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Theme: Spiritual Discipline of Prayer
Title: Prayer is Expected
Text: Luke 18:1-5 (NLT)
Introduction: (Parable of the Persistent Widow)
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.
- Jesus begins this parable with a call to persist (to stay, to continue, to persevere) in prayer
- Not just simple insisting on pursuing one’s own requests, but to be faithful to the end
2 “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people.
3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’
- In those times widows were downgraded
- But who are put down are God’s special love and He cares for them
4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people,
5 But this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”
6 Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge.
8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
Conclusion:
- Despite the judge character, v2 he was force to give her justice, because of her insistence, determination, firmness, faithfulness
- Here is a lesson, if an evil judge or unjust judge would yield to a poor widow’s request
- How much more will our heavenly Father God respond to those who continually cry out to him
Jesus expects us to pray
- Matt 6:5 “And when you pray”
- Matt 6:6 “But when you pray”
- Matt 6:7 “And when you pray”
- Luke 11:9 “And I tell you, ask, seek, knock”
We need to become more faithful in prayer, knowing specifically that Jesus expected that of you and I.
