Wear Him Out! Message given 10/28/07
Let us pray: Almighty and everlasting God, in Christ you have revealed your glory among the people of the earth. Preserve the works of your mercy, that your Church throughout the world may persevere with steadfast faith in the confession of your name. I pray that each heart here be open to your word this morning and that my words become truly yours in spirit. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh Lord our rock and our redeemer. AMEN
I was a young boy in the 50s and 60s. There were no Walmarts, Targets or even Kmarts. The big department stores were all downtown, visited only on special occasions. During those years around early November all the kids would start hovering around their mailboxes. Because that’s when the Christmas catalogues would finally arrive. We would pore through those books whose pages were significantly more well-read than our Bibles. We would see just what it was that we wanted for Christmas.
Believe it or not, the Sears catalogue offered pet dogs for sale. Around the time I was eight, I developed an interest in a dog. No, not just an interest, it was almost an obsession. And not just any dog either. I desperately wanted a Dalmatian dog, the one on page 187. I could see myself playing with the dog, feeding and caring for it. It would be my friend and comforter. We would be inseparable. I would teach it tricks, and all my friends would be amazed at my dog.
But as some of you know from my comments at the Dog Daze pet blessing, my Mom was not in favor of having a dog in our household. That didn’t stop me. The Dalmatian was at the top of my Christmas list that year and for the next several. I prayed that God would let me find one each Christmas morning when we opened our gifts. How I prayed… But to this day, I have never owned a Dalmatian.
In a small way, my boy doesn’t meet dog story reminds me of the narrative in today’s Scripture lesson. It’s about a widow who understood the meaning of persistence. Let’s hear the word of the Lord.
Luke 18:1-8 NLT
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. 2 "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who was a godless man with great contempt for everyone. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone who had harmed her. 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. 'I fear neither God nor man,' he said to himself, 5 'but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" 6 Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this evil judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?"
The Word of God, written for the people of God - Thanks be to God
The widow woman in this passage has been the source of much disagreement and discussion for two thousand years. In Bible study and Sunday School classes over the years I’ve heard all sorts of interpretations and arguments about this story. Just how should we pray? And what should we pray for?
There are those who say we should emulate the woman and pray until our prayers are answered. As far as God goes, we should pray until we wear Him out. They have some basis too. Certainly, the widow woman was successful with this strategy. Even though that judge was godless and had contempt for everyone, she kept after him and, as the Bible says, “eventually she wore him out.” That should be enough to conclude that persistent prayer is the only way to go.
The persistent prayer folks can look to other Scripture references as well. In Luke 11 Jesus tells a parable about a man who has a surprise guest and hasn’t enough bread to feed him. Though it is past bedtime, he goes to his neighbor and knocks on his door, asking the neighbor to loan him some bread. The neighbor ignores him; but he won’t give up. He bangs on the door until the neighbor finally gives in just to shut him up. In Acts 12 the Bible tells us that when the Apostle Peter was imprisoned by Herod, his friends earnestly prayed for him. They were still praying after the angel of the Lord had released him form his cell. It was a long shot. Many didn’t believe Rhoda had seen Peter at the door until he actually came inside.
Yes, there is some justification for praying without ceasing; but what of some of the others view? They use their reasoning to apply a different prayer strategy. Once they pray, they put the care aside. After all, once you’ve prayed to God, you’ve left the situation in very capable hands. If you look at today’s Scripture, you can see that rather than demanding a multitude of prayers from the widow woman, it actually says, “Learn a lesson from this evil judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!”
Yes, Jesus tells us that we can expect a positive and prompt response from God. Moreover, in the same story I cited before about the breadless man, Jesus talks about positive Godly responses, “10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. 11 "You fathers if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
It seems as if there is no clear answer on whether we should pray with persistence or once with confidence as we ask God for things. Obviously, neither the Sunday School and Bible study crowds have come to agreement. And neither have the preachers on my favorite internet bulletin board. No one seems to have the answer. Should we be persistent or positive in our prayer life?
Here’s what makes the issue even more difficult to put to rest. How many of us have had some really important stuff that we’ve prayed for or ARE praying for that hasn’t been answered? You know what I’m talking about. A beloved spouse who is critically ill, a child in a serious accident, a loved one in harms way in a war zone halfway around the world, a job that will end at the end of the year and a mortgage that won’t, a malady we’ve developed that won’t get better, for the teenager a college application that hangs in the balance of how well the ACT score comes out.
