Daily Devotional
Men Ought Always To Pray
Text: Luke 18:1
And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.
Message
This world we are in is war. Prayer is one of the weapons to fight and win the war. It is suicidal to lose heart or become faint-hearted in the war front. Those who do get killed! In prayer we are petitioning heaven for releases from above to earth. Sadly, you also must contend with the Prince of Persia holding on to answered prayers and preventing concrete-joyful manifestations.
Prayer is not a hundred meter race, rather it is a life journey for all that desire to fulfil their destiny, it is a life successfully lived only by heroes. The Parable of the Unjust Judge is a case on point and in this Bible story told by Jesus, we read about a widow who repeatedly asks an unjust judge for justice (Luke 18:1-8).
The parable continues Jesus’ discussion of His second coming with the promise that God will give His people justice (Luke 17:22). Jesus teaches this lesson by contrasting God with a corrupt judge before who was a widow demanding and ultimately received justice when she becomes a nuisance.
Far be it, however, that God is a corrupt judge. Proverbs 17:23 describes corrupt judges as those who accept secret bribes, and then justice is not done. God is not one!
On the contrary, of a corrupt judge, the Lord is eager to give His followers justice—partially now and fully when Jesus returns. Like the widow, we must ask diligently and with faith.
The judge was an unjust, incompetent, and unqualified judge who lacked compassion and fear of God and respects no man. Clearly, the unjust judge does not represent anything beyond himself. He is not a symbol for God, or the devil, or anyone else. Instead, he is a character that Jesus invents in order to develop a comparison that stresses the Lord’s willingness to hear and respond to the prayers of His people.
The widow was a persistent woman who kept coming to the judge for help. Jesus tells this parable to his disciples to help them understand that if this judge who is unjust finally listens to the woman’s request and grants her justice, how much more will a loving and just God answer the petitions of his own children who cry out for help.
The parable emphasizes that His believers ought always to pray and not lose heart and that God will bring about justice for His chosen ones. Although the unjust judge granted the widow justice, God is not like him; God will always be just and faithful to His people. The parable further teaches that God will bring justice to those who pray to him without fainting or losing heart in prayer. We should trust in God.
The moral lesson in this parable of the importuning widow and unjust judge, also known as the Parable of the Persistent Widow is found in the message—’men ought always to pray, and not to faint’ (Luke 18:1).
If we want to receive from God, we must develop persistence: not because he is unwilling to give to us and needs to be worn down, but because as we develop persistence and demonstrate faith in God in the place of prayer we attain maturity, growth, development and that help us deepens our relationship and submission to the will of God.
Conclusion
In the place of persistent prayer, we understand God’s character better, while at the same time developing His character and mind in us. It takes all these and more to become the Bible spoken Elijah. Also, Knox Scot and Ayo Babalola in the contemporary world.
