“Then He spoke a
parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke
18:1)
Do you know people who pray? I mean people
who REALLY pray! The way we ALL should! These are the ones who go into an “inner
room” or “closet,” as Jesus put it in
Matthew 6:6, and they don’t stop praying until they have an ANSWER from Almighty
God. I’ve met quite a few “prayer warriors,” as they are sometimes called, and a
surprising number are women. I think that’s often been the case in the history
of this world. Men tend to ACT while women are often more likely to pray.
We have a number of “prayer warriors” on
our Prayer Team, which consists of not only women, but also men, for men can
pray, too. You’re welcome to send us your prayers and also join our Team – the
simple belief that God answers prayer is the only requirement. It’s likely, by
the way, that many become people who pray just because God allows problems in
our lives to the extent that we finally are FORCED to pray about them.
A key person on our Prayer Team has had
plenty of reason to pray, especially in the past few years. In her personal
life, she has fought cancer for a long time. The disease started in one part of
her body and then went into her bones. It brought an end to her career and it
nearly ended her life. She was unable to walk for a long time and it was prayer
that brought her back to her feet once more; and it is prayer that keeps her
alive.
This lady has also been a faithful member
of what we call Sunday Fellowship, for a number of years. We meet in our home on
Sunday afternoons at 4:00 PM, each week, and PRAY for those who have contacted
us and asked for prayer. The lady stopped attending and I called to see how she
is doing. I learned of her new problem – her vision. It’s become bad to the
point
that she can’t safely drive. She has been diagnosed with cataracts, but the
doctor, who says that her eyes will be “better than new”
after cataract surgery, is questioning whether or not her insurance will cover
the procedure. She is praying that she will be able to have that surgery, and
you are invited to pray for her, also.
During our conversation on the telephone,
she said, “I have a praise report.” She has been
praying for decades, by the way, for an honest, open and loving relationship
with her mother, who has treated her with coldness since this lady was a little
girl. The two sons have always been given a lot of love, but the sister, the
daughter, our friend – has never received that kind of unconditional love. She
has been like a child looking into a toy store window. She can see the other
children, laughing and enjoying the “toys” inside, but she was not permitted
into that “store;” and she does not know the reason why.
The cancer has driven her back to her
mother’s home, for she can no longer live on her own. She loves her mother very
much, though there is much she does not understand about their relationship. For
decades, long before the two of them were required to live together once more,
this lady has prayed for honest reconciliation and open love to come into this
mother-daughter relationship – a love she has never truly known.
A couple of weeks ago, the mother was
watering the front lawn outside the house they share. The daughter heard a sound
from the yard, and thinking that something might be wrong, she went out to
investigate. Sure enough, her mother had fallen on the concrete steps and hit
her head. The younger woman reported, “There was blood
everywhere.” As it turned out, no stitches were needed and the mother is
OK.
But somehow, their relationship was
suddenly healed, and the love, which was withheld for reasons that probably
neither of them ever really understood – is present for them both! A prayer,
which has been the ache of a women’s heart for many decades, was ANSWERED! She
is now discernibly LOVED by her mother, and BOTH women suddenly became more
accepting. As this lady said, “I looked at her and saw her
pleading eyes. She NEEDED me for the first time.” It’s a “praise
report” indeed.
Notice the ODD way that her prayer of many
years was answered – the mother fell and hit her head! And with that, they could
express love for one another! It is like our Scripture for today, a parable told
by Jesus. He spoke of a “judge who did not fear God and
did not respect man” (Luke 18:2). And “a widow in
that city (who) kept coming to (the judge),
saying ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent”
(Luke 18:3).
Incredible! Jesus selected an “UN-righteous
judge” to illustrate the Father’s response to prayer (Luke 18:6), and
this “judge” is pictured as being “unwilling”
to help the widow (Luke 18:4). The “widow” in the
parable persisted. “She kept coming,” as the
Scripture indicates, and she wore him down with persistence. The “judge”
thought to himself, “Even though I do not fear God nor
respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal
protection, lest by continually coming she wears me out” (Luke 18:4-5).
Just like the lady on our Prayer Team kept
on praying, the “widow” in the parable kept on
asking. In the parable, she was able to “wear (the
judge) out,” which was his motivation in granting
her request. But this is NOT why God grants our prayers. The parable about the
unjust "judge” does NOT define God’s character in
any way, except this: God, for whatever combination of reasons that are
appropriate for your life and the lives of those around you, will sometimes
DELAY answers to prayer. In such cases, you and I are told to KEEP ON PRAYING!
And the promise is: God WILL answer!
Have you ever thought and prayed deeply
about the attributes we are supposed to have, as men and women of God? If the
Spirit of God is in us, we are to have “love, joy, peace,
patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness (and)
self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). And, as in
today’s Scripture, we are to be people who PRAY!
Comparing the “body of Christ,” the church,
to the human body, I want you to notice something: attributes such as love, joy,
peace and prayer can be compared to human muscles that need to be developed, and
we as a church are out of shape. Just like you need exercise to develop your
muscles, you must PRAY, in order to be strong. As in today's Scripture, “at
all times (you) ought to pray, and not... lose
heart.” Let’s pray right now:
Father, I need to pray more. Develop the
“muscles of my soul,” so I will become a person who PRAYS. Heal me, Lord, heal
my church. Teach us to pray. In Jesus Name. Amen.