We’ve all had some of these kinds of issues. And sometimes our prayers are not answered. And it’s painful. That’s why we keep asking the question. What do I need to change about my praying to get God to listen?
A clue is tucked into Jesus’ last comment in the passage, “But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?” Prayer needs to be more than a petition; it needs to be a conversation. The longer the widow woman prayed, the more she understood God’s plan-and accepted it. As we pray, our wish should be that God’s will be done.
When we’re one with God, our prayers are always answered. Maybe not always with a yes, but hopefully always with a peace. Hear this hymn by James Montgomery (1818)
Lord, teach us how to pray aright, With reverence and with fear;
Though dust and ashes in Thy sight, We may, we must draw near.
We perish if we cease from prayer; O grant us power to pray;
And when to meet Thee we prepare, Lord, meet us by the way.
God of all grace, we come to Thee, With broken, contrite hearts;
Give what Thine eye delights to see, Truth in the inward parts.
Faith in the only sacrifice That can for sin atone;
To cast our hopes, to fix our eyes, On Christ, on Christ alone.
Patience to watch, and wait, and weep, Though mercy long delay;
Courage our fainting souls to keep, And trust Thee though Thou slay.
Give these, and then Thy will be done, Thus, strengthened with all might,
We, through Thy Spirit and Thy Son, Shall pray, and pray aright.
Finally you might wonder what ever happened to my Dalmatian prayers? I gradually quit praying for that dog. Fast forward about 35 years. Now my youngest child was without a playmate in her neighborhood, needing a companion, a dog. We had just seen the re-release of 101 Dalmatians. I checked the classified ads. $500-1000 in 1991 dollars. Too much. But my daughter needed a friend. We found a half-breed dog one step away from the pound. There are four answers to prayer: yes, no, wait, and “Let me surprise you.” The dog wasn’t a Dalmatian, but he was a beloved companion to our family for 14 years. He was our friend and comforter. We were all inseparable. We taught him tricks. All our friends were amazed. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN
MAY WE PRAY? God of all time, your purposes and hopes for the universe will never be thwarted. Remind us of your persistent love and of your continual grace toward us. Give us hope and perseverance, in Jesus’ name AMEN.
I was a young boy in the 50s and 60s. There were no Walmarts, Targets or even Kmarts. The big department stores were all downtown, visited only on special occasions. During those years around early November all the kids would start hovering around their mailboxes. Because that’s when the Christmas catalogues would finally arrive. We would pore through those books whose pages were significantly more well-read than our Bibles. We would see just what it was that we wanted for Christmas.
Believe it or not, the Sears catalogue offered pet dogs for sale. Around the time I was eight, I developed an interest in a dog. No, not just an interest, it was almost an obsession. And not just any dog either. I desperately wanted a Dalmatian dog, the one on page 187. I could see myself playing with the dog, feeding and caring for it. It would be my friend and comforter. We would be inseparable. I would teach it tricks, and all my friends would be amazed at my dog.
But as some of you know from my comments at the Dog Daze pet blessing, my Mom was not in favor of having a dog in our household. That didn’t stop me. The Dalmatian was at the top of my Christmas list that year and for the next several. I prayed that God would let me find one each Christmas morning when we opened our gifts. How I prayed… But to this day, I have never owned a Dalmatian.
In a small way, my boy doesn’t meet dog story reminds me of the narrative in today’s Scripture lesson. It’s about a widow who understood the meaning of persistence. Let’s hear the word of the Lord.
Luke 18:1-8 NLT
1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up. 2 "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who was a godless man with great contempt for everyone. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, appealing for justice against someone who had harmed her. 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but eventually she wore him out. 'I fear neither God nor man,' he said to himself, 5 'but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'" 6 Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this evil judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?"
The Word of God, written for the people of God - Thanks be to God
The widow woman in this passage has been the source of much disagreement and discussion for two thousand years. In Bible study and Sunday School classes over the years I’ve heard all sorts of interpretations and arguments about this story. Just how should we pray? And what should we pray for?
There are those who say we should emulate the woman and pray until our prayers are answered. As far as God goes, we should pray until we wear Him out. They have some basis too. Certainly, the widow woman was successful with this strategy. Even though that judge was godless and had contempt for everyone, she kept after him and, as the Bible says, “eventually she wore him out.” That should be enough to conclude that persistent prayer is the only way to go.
The persistent prayer folks can look to other Scripture references as well. In Luke 11 Jesus tells a parable about a man who has a surprise guest and hasn’t enough bread to feed him. Though it is past bedtime, he goes to his neighbor and knocks on his door, asking the neighbor to loan him some bread. The neighbor ignores him; but he won’t give up. He bangs on the door until the neighbor finally gives in just to shut him up. In Acts 12 the Bible tells us that when the Apostle Peter was imprisoned by Herod, his friends earnestly prayed for him. They were still praying after the angel of the Lord had released him form his cell. It was a long shot. Many didn’t believe Rhoda had seen Peter at the door until he actually came inside.
Yes, there is some justification for praying without ceasing; but what of some of the others view? They use their reasoning to apply a different prayer strategy. Once they pray, they put the care aside. After all, once you’ve prayed to God, you’ve left the situation in very capable hands. If you look at today’s Scripture, you can see that rather than demanding a multitude of prayers from the widow woman, it actually says, “Learn a lesson from this evil judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end, so don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who plead with him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly!”
Yes, Jesus tells us that we can expect a positive and prompt response from God. Moreover, in the same story I cited before about the breadless man, Jesus talks about positive Godly responses, “10 For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And the door is opened to everyone who knocks. 11 "You fathers if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? 12 Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! 13 If you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
It seems as if there is no clear answer on whether we should pray with persistence or once with confidence as we ask God for things. Obviously, neither the Sunday School and Bible study crowds have come to agreement. And neither have the preachers on my favorite internet bulletin board. No one seems to have the answer. Should we be persistent or positive in our prayer life?
Here’s what makes the issue even more difficult to put to rest. How many of us have had some really important stuff that we’ve prayed for or ARE praying for that hasn’t been answered? You know what I’m talking about. A beloved spouse who is critically ill, a child in a serious accident, a loved one in harms way in a war zone halfway around the world, a job that will end at the end of the year and a mortgage that won’t, a malady we’ve developed that won’t get better, for the teenager a college application that hangs in the balance of how well the ACT score comes out.
We’ve all had some of these kinds of issues. And sometimes our prayers are not answered. And it’s painful. That’s why we keep asking the question. What do I need to change about my praying to get God to listen?
A clue is tucked into Jesus’ last comment in the passage, “But when I, the Son of Man, return, how many will I find who have faith?” Prayer needs to be more than a petition; it needs to be a conversation. The longer the widow woman prayed, the more she understood God’s plan-and accepted it. As we pray, our wish should be that God’s will be done.
When we’re one with God, our prayers are always answered. Maybe not always with a yes, but hopefully always with a peace. Hear this hymn by James Montgomery (1818)
Lord, teach us how to pray aright, With reverence and with fear;
Though dust and ashes in Thy sight, We may, we must draw near.
We perish if we cease from prayer; O grant us power to pray;
And when to meet Thee we prepare, Lord, meet us by the way.
God of all grace, we come to Thee, With broken, contrite hearts;
Give what Thine eye delights to see, Truth in the inward parts.
Faith in the only sacrifice That can for sin atone;
To cast our hopes, to fix our eyes, On Christ, on Christ alone.
Patience to watch, and wait, and weep, Though mercy long delay;
Courage our fainting souls to keep, And trust Thee though Thou slay.
Give these, and then Thy will be done, Thus, strengthened with all might,
We, through Thy Spirit and Thy Son, Shall pray, and pray aright.
Finally you might wonder what ever happened to my Dalmatian prayers? I gradually quit praying for that dog. Fast forward about 35 years. Now my youngest child was without a playmate in her neighborhood, needing a companion, a dog. We had just seen the re-release of 101 Dalmatians. I checked the classified ads. $500-1000 in 1991 dollars. Too much. But my daughter needed a friend. We found a half-breed dog one step away from the pound. There are four answers to prayer: yes, no, wait, and “Let me surprise you.” The dog wasn’t a Dalmatian, but he was a beloved companion to our family for 14 years. He was our friend and comforter. We were all inseparable. We taught him tricks. All our friends were amazed. In the name of the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN
MAY WE PRAY? God of all time, your purposes and hopes for the universe will never be thwarted. Remind us of your persistent love and of your continual grace toward us. Give us hope and perseverance, in Jesus’ name AMEN.