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(This is a brief sermon outline taken from ‘The Parable of the Persistent Widow’ (Luke 18:1-8))

Main Thought –We should always pray and not give up (18:1)

From this Parable, we will look at 4 reasons why we can and should persist in prayer. They are as follows;

The persistent widow came to a wicked Judge; we come to a loving Father (18:2,7)

  • The Judge was extremely evil and we should never compare him with God.

“In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared about men”. (18:1)

  • God is totally the opposite to this wicked Judge

“Will not God bring about justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? (18:7)

  • God’s amazing love for people is further enhanced by the words of the Lord Jesus and the Prophet Isaiah as shown below.

“He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”. (Luke 4:18-19)

“My care for the people… is like the gently flowing waters of Shiloah”. (Isaiah 8:6 NLT)

The persistent widow was rejected by the Judge; we are unconditionally accepted by the Lord (18:3-4)

  • This wicked Judge was determined to make this widow suffer to the maximum. He therefore rejected her repeatedly.

“For some time he refused (her)”. (18:3-4)

  • However, God accepts us unconditionally whenever we come to His beautiful presence. He hears us every time we pray.

“Will He (God) keep putting them (His chosen ones) off? (18:7)

“Surely, the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear”. (Isaiah: 59:1)

  • God rewards those who are persistent in  seeking Him in prayer without giving up.

“God…..rewards those who earnestly seek Him”. (Hebrews 11:6)

She was a nuisance to the Judge; we bring delight to God (18:3,5)

  • The Judge helped the widow only because she was a nuisance to him. He was weary and annoyed at her persistence. He obviously hated seeing her.

“Because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually wear me out with her coming”. (18:5)

  • God however delights to have us come into His beautiful presence. He waits to hear our cry and answer our prayer. He will never ever consider our request a nuisance.

“I tell you, He (God) will see that they get justice and quickly”. (18:8)

  • Even as God delights in us, we in return need to delight ourselves in God.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart”. (Psalm 37:4)

She came to a seat of judgement; we come to a seat of mercy

  • There is no condemnation to those who come to God’s mercy seat in repentance. The blood of Jesus atones for all sin.

“Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”. (Romans 8:1)

  • Therefore, let us never feel that God is annoyed or irritated when we  are persistent in prayer till the answer comes. Let us come and stay in His presence with a heart of true humility. Let us be persistent in prayer.

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need”. (Hebrews 4:16)

“For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted”. (Luke 18:14)

Closing Thought – This Parable is also linked to the Lord’s second coming (18:8). We are also asked to persevere or persist in faith till He comes.

Please click on link below for further reading on prayer: 

https://thoughts-about-god.com/blog/p-jayasooriya_take-lord-prayer/

https://www.preachingplatform.org/devotionals/devotional-the-power-of-prayer

 

 

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