Luke 18:1-8:

Summary: It’s rather unsettling to most of us to think of this as a parable on prayer, because we hate to think that Jesus might be comparing God to such a despicable judge. However, his argument is one of contrast rather than comparison. If a helpless widow embattled with a godless, shameless judge refuses to give up hope, then how much less should we give up who cry out to a loving heavenly Father. Persistent prayer, particularly in the face of what feels like deafening silence from God, is something that Jesus often commends to us, and (as he notes in v.8) a critical expression of our faith. Vital for persistent prayer is the recognition of who God really is and his good intentions for us (v.7-8). This Sunday we’ll be invited to reflect on where God might be calling us into (or back into) long-term, persistent prayer.