A Lesson on Prayer

Instead of an actual prayer today, I thought I would go to a passage which talks about prayer.

In Luke 18: 1-8, Jesus uses a parable to "show that at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart."  The parable is about an unrighteous judge who does not fear God nor respect men who is worn down by the persistence of a widow (the most vulnerable and least respected of humanity in that culture) who kept coming and kept coming and kept coming to beg his protection from her opponents.  The Greek implies her constant appearing and request for justice was both annoying and beginning to damage his reputation or "give a black eye" to his name.

Jesus then compares the unwilling, unrighteous judge who was slow to come to the aid of the widow to God, the willing and righteous judge.  He says, "now shall 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 speedily."

Great!  I'll just pray day and night for justice over those who oppose me and God will make everything better, right?  Then how come Jesus ends the parable like this, "However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?"

Lord, protect me from those who would oppose me when I am acting righteously for Your sake.  Come to my aid quickly.  But, most of all, do not let me lose faith because I want quicker more vengeful justice.  Amen.