Persistent in Prayer

I know a man who goes out every morning in his beat up white van, drives to the beach and cast his fishing lines in the water, expecting to catch fish. No matter the weather or the season he is there. He is persistent, constant in his watchfulness, even though many days he comes home empty handed. He knows there are fish in the ocean, and some days he will catch them, and some days he won't. But he knows, more than anything else, showing up is most important. He knows that he will never catch fish if he doesn't try and he believes in a God who is bountiful and abundant.

Many of us, when facing hard times, think that God is not abundant, or that we have done something wrong and are being punished. Good people blames themselves for the troubles they are mired in, even when they know they didn't cause them. And yet, we are often reluctant to go to the source, to lay it all out before God, with the delectation of an answer. We pray with no hope for bounty. And yet, God asks us to come forward, to be persistent, to lay our need before the Creator with the full expectation of justice. God wants to fulfill our needs, and right the wrongs in our lives.

Luke 18:1-8

The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, “Grant me justice against my opponent.” For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, “Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?’

Tony expects fish on the line and is persistent in the pursuit. Today, I want to learn the strength and persistence of the widow, and of Tony, who both believe and act on their belief. They know what they need, and they offer it up to God, fully expecting that justice will be done. May we all have the courage today to pray, being persistent and constant, understanding that God is leaning in and listening, more ready to answer than we are to ask. God is more ready to respond than we are to seek. May we all take the example of these two and pray from the rising to the setting of the sun, and through the night, that peace and justice might pour down in our lives and on this earth.