Unless otherwise indicated, scripture quotations are from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.
It is a common experience of every believer that sometimes while praying, God seems not to be listening to them. Many claim to have prayed for quite a long period of time and stopped because the answer to their prayer was not forthcoming. But Jesus gave a parable to illustrate that although there is a possibility of fainting or losing heart in the place of prayer when answers are not forthcoming, they should not faint but pray always. As usual, Jesus gave an extreme example in His parable to show to His disciples how impossible it is for their prayers not be answered if they continue in prayers. There was a widow in the city who was always harassed by her opponent and she came to this judge for legal protection. Now, widows were one of the classes of people that the Lord commanded the Israelites to defend and to care for since they no longer have husbands. But this judge was one who did not fear God or respect anyone. He was not willing to obey the commandment of God about caring for the helpless nor did he even consider any human. He was a self-centered person that cared only for himself. However, the widow kept coming to him and was demanding for his help. Eventually, the judge heeded to the cry of the woman, not because he had now chosen to fear God or had now become humane. But he answered and offered the woman her request because of his own peace. This inhumane judge said in Luke 18:5: “Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.” He offered to help the woman not because he considered her but because he considered himself.
But, God unto Whom we pray, is not like this judge. For this judge is the direct opposite of Who God is. For God will keep His own words. If He had commanded that the helpless should be succoured, He would not do otherwise when they cry to Him. Also, unlike the judge, God is not inhumane. He is so compassionate and kind. The psalmist says in Psalm 17:7: “Shew thy marvelous loving-kindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them which put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them” (NASB). He is the One Who saves those who trust in Him and He quickly shows His loving-kindness by stretching out His right hand of power for the deliverance of those who call upon Him. And lastly, God is not self-centered. He will not wait till He has something to gain before He answers you. Or rather only answer you because He does not want to lose His peace by your disturbance. But then, even if God is like this judge, which is very impossible, if you continue in the place of prayer, you will still receive an answer.
A practical example was the case of Jacob at Penuel. He had met with a man whom Hosea tells us was an angel (Hosea 12:4), who wrestled with him. But as the day was about to break, he told Jacob to let him go but Jacob refused and said he would not let him go unless he blessed him. Then the man replied and asked him in Genesis 32:27-28;“What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.”
Because Jacob insisted that he should be blessed, he was said to have prevailed and was blessed. Many believers do not see prayers as a form of wrestling. They do not know the forces that stand against the delivery of the answers to their prayers. Consequently, they see no need to fight in the place of prayer until they prevail. The case of Daniel gives us an idea of what happens in the spiritual realm. In Daniel 10, Daniel was said to have begun a fasting and prayer. But the answer did not come until the twenty-first day. And when the angel eventually came to him, he told him that from the first day that Daniel set his heart to pray, God had already answered him and he was sent to bring words to Daniel. However, on his way he was withstood by a principality. He could not leave until after twenty-one days when Michael had been sent to fight for his release. But all this was possible because Daniel continued in the place of prayer. And as Daniel prevailed in the place of prayers, the messenger of the Lord prevailed over the principality in the air. Believers should understand that there may be many factors that affect the answers to their prayers. But if they persevere, they will prevail.
Also, In Galatians 4:19, Paul likened prayers to a travail. He said to the believers in Galatia: “My little children, of whom I travail in birth again until Christ be formed in you.” Paul desired something for the believers and the only way to bring it to pass was to labour in the place of prayer and travail like a woman who was about to deliver. And he knew until he travails in birth, there would be no result.
Like a woman carries her pregnancy over some period of time and eventually travails during labour when she is about to bring forth her child, so should we consistently carry the burden of our prayers until due time when we will travail in the place of prayer and the answers to our burden are brought forth. For without travail, there will not be any delivery. By continuing in prayers, the answers to our requests are formed and if there is any hindrance, it will be removed and the answers to our prayers will be delivered to us.
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