“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”
The Prayer
Luke states the point of this parable before he even tells it: men ought always to pray, and not to faint. The parable that follows describes a persistent widow wearing down an unjust judge simply through refusing to give up, and Jesus uses even this imperfect comparison to make a point about persistence in prayer.
Notