What is Prayer?
(Luke 18:1-8)
Here we will look at a parable given by Jesus regarding the subject of prayer. When we simplify prayer using this parable we will see that prayer is an exercise in faith. Jesus makes a direct connection between faith and prayer in this parable. I realize the doctrinal application of Israel being God’s elect and that God is definitely going to avenge them, but we are going to look at this parable and make a spiritual application for ourselves.
What was the purpose of the parable?
One of the main reasons for the parable was to show that mean ought always to pray and not to faint (Philippians 4:6). The word faint can mean, weak, to become feeble, to decline or frail. When we become these things spiritually it can usually be connected to a lack of prayer.
What can we learn from the woman in the parable?
Note that the woman was constant in her request to the judge (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The judge feared not God nor regarded man therefore I do not believe that here faith was the judge. I believe her faith was in the power that he had to accomplish her request.
What is the connection between faith and Prayer?
Jesus gives the parable then in verse 8 note how he ask the question, “when the Son of man cometh shall he find faith on the earth”. It is almost as if he is saying when I come will I find anyone praying?
- Prayer takes faith (Hebrews 11:6 ; James 5:13-18)
- Because of this many will say that if you don’t get an affirmative answer regarding you prayer then you did not have enough faith.
- I do not believe this is the case. Note two examples: Jesus (Matthew 26:36-46) and Paul (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). Neither of these men’s prayer were answered in the affirmative and I don’t know of anyone with more faith than these two men.
- The question then becomes can we change God’s mind? From the example of Moses (Exodus 32:1-14) I would say yes.
What does this mean for us?
There are something that God is fixed on and we cannot change those things but how will we know if we don’t ask (James 4:2). This is where faith come in, prayer is an exercise of faith and if we think about prayer and faith, it takes more faith to live with a no from God than it does to live with a yes.