4 reasons to Pray

Read Luke 18.

Life is not fair.  We live in a world of injustices.  People are taken advantage of every day.  Many times the instigator of the injustice appears to get away with it, whether that is a person, an organization, or a government.  Victims look to legal authorities to right the wrongs.  But, the very ones empowered to enact law and order, justice and right, often become part of the problem.

This can be so discouraging that some see no hope for the future.  What is a person to do?  Jesus told His followers a parable in verses 1-8 "that they ought to always to pray and not lose heart."

The Choice.
The decision is this: do we pray and seek God's help or do we become discouraged and give up?  "Cast your burden on the LORD, and he will sustain you." (Psalm 55:22)  The more we express our dependence upon God, the more we will experience His sustaining grace in our lives.

The Contrast.
A common misconception is that Jesus was comparing God to the unjust judge and we should be persistent in prayer until God gives in to our requests.  Such a view paints the God of heaven as uncaring and unwilling and only gives in to get rid of us.  In great contrast, God is not like the unjust judge at all and He is not reluctant to hear our prayers and to answer us.  There is a difference between persistence in prayer and mere repetition of the same words over and over.  "The eyes of the LORD are toward the righteous and his ears are open toward their cry." (Psalm 34:15)

The Confidence.
Jesus closed the story with a question.  "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"
This query directly relates to the parable of the widow's faith in ultimate justice and Jesus’ encouragement to His followers to be faithful in prayer.

"Your heavenly Father knows what you need before you ask him." (Matthew 6:7)  Bringing our needs to God in prayer is not for His benefit; it is for ours.  Someone once said, "When we ask God to do something for us, He generally does something in us."

1. Praying reminds us of our dependence.
2. Praying reminds us who really is in control.
3. Praying reminds us of God's perspective on our lives.
4. Praying allows us to see God's power at work.

"Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:16)