Bible Reading: Luke 18:1-11
Memory verse: Matthew 7:7, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”
F or a long time, I wondered about this parable, it seemed to tell us that we need to keep asking before God will answer us. It has been used to support the habit of praying repeatedly about something until God answers. The first question you must answer when reading this parable is: Is God an unjust, wicked judge? You agree with me that the answer is no. Therefore, this means that the way God sees and handles our situation when we come to Him is completely different from the way men will handle the situation.
Secondly, “Men ought always to pray and not to give up” is not the same as “Men ought always to pray over and over about the same thing”. When we think that it is the number of times we pray about a thing that produces an answer, we set ourselves up for frustrations.
As loving parents, we do not derive joy in our children pestering us before we answer them. Matthew 6:7 makes it clear that it’s not our numerous words or repetition that brings answers. Jesus also said, in the Bible reading above, that God will defend, avenge, and will not delay but answer quickly His chosen people. He concludes by asking, “When the Son of Man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?” Faith is the key to answered prayer, not the number or length of prayer. Our focus should be on building our faith muscles.