January 6

Relentless Asking
 
“There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God, and did not respect man.  And there was a certain widow in that city, and she kept coming to him, saying, ‘Give me legal protection from my opponent.’ And for a while he was unwilling; but afterward he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow bothers me, I will give her legal protection, lets by continually coming she wear me out.’”
Luke 18:2-5 
 
The persistent widow cried out for justice.  She did not cry out for extravagance.  She did not cry out for favorable treatment.  She cried out for justice.  She cried out simply for what she was legally and morally entitled to.  She is the woman who was lifted up as the example of what persistent prayer should look like.  Far too often it seems that we resist persistence in prayer because we think we are asking for too much.  We do not believe that we ought to receive the things we desperately need.  We believe that we are being presumptuous by asking the Lord for certain things in our lives.  But many of the things we ask for are nothing more than those things we have been promised by the Lord.  Many of the things we ask for are legitimate needs, not extravagant wishes.  When we bring our needs to the Lord, we are not asking for favorable treatment.  We are asking for justice.  We are asking what we are legally and morally entitled to.  We have a reasonable expectation that His promises to us be fulfilled.  We have a reasonable expectation that He will provide for all of our needs.  Do not feel intimidated to ask nonstop for the things God has promised.  Do not feel intimidated to ask for your needs to be met.  The persistent widow was commended for her relentless requests for the justice she rightly deserved.  How much more will God commend us for relentlessness in His presence?  You have a right to expect certain things as a child of God.  Never hesitate to ask without ceasing.