KEEP ON PRAYING

Lectionary text: Luke 18:1-8 - (NRSV)  Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. 2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. 3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my opponent.' 4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.'" 6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. 7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? 8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?"

The Master told a parable about an unjust judge
who, when a woman came to him for justice, would not budge,
because he had no fear of God, for people no respect.
But her persistence finally had its desired effect.
“Because she bothers me,” he said, “I think it would be best,
before this woman wears me out, that I grant her request.”
Then Jesus said, “Listen to what that unjust judge has said.”          
He made sure that this message sticks in each and every head:
Will God not grant his chosen ones, who pray both day and night,
the help and justice they deserve for striving to do right?”
So keep on praying, knowing that the God who cares is there,
and all the faithful can be sure God answers every prayer,
not necessarily the way we might have hoped he would,
        but through the eyes of faith we'll see God's way is always good!