Let's Talk About Prayer
Prayer is not new to us. We have been praying since we were kids. So why are we bringing up this topic then?
The judge
A great Teacher once told the people a story of an ungodly and apathetic city judge.
One day, a poor widow came and asked that judge to grant her justice against her enemy. But the judge showed no feeling of interest or concern to the widow. He sent the poor widow away with her case unresolved. But the poor widow of that city persisted and kept coming to the judge daily with her plea for justice.
Again and again, the judge refused to take the case. Until one day, the poor widow came again with the same request. The judge was very much disturbed. He didn’t know what to do. He could have carried out his usual refusal, but he thought that surely, she will come back again until forever! Alas, he decided.
“Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, but because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!” Said the judge (Luke 18:4-5).
The poor widow will never let the judge go until she gets the justice she asked. So the ungodly and apathetic city judge finally gave her what she wanted. The poor widow got her prayers answered.
“Listen to what the unjust judge says.” Jesus, the great Teacher, then continued. “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? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly” (Luke 18:6-8).
The treasurer
Right after a student earned a government scholarship for passing an exam, he immediately enrolled to an expensive private college. What he didn’t know is that the scholarship funds will be wired to the school only at the end of each semester.
For that college, each semester has four major exams. Before you can take the exam, you have to pay a partial payment for the whole semester.
It was his first year in college, and he didn’t know what to do. He talked to the college treasurer and begged for a promissory note. The treasurer rejected the request.
The following day, the student came again to persuade the treasurer. The treasurer was hesitant, but later decided to approve the promissory note.
The student passed the first major exam. But remember there are four major exams. What he did was to endure a confrontation with the treasurer every time.
He succeeded in his first semester. I was on the dean's list that time. Praise God!
The experience was exhausting, but because I needed that favor badly that I had to put all efforts just to get what I wanted.
Jacob
Jacob wrestled with God. Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me" (Gen. 32:26). It was during this uncertainty that Jacob put all his efforts to get the blessing that he wanted. He endured the trial. He got the blessing.
Toy robot
When I was a kid, I used to nag to my parents to give me money for a toy robot. I remembered they didn’t give a nod. I was persistent then, but as if they never heard my entreaty.
So I continued to play with my old plaything. Out of the nowhere, an idea hit me. If I can’t buy my toy robot, why not create one. And so, using scraps from various sources, I engineered my first toy robot.
Every time I asked for assistance, my father never hesitated to lend me his tools. I used some materials from his storage and he didn’t mind.
I was ‘successful’ with my craft that I even packed it inside a cellophane and decided to sell it (that didn’t happen though). Funny because when I showed my ‘masterpiece’ to my sister, she just ignored it.
The judge, treasurer, Jacob, toy robot
Going back to the parable of the city judge and the widow, Jesus purposed it “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). What Jesus actually meant is that, when we pray, we should be persistent, never giving up, never fainting, never losing one’s faith.
This was Jacob’s experience when he wrestled with God. That’s my experience too with the college treasurer.
On the other hand, like my toy robot, we ought to understand our needs. We pray harder on things we thought were important, but remember God knows everything. If we don’t get the answers to our prayers after we bled pleading, know then that God is working a masterpiece for you.
What is best for us
We are not asking from an ungodly and apathetic city judge nor from a hesitant treasurer nor a stranger. We are asking from the one who died for us. He is the Father that is ever willing to lend His tools, never minding if we use His materials.
If the Father didn’t spare His son, surely He will give us what we wanted through His grace. He surely knew what’s best for us.
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. Luke 18:1
The judge
A great Teacher once told the people a story of an ungodly and apathetic city judge.
One day, a poor widow came and asked that judge to grant her justice against her enemy. But the judge showed no feeling of interest or concern to the widow. He sent the poor widow away with her case unresolved. But the poor widow of that city persisted and kept coming to the judge daily with her plea for justice.
Again and again, the judge refused to take the case. Until one day, the poor widow came again with the same request. The judge was very much disturbed. He didn’t know what to do. He could have carried out his usual refusal, but he thought that surely, she will come back again until forever! Alas, he decided.
“Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, but because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!” Said the judge (Luke 18:4-5).
The poor widow will never let the judge go until she gets the justice she asked. So the ungodly and apathetic city judge finally gave her what she wanted. The poor widow got her prayers answered.
“Listen to what the unjust judge says.” Jesus, the great Teacher, then continued. “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? I tell you, He will see that they get justice, and quickly” (Luke 18:6-8).
The treasurer
Right after a student earned a government scholarship for passing an exam, he immediately enrolled to an expensive private college. What he didn’t know is that the scholarship funds will be wired to the school only at the end of each semester.
For that college, each semester has four major exams. Before you can take the exam, you have to pay a partial payment for the whole semester.
It was his first year in college, and he didn’t know what to do. He talked to the college treasurer and begged for a promissory note. The treasurer rejected the request.
The following day, the student came again to persuade the treasurer. The treasurer was hesitant, but later decided to approve the promissory note.
The student passed the first major exam. But remember there are four major exams. What he did was to endure a confrontation with the treasurer every time.
He succeeded in his first semester. I was on the dean's list that time. Praise God!
The experience was exhausting, but because I needed that favor badly that I had to put all efforts just to get what I wanted.
Jacob
Jacob wrestled with God. Jacob said, "I will not let you go unless you bless me" (Gen. 32:26). It was during this uncertainty that Jacob put all his efforts to get the blessing that he wanted. He endured the trial. He got the blessing.
Toy robot
When I was a kid, I used to nag to my parents to give me money for a toy robot. I remembered they didn’t give a nod. I was persistent then, but as if they never heard my entreaty.
So I continued to play with my old plaything. Out of the nowhere, an idea hit me. If I can’t buy my toy robot, why not create one. And so, using scraps from various sources, I engineered my first toy robot.
Every time I asked for assistance, my father never hesitated to lend me his tools. I used some materials from his storage and he didn’t mind.
I was ‘successful’ with my craft that I even packed it inside a cellophane and decided to sell it (that didn’t happen though). Funny because when I showed my ‘masterpiece’ to my sister, she just ignored it.
The judge, treasurer, Jacob, toy robot
Going back to the parable of the city judge and the widow, Jesus purposed it “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). What Jesus actually meant is that, when we pray, we should be persistent, never giving up, never fainting, never losing one’s faith.
This was Jacob’s experience when he wrestled with God. That’s my experience too with the college treasurer.
On the other hand, like my toy robot, we ought to understand our needs. We pray harder on things we thought were important, but remember God knows everything. If we don’t get the answers to our prayers after we bled pleading, know then that God is working a masterpiece for you.
What is best for us
We are not asking from an ungodly and apathetic city judge nor from a hesitant treasurer nor a stranger. We are asking from the one who died for us. He is the Father that is ever willing to lend His tools, never minding if we use His materials.
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? I tell you, He will see that THEY GET JUSTICE, and QUICKLY. (Luke 18:6-8).
If the Father didn’t spare His son, surely He will give us what we wanted through His grace. He surely knew what’s best for us.
