18 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. 2 He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. 3 And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ 4 For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’”6 And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. 7 And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? 8 I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

~ Luke 18:1-8

This probably my favorite passage on prayer, and the one I turn to most often when thinking through my prayer life. Because this passage gives us permission to continually come before the Lord with our request in persistence. Often times I feel that we neglect repeatedly bringing the same request before the Lord, either out of frustration of not having an answer quickly, or out of fear that we could be annoying our heavenly Father that loves us. But here we are welcomed to bring our request repeatedly before Him. The Lord ask:

7 “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?”

~ Luke 18:7

Who cry out to him day and night.

When is the last time we tried to wear out the ears of the Lord with our request? 

“Prayer can never be in excess!” ~ C.H. Spurgeon

At the end of this passage the Lord asks:

“When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”

~ Luke 18:8

Our continually going to Him with our request demonstrates our reliance on Him as the hearer and answerer of prayers. This act of continually going to Him with our request isn’t an act of annoyance, but of showing our reliance on Him as the only One who is able to answer; as well as shows our need to have Him hear and answer our request. Demonstrating our faith.

My encouragement in this passage is to never give up in bringing my request before Him. Trusting that He is a good Father who hears and answers the cries of children.

“Four things let us ever keep in mind: God hears prayer, God heeds prayer, God answers prayer, and God delivers by prayer!” ~ E.M. Bounds

Heading into the new year let us not give up on continually bringing our request before Him.