Have you ever prayed and prayed, perhaps even fasted, shed tears, and cried out to the Lord every day for a particular need and felt that there seemed no visible evidence of an answer? Did you wonder if there was anything in your life or in the spiritual realm that was blocking or delaying the answer? I know I’ve been there. From intercessory prayer for our country and nations around the world to prayer requests for my immediate family and friends – at times it feels like the heavens are shut up and the Throne of Grace is closed for business.
Perhaps Jesus anticipated our tendency to lose heart when prayer is not answered instantly and that is why He gave His disciples the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18:1-8. Luke prefaces it by saying that He told them this parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. The gist of it is that if a godless judge grants a widow her wish because she keeps bothering him, God will most certainly hear the cries of His precious children.
The question the Lord poses at the end is: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?”
The Greek word pistos that is used for faith can also mean faithfulness. Many commentators think that this is what Jesus meant here, because it touches on an important dynamic of prayer, and, come to think of it, ministry in general.
That dynamic is to not lose heart. To remain faithful in praying whether you see an answer or not. To blindly believe that God has answered your prayer whether you get to see that answer in your lifetime or not, and to fight against anything that hinders that belief.
I catch myself thinking sometimes that spiritual success comes in the form of answered prayer and numeric growth in ministry, and that if those things aren’t happening there must be something wrong. But I believe that spiritual success is more about not losing heart, not becoming faint in your faith, being faithful to pray no matter what, and faithful to keep ministering even if it feels like pulling a freight train. Is the worth of an intercessors measured by the number of prayers that were answered of by him or her never giving up? Is the success of a pastor measured by how much his congregation grew or by him faithfully tending to the needs of his flock for decades even though his church never grew by much if any?
George Muller is known as the epitome of answered prayer. He founded orphanages in Bristol where thousands of children were taken care of and raised in the faith, all without ever asking for a dime. But there was one particular prayer request that he never saw answered in his lifetime here on earth, even though he prayed it three times a day, seven days a week, for over 60 years. Talk about persistence! It was for the salvation of his childhood friend. God tested Muller’s faith and he never gave up. And two weeks after his death the friend came to Christ!
God invites us to persist in prayer in order to test and strengthen our faithfulness. He gives His answer the instance He receives the prayer, but the delivery of that answer comes in His chosen and perfect time, and that may take a lifetime or more.
His desire is for us to not need quick answers to prayer in order to keep praying or keep our faith alive. His desire for us is to trust the integrity of His promises and His character. He is faithful to us – can we be faithful to Him?
I still fight this from time to time. Perhaps because I’m naturally task and achievement oriented. Where are the results? What am I doing wrong if I don’t see any? But the spiritual wisdom that the Lord gives teaches me that He is not the God of instantaneous results. He is the God of building faith, steadfastness and character in me. My spiritual maturity matters more to Him than my ministry successes. And the way He processes my prayers are one of the many tools He uses.
So, my friend, do not lose heart. Remind yourself of 1 John 5:14, 15 :
“And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him.”
When it does not become visible for a long time that we have what we asked of Him, even if we are certain it is according to His will, remember that God wants you to stay faithful and keep praying, and that through your faithfulness become strong.