- An exhortation from Yeshua to pray, and keep praying
Prayer is such an important topic. Yeshua is found some twenty times in the Gospels praying or teaching about prayer. One of the most challenging teachings is His parable about the widow and the judge.
Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’” (Luke 18:1-5)
There are many lessons to learn here:
1. Just Do It
The first is that we “ought to pray.” It is important. We have to just “do it.” It is not just a theoretical teaching. It is something to do, to put into practice. We learn by doing.
2. Pray Always
It is correct to pray “always” – at all times; for all things; and in any situation. It is not occasional but continual. Prayer opens the door for positive spiritual influence.
3. Pray Energetically
Real intercession is a lot of work. Yeshua said “not to lose heart” or to “faint.” There is an emotional and psychological price; it is draining. But we have to overcome; not become tired or hopeless. The evil judge said the widow was wearying him. But it’s not the judge who gets weary; it’s our own flesh.
4. Legal Demands
Praying is like a lawyer making legal demands before a judge. God of course is a good judge. The image of the judge who “doesn’t care” is to encourage us to make strong demands. It is not saying that God is uncaring.
5. Overcome Evil
There is intelligent, conscious evil in the world. Our prayers are not on neutral ground. We have to overcome an “adversary” during prayer. There is purposeful, demonic resistance to our prayers. We pray against the forces of evil that are opposing God.
6. Be Bold and Pushy
Prayers are not based on our self-righteousness. God has given us righteousness by grace through Yeshua. However we live in the flesh in the midst of the world. We have to push through all the carnality to get ahold of God’s power. Good intercessors tend to be gentle and unassuming in their day to day personality, but warrior-like in their prayer life.
7. Be Faithful
Yeshua closes the parable about the widow and the judge, by asking a question (vs. 8): “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith?” He says this in the context of prayer. Let’s be like the widow, praying with overcoming faith and with consistent faithfulness.
Let’s Be Like the Widow
The image of the widow is one without worldly and human resources. The point is that because of her lowly position, she puts all her dependence and emphasis on the prayer. It is ALL she has. So let’s put ourselves in a similarly “lowly” position in the human sense, and pray with all we’ve got.
