bring extra oil. The Master concluded the parable by admonishing His disciples, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour” ]MATTHEW 25:13].
What Jesus taught was emphasised by the Apostle to the Gentiles when he wrote the Thessalonian Christians, “Concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” [1 THESSALONIANS 5:1-2].
Thus, Scripture makes it obvious that no one knows when the Master will return, but those who are His disciples must anticipate that His return is imminent. Jesus promised and the Father has said it will be soon, so the follower of the Saviour must be prepared for what is surely coming. I don’t say that you should sell all you have, dress in white robes, and climb up on your roof to await Jesus’ return, but you must know that He is coming soon! And because He is coming soon, each of us who know Him, or perhaps I should say that each of us who are known by Him, are responsible to do what He commanded—we are to take care of His business. We are to call all people to faith in the coming Saviour and we are to live righteous, holy lives to the praise of His glory.
THE UNANSWERED QUESTION — “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth” [LUKE 18:8]? The question Jesus posed is meant to stimulate thinking. Each one reading this pericope should be drawn to reflect on the condition of the Faith at this particular time and project to that time when the Master returns. Will the practise of the Faith at the return of the Master survive? Will there be faithful servants found at the return of the Master? Will there still be pastors who stand firmly for the things of God, calling the lost to life in the Risen Saviour?
Because these concerns are voiced by the Master Himself, we should be concerned for the state of the Faith. We should be concerned for our own participation in the Faith. Shouldn’t we be stirred to action by what we observe among the churches today? And shouldn’t our prayers reflect our love for the Master? Shouldn’t our prayers be marked by sorrow that lost people have not yet come to faith in the Son of God? Shouldn’t we be a people who plead for the salvation of lost people, beginning with our own families?
Okay, Preacher, you have convinced me that I should be concerned for the cause of Christ. You have convinced me that the state of the Faith today is not healthy. But you haven’t answered the question of why God delays answering my prayer! You seem to ignore my real question. When will God give me the answer to what I am asking? One answer, an answer you may not wish to hear, is that the answer may come well after you are gone from this earth.
Here is another response to your question, a response you may not wish to hear. There is the reality that some of our persistent prayers can't be answered forever as we want them. All of our prayers for health and life and happiness for those we love will eventually be answered in the negative because there is the reality of death for all of us. When our parents, our friends, our family, become sick—when they are ill, when they suffer heart attacks, or when they are diagnosed with cancer, we pray hard and persistently for their recovery. We have to know that ultimately those prayers will not be answered affirmatively. Death is the reality that confronts us all, and Paul reminds us that the Good News of the Gospel is that we do not die as those who have no hope. Here short-term answers may be yes, but in the end all such prayers must end in disappointment.
The Lord has never promised that God will give us everything we want; Jesus only promises that God will bring in His Kingdom. Our prayers are encouraged to be persistently for the coming of the Kingdom of God, not just for the coming of our own little private happiness. Isn’t that the initial and the primary request found in the Model Prayer?
“Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name.
Your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.”
[MATTHEW 6:9-10]
Surely, a parking place so that a woman can get to a meeting is not any more significant for the coming of God's great kingdom than for her to be able to show the goodness of God in wedded bliss. Still, prayer is not the means for getting what we want; prayer is for placing ourselves in the path of receiving what God is preparing for us.
Is it possible that when God does not give us what we persistently seek, He is giving us something far better, something that we didn’t even know we needed? Pastor Brand says, “Where our requests are ignored may be just the place where God's dream is being born.” Perhaps by refusing to give us what we want, God is drawing us to ask for something more permanent, something far greater, something that will lead to great service and adventure in His cause.
When Paul asked God to remove the thorn from his side, God’s answer was, “No, but take a look around and see that the graces you have been given are enough for you.” So, you are disappointed in God and you want to teach Him a lesson by never praying again. You want Him to know how really angry you are, so you won’t ever again attend the services of the church. Here’s a question for you—Will you be better off without God because He would not answer this one prayer, or are there enough other gifts and graces of God which will be sufficient for your needs?
Earlier, I spoke of a number of individuals whom we consider to be great saints. We saw how these saints made great requests of God, only to be met by silence. What you should take away is that these great saints had the same struggles we have. Nevertheless, they were courageous and persevered to push through their doubts about God. They endured their own times of asking, “Where is God? Why is He silent?”
Perhaps God’s silence is one of His greatest tools for cultivating our dependence upon Him. I dare to believe that we can come to know that we are not alone, even though we feel as if we are alone. We can surely come to learn that God is exceedingly worthy of trust even when our hearts are full of fear and our minds full of doubt. Our faith can be fortified when we believe that God is true to His word. After all, our God has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you” [HEBREWS 13:5b]. I will trust Him, even when I don’t get what I want. Amen.
[1] Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. Wheaton: Standard Bible Society, 2016. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
