New Series: Pray this way...
Sermon Recap
Luke 18:1–8 teaches that believers ought
“always to pray and not lose heart.” Jesus tells the parable of a persistent
widow who wears down an unjust judge through sheer perseverance, then makes a
“how much more” argument: if even an uninterested, unrighteous judge eventually
gives justice, how much more will a good and loving Father respond to His own
children who cry out to Him day and night? Persistent prayer is not about convincing
a reluctant God. It is the natural posture of faith that keeps trusting Him
even when the answer is delayed.
Luke 18:1-8
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
“And He told them a parable to the effect
that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, ‘In a certain city
there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a
widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, “Give me justice against
my adversary.” For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself,
“Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps
bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her
continual coming.”’ And the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unrighteous judge says.
And will not God give justice to His elect, who cry to Him day and night? Will He
delay long over them? I tell you, He will give justice to them speedily.
Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?’”
The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Luke 18:1-8.
Discussion Questions
- What stands out to you most in Luke 18:1-8?
- Why do you think Jesus used an unjust judge, rather than a good one, to make His point about God?
- What is the difference between persistent prayer that flows from faith and prayer that flows from doubt or anxiety?
- Why do you think believers are tempted to lose heart when prayers aren’t answered quickly?
- How does Jesus’ closing question about finding faith on earth connect persistence in prayer to the state of our faith?
- What is a situation in your life right now where you need to keep praying and not lose heart?
Closing Thoughts
Jesus told this parable precisely because
perseverance in prayer does not come naturally when circumstances are
discouraging. As a group, we can carry each other’s burdens by continuing to
pray for one another’s requests over time, refusing to give up on people or
situations too quickly, and reminding one another that God is not an unjust
judge who must be worn down, but a Father eager to act on behalf of His people.
A church that prays persistently becomes a people marked by hope rather than
discouragement.
END
