May 11 2025

Sunday May11

Luke 18:1-8 – Our Heavenly Father Answers Prayer

1 Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2 saying: "There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3 Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, 'Get justice for me from my adversary.' 4 And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, 'Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5 yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.' " 6 Then the Lord said, "Hear what the unjust judge said. 7 And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8 I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?"

Today we're looking at Luke 18:1-8. Jesus is teaching a lesson on how men ought always to pray and not to faint. We are to pray without ceasing, and here Jesus gives us a story of contrast. There is a widow who has no standing with the court, going to an unjust judge, asking to be avenged of her adversary. In our first lesson, I said this widow is like us in some ways, but that's before we're saved. We have no standing with God; we are lost, hopelessly and helplessly lost.

But the contrast begins when we realize what Jesus says at the end of this story: "Shall not our Father in heaven, shall not our God avenge his own elect who cry unto him day and night?" He closes by saying, "Yes, he'll avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he really find faith on earth?"

Even though this widow is lost and helpless and can't find help unless she bribes someone, which she has no money to do, the judge avenges her because she's driving him crazy with her screaming and yelling, "Help, help, help!" Jesus is basically saying to us, "Hey, you're not like that widow any longer. You're a child of God, you are in the family of God, you have the promises of God in the Bible."

God is a great and awesome God; He loves His children, protects His children, and cares for His children. In Romans 8, we can call Him Abba, Father, dear precious Father. We can sit in His lap; He longs for us to come into His presence. “If God spared not His own Son, how much more freely through Him shall He give us all things” (Romans 8:32). The unjust judge did it because he got weary of this woman crying to him. God is teaching us to pray without ceasing, but remember, you have a Father who is ready, willing, able, and powerful to answer your prayers.

Then Jesus closes this passage asking the question, "Shall He find faith when He comes?" In Luke 17, we see the story of Noah and the ark, where only eight people were saved. The gospel was preached, the message of hope was preached for hundreds of years, and no one responded by faith to trust Noah's message and escape the judgment of God. Remember at Sodom and Gomorrah, only four people were saved from that destruction.

Jesus is saying, "Shall the Son of Man, when He comes, find faith on the earth?" According to 2 Timothy 3:1-7, in the last days, it will be perilous times, evil, terrible times. People will be blasphemers, haters of God, and haters of Christians. It's not going to get better, my friend; it's probably going to get worse before Jesus comes again.

But He's reminding us we have a heavenly Father. You don't need to bribe Him. He's a God that doesn't have to be bribed; He has a willing heart. The Bible says “if we ask anything according to His will, we know that He hears us, and we can have this confidence that whatever we ask of Him” (1 John 5:14-15).  He will give it to us if it's according to His will. “Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).

Jesus is teaching us to pray in this passage with faith, believing we have a loving, kind, providing heavenly Father, Who, when we come to Him, will meet every need we have. What an awesome God we have! Come to Him today in faith, believing. We are not like the widow with no standing. Through Jesus Christ, we have full access, and He is also our intercessor, making intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). We have the Holy Spirit making intercession according to the mind and will of God (Romans 8:26-27).

There is no reason we should not be crying out to our Heavenly Father day and night, "Oh God, we need help in this evil, wicked, cruel world. We need your protection, your grace, your strength." We can do that today.

Let's be encouraged to pray always and not to quit. Our Heavenly Father is waiting for us to come to Him!

God bless!