Jump Start # 1597

Luke 18:7 “now, will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night, and will He delay long over them?”

  Luke 18 gives us two parables about the subject of prayer. The second parable is about the two men who went to the Temple to pray. One didn’t pray. He bragged. He didn’t really thank God. He tooted his horn about how great he was. He expected to get a sticker on his paper that day. The other man begged for God’s mercy. Jesus used this parable to stress our attitude and humbleness in prayer. Don’t tell God what you’ve done. He already knows. Don’t brag to God. You can’t impress God with what you do.

The first parable is about persistence. Keep praying. Jesus used the story of a widow who was being oppressed. She went to a judge for help. The judge was not a kind man. He was the wrong person to be in the legal business. He wasn’t a people person. He didn’t fear man or God. Sounds arrogant, to me. She wore him out with her constant pleading for help. This is where our verse is found. Jesus promises that God will bring justice for His people who cry to Him day and night.

There are several interesting thoughts there.

First, “the day and night” concept tells us that God may not move on our first prayer. Why not? That’s up to God. We can’t figure God out nor guess His moves. Persistence is the theme of this parable. Don’t pray one time and be done with it. Keep praying. Keep praying. Keep praying. In the setting of this passage, it was justice that was desired. There might be other things that fit in there as well. Praying for better health. Praying for the prodigal to come home. Praying for a mate to turn closer to God. Prayer isn’t a check list. We do not pray just once and that’s it. If something is important to us, then we will pray and pray and pray.

Second, “the day and night” concept implies patience on our part. A hymn we sing is, “In His time.” It’s not, “In OUR time.” His time. His time and our time often are not the same time. We want things now. We have a hard time waiting. If the check out line is long at the store, we sigh. If we are stuck in construction traffic, we sigh. Waiting on kids. Waiting on the mail. Waiting and waiting and waiting. Patience is more than waiting. Often, we must wait, but it tears us up on the inside. We complain. We turn sour. Patience is waiting under control. It’s not get all bothered by the wait. Disney had a song long ago, “Whistle while you work.” Sing a hymn while you wait.

If something is important enough to you, then you will pray and keep praying. You’ll pray until you see the answer. If you don’t see it, then you will keep praying.

Third, there is a promise that God will “bring justice for His people.” Believe. It will happen. God is not the magical Jeanie in bottle that grants us our wishes. He is the Lord of Heaven and earth. More than getting what we want, prayer is about getting God’s will in our lives. We are inviting God into our world. This is why Jesus would say, “Not My will, but Thy will be done.” It’s the will of God that we are after. Some prayers fail because they are not according to God’s will. God is not going to violate His word nor suspend what He has set in order just to make you happy. God’s will is for the salvation of us. God wants us to be a holy people. God wants us to worship Him, obey Him and be conformed to Jesus. If that comes about by saying “No,” to what you ask, then His will has been accomplished. God is not the Heavenly grandparent who is determined to spoil the grandkids by giving them things that they really do not need. That’s not Biblical.

If making you wait awhile on your prayer leads you to trusting Him more, then that has been a good thing. It’s hard for us to see that at the moment. If saying “No,” leads us to being more spiritual and more righteous, then that has been a good thing. If it takes adversity to mold us and shape us to His desire, then God may keep the dark clouds around. It is His will that He is after. He is wanting you to be a believer, a follower and a disciple. Praying for a new car, a bigger house, a new boyfriend, a promotion may thrill us, but those may be the very things that take us away from Him. They may feed our greed. They may take our mind off of Him.

Have you ever asked, “Just what is it that God wants from me?” The answer to that question is going to help you see how and why God answers your prayers. Praying for wisdom so you can help others come back  to God is awesome. Praying for wisdom so you will be looked up to in church, is vain.

God wants you leaving footprints that lead to Heaven. God wants a heart that is humble, trusting, loving and obedient. God wants you to be like Jesus in your own world. Imagine Jesus in your meetings today? Imagine Jesus taking a walk in the neighborhood today? Imagine Jesus walking in the front door of your house today? Things would certainly be different. You are not Jesus. You will never be Jesus. But you can be like Jesus. You can have the same spirit, attitude, mind and heart. That’s what God wants.

So praying for daddy to get well is important, but not nearly as important as praying that this sickness will lead to daddy getting closer to the Lord. That’s what God wants. That’s where our prayers need to be. So often we just pray for health. We want daddy well. We are ok with daddy living ungodly and selfish, as long as we still have him. If the deterioration of daddy’s health leads to his salvation, even though he dies, isn’t that a better in the long run? Have you noticed how many prayers in church are about physical health but so few are about spiritual health. Maybe we ought to be praying for a heart that develops the character of Jesus. Maybe we ought to be praying for the things that lead to salvation more than we do.

Night and day—the prayers kept going up to Heaven. Night and day– they longed for God’s help. It came. Jesus promised that it would. It is then, that another prayer needs to arise. A prayer of thankfulness for God helping us.

Night and day—don’t quit. Don’t stop. Prayer isn’t “one and done.” It’s more than just reading off a check list. It’s talking to the Living God.

Roger