Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart:He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray and not give up,And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint;
6 sermons cite this verse
… instead of asking God to remove the mountain Luke 18 verse 1 I want to read 8 verses and then we'll back up and talk then he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart I want to read that first verse again then he spoke a parable to them that men always ought to pray and not lose heart saying there was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man Now there was a widow in that city. She came to him saying, get justice for me from my adversary. And he would not for a while. But afterward he said within himself, though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continually coming she weary me. I met that lady. then the Lord said hear what the unjust judge said and shall not God avenge his own elect to cry out day and night to him though he bears long with them and I tell you that he will avenge them speedily nevertheless when the son of man comes will he really find faith on the earth I know that this is a pretty well-known story and it ought to be because it's one of the times the Lord talked to people about prayer if you look at all the things the disciples could have asked Jesus to teach them the only thing I remember was they asked him to teach …
… You have access to his compassion and strength. You may remember in Luke chapter 18, the chapter begins, Jesus spoke this parable unto them that men ought always to pray and not lose heart. Men ought always to pray and not lose heart. Then he gives this wild analogy of a judge in a town who's a rascal, an unjust judge. And this woman came to the judge for justice and she had an issue and judge didn't want to hear about it because he didn't care. He was a rascal, but she kept coming and kept coming and kept persisting. And finally the judge said, all right, I'll do what you want. Not because I want to do it, but because you keep bugging me. And Jesus uses that example to say, if an unjust, just rascally judge would do that for a woman who keeps coming who didn't lose heart, how much more will a good and gracious, compassionate, loving heavenly father do for his children? So men ought always to pray and not lose heart. People who persist in prayer are people who do not lose heart. People who lose heart are people who do not persist in prayer. So, come boldly. Second, live expectantly. Live expectantly. …
… to us from the gospel of Luke chapter 18 beginning with the first verse. Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. Jesus said in a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people in that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying grant me justice against my accuser for a while he refused but later he said to himself though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so she may not wear me out by continually coming to me. And the Lord said, listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to God's chosen ones who cry to God day and night? Will God delay long in helping them? I tell you, God will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? …
… When He poured out His soul in prayer, they went back and left Him alone. Our Lord Jesus urges that men ought always to pray and not to faint or not to grow weary. Luke 18, 1, men ought always to pray. And that is exactly what Paul is telling us here. This is the climax of the entire epistle, and it is placed here purposely as the pinnacle. The whole letter ends in a plea for prayer. You could say it begins in the heights of the heavenlies, and it ends on its knees. It is very crucial that we understand the role that prayer plays in our sanctification and in our ministry. Now let me help you to understand how strategically Paul places this command. Starting in chapter 1 with verse 3, we were instructed that we have been blessed with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies in Christ Jesus. That is that we have been given everything we need, absolutely everything. To put it in Peter's words, we have all things that pertain to life and godliness. …
… In Luke chapter 18, beginning in verse number 1, then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. He said to them, In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city, there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, grant me justice against my opponent. For a while, he refused. But later, he said to himself, though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice so that she may not wear me out by continually coming. And the Lord said, listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth? …
… PRAY, THE BIBLE COMMANDS US TO PRAY. THE LORD JESUS IN LUKE 18, ONE, THE BIBLE SAYS OF HIM, AND HE SPAKE A PARABLE UNTO THEM TO THIS END, THAT MEN OUGHT ALWAYS TO PRAY AND NOT TO FAINT. THE LORD JESUS SAID IN MARK 14 VERSE 38, WATCH AND PRAY LEST YOU ENTER INTO TEMPTATION. EVERY TIME YOU'VE SINNED IT IS BECAUSE YOU FAILED TO PRAY AS YOU OUGHT. WATCH AND PRAY LEST YOU ENTER INTO TEMPTATION. THE APOSTLE PAUL SAID, BE CAREFUL FOR NOTHING, THAT IS DON'T WORRY ABOUT ANYTHING, BUT IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET YOUR REQUEST BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD. THE REASON YOU'RE SO FULL OF CARE AND, AND WORRY RIGHT NOW IS YOU'VE NOT TRULY LEARNED HOW TO PRAY. IN EVERYTHING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION, YOU ARE TO ASK GOD FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU NEED. YOU KNOW, A GOOD TEST OF ANYTHING, WHETHER IT'S RIGHT OR WRONG FOR YOU TO HAVE IT IS, CAN YOU ASK GOD FOR IT? NOW IF YOU DON'T FEEL YOU CAN ASK GOD FOR IT, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY BUSINESS WITH IT. YOU SEE, WE'RE TO PRAY ABOUT ANYTHING. IF IT'S WRONG TO ASK GOD FOR IT, IT'S WRONG TO HAVE IT OR TO DO IT. DON'T DIVIDE YOUR LIFE UP into the secular and the sacred. Don't say, well, there's certain things I can pray about and certain things I don't pray about because God's not interested in those things. Oh, no. …