Bartimaeus asked Jesus for mercy, and then he asked again (Mark 10:47-48). Jesus taught His followers to pray the same way: keep coming to God, and do not give up.
A story about not giving up. Jesus “spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). A parable is a story that teaches a lesson about God. To lose heart means to get discouraged and quit.
A widow and a judge. In Jesus' story, a judge in a city “did not fear God nor regard man” (Luke 18:2). He did not care about God or about people. A widow, a woman whose husband had died, kept coming to him and saying, “Get justice for me from my adversary” (Luke 18:3). An adversary is someone who is against you.
She kept coming. For a while the judge would not help her. At last he said to himself that he would help her, “lest by her continual coming she weary me” (Luke 18:5). He did not help because he cared. He helped because she would not stop asking.
God is not like that judge. Jesus said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him” (Luke 18:6-7)? If an unfair judge would finally do what was right, how much more will God, who loves His children!
He will answer. Jesus said, “I tell you that He will avenge them speedily” (Luke 18:8). God's timing may feel slow to us, but He is never late. Then Jesus asked whether He would find faith on the earth when He comes. Keeping on praying is one way faith shows itself while it waits.
A friend at midnight. Jesus told another story. A man went to a friend's house at midnight to borrow three loaves of bread for a visitor. The friend did not want to get up. But because the man kept asking, the friend got up and gave him what he needed (Luke 11:5-8). Then Jesus told His disciples to ask, seek and knock (Luke 11:9-10).
Why keep praying? We do not keep praying to wear God down. God is not tired, and He is not unwilling. We keep praying because we trust Him, and praying keeps our hearts close to Him while we wait.
The way is open. We can come to God because of Jesus. He died for our sins and rose again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), and “He always lives to make intercession” for those who come to God through Him (Hebrews 7:25). To make intercession means to pray for someone.
Application. Choose one thing to pray about every day this week. If the answer does not come quickly, do not quit. Keep coming to your Father, the way Jesus taught.
Jesus' stories teach us to keep praying. The Bible also shows real people who kept asking God, and how He answered them.
Elijah prays for rain. In Elijah's day there had been no rain for a long time. On Mount Carmel, Elijah bowed down to the ground and prayed. God had already said He would send rain (1 Kings 18:1). Elijah kept praying for what God had promised. He sent his servant to look toward the sea, and the servant saw nothing (1 Kings 18:42-43).
Go again. Elijah told his servant to go again, seven times. The seventh time, the servant saw a little cloud, as small as a man's hand, rising out of the sea. Soon the sky grew dark, and heavy rain came (1 Kings 18:43-45). James says Elijah was a man just like us, and God heard his prayer (James 5:17-18).
A mother asks Jesus. In the region of Tyre and Sidon, a Canaanite woman came to Jesus and cried out for mercy. A demon was badly troubling her daughter (Matthew 15:21-22). Mark tells the same story (Mark 7:24-30).
She kept asking. At first Jesus did not answer her. She kept on asking. She came, knelt before Jesus and asked Him again to help her (Matthew 15:23-25).
A humble answer. Jesus answered with a saying about the children's bread and the little dogs. She agreed with Him and said that even the little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the table (Matthew 15:26-27). She did not claim that she had earned Jesus' help. She asked Him to be good to her.
Great faith. Jesus told her that her faith was great. Her daughter was healed from that very hour (Matthew 15:28).
Praying all day long. King David wrote that he would pray in the evening, the morning and at noon, and that God would hear his voice (Psalm 55:17). Paul told believers to keep on praying (Romans 12:12; Colossians 4:2) and to pray without stopping (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
God's answers. God does not always give exactly what we ask. Paul begged the Lord three times to take away a painful problem. God answered, “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:8-9). God always hears, and He always gives what is good.
Application. God loves to hear from you because of Jesus, who died for you and rose again. “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). Pray for one friend this week, every day, and keep trusting God with the answer.
Complete all sections to finish!
Read each section and answer the questions correctly.