PRAY UNTIL YOU PRAY

Saturday, 17 November 2012

Today’s readings

3 John 5-8; Ps 112:1-6; Luke 18:1-8

 If your prayers are not answered try to pray until you pray. If you yearn for change, pray until you pray. God’s delay is not God’s refusal. Pray until you pray. If your battery of prayer is very low, pray until you pray.  The old saying “pray until you pray” means that you pray long enough, you pray honestly enough, you pray genuinely enough, you pray persistently enough, you pray tenaciously enough, you pray unceasingly enough, you pray steadfastly enough, you pray determinedly enough, you pray untiringly enough. This kind of a prayer is a true prayer with true power.  The parable of the persistent prayer of the widow is a-down- to -earth-approach of praying until you pray.  So goes the parable, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God, and didn't respect man. A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’ He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’” (Luke 18: 2-5). This parable contrasts the unjust judge and the loving God. The parable tells us of the character of God, who will “avenge his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night, and yet he exercises patience with them” (Luke 18:7). Somebody told me, “Father this prayer session is very long!” I objected, “It is not very long, your devotion is very short.”

PRAYER

Jesus the master of prayer! Help me to pray with devotion. Help me to pray long enough. Help me to pray honestly enough. Help me to pray genuinely enough. Help me to pray persistently enough. Help me to pray tenaciously enough. Help me to pray unceasingly enough. Help me to pray steadfastly enough. Help me to pray determinedly enough. Help me to pray untiringly enough. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen!