Before doing this study, please read the one-minute introduction Prayer is Part of Our Lifetime Process of Renewal.
Then take some time to consider the instructions in the following verses:
Colossians 4:2: Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.
The Greek word translated “watchful” means awake and alert.
Luke 18:1-8: Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
Luke 18:1-8: Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” 6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
This parable has the same message as Colossians 4:2 from a slightly different perspective. We all know that being persistent sometimes pays off with ungodly people like the judge in this parable. But we can rejoice that we are not praying to an ungodly judge. We are praying to a perfect, loving Judge and Father.
This doesn't mean we will get whatever we pray for, but it means that we will get whatever we pray for that is in God's will. For more on this, see Prayer is Both Mysterious and Easy to Understand.
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