How persistent in prayer do I need to be before God answers?

Her mom was sick, and the prognosis was not good. It was Leukemia, and she probably had only a year and a half to live. My heart ached for this young daughter, standing by my car with tears streaming down her face. “I’m trying to trust God to heal her,” she sobbed. “But I don’t think I am praying with enough faith. I need to be praying more for her.”

Is God more moved to answer our requests by persistence? If we pray hard enough or long enough, will that increase our chance of getting the answer we are hoping for?

You’ve probably heard Jesus’ parable about the persistent widow (Luke 18:2-8). Someone was harassing her, so she approached a certain judge for protection. But the judge was self-absorbed and had no interest in her plea, and ignored her continuing protests. Finally, tired of her constant badgering, he gives in. “Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out,” he said. And finally he gives in to her demands.

I’ve always heard it taught that this story teaches we need to be persistent in prayer, so God will give us what we want.

How persistent is enough? Praying for something 20 times? 50 times? Five times a day? 10? Paul didn’t seem to think in terms of big numbers. When the thorn in his flesh became unbearable, he prayed to God. Not fifty times or even 20 times. “I implored the Lord three times that it might leave me,” he wrote.

Three times? I could knock that out in a half-hour. If persistence was the issue, don’t you think Paul would have made the request more times than that?

A careful look at that parable yields a much more accurate view of what Jesus was trying to communicate. Luke gives us a big clue in his introduction. “Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not to lose heart.” The big question is, what does Luke mean by “lose heart”?

There are two options that seem apparent. The first is the common interpretation: we are to follow the example of that pestering widow.

But there is, in my opinion, a much better option. Because the parable is not so much about the widow, but that self-absorbed judge.

Jesus seems to indicate that the latter is the case. “Hear what the unrighteous judge said; now will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them? I tell you that He will bring about justice for them quickly…” Jesus is reassuring His disciples about the character of God, not giving them a burden of how persistently they ought to pray.

We can see this in how Jesus compares God to the judge. He makes the judge out to be a real jerk: ignoring the pleas of the oppressed, refusing to respect God or man. Absolutely self-absorbed. Even when he finally acquiesces to her repeated requests, it’s all about him. “Because this widow bothers me…otherwise by continually coming she will wear me out.” All about ME.

Now seriously, is this depiction of that judge meant to represent God in any way? Jesus seems to go to great pains to keep the disciples from thinking that.

“Hear what the unrighteous judge says…” Then He goes on to talk about God. He is making a comparison. The unrighteous judge is everything God is NOT.

The disciples would not lose heart if they understood the character of God. He had a plan for this world and would bring it to fulfillment. “However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” Jesus is teaching them: God is on the throne. He wants you to trust Him, even when things get grim. He is NOT that self-absorbed judge. Don’t lose heart when opposition comes, even to the point of your death. He is completely involved in all the things.

Can we trust Him when circumstances pile up against us? Of course we can. So don’t lose heart.

I don’t think this parable is about prayer at all. It is about who God is, and that we should never despair in light of His goodness, wisdom, and power. We should never lose heart.

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.                                         Joshua 1:9 NASB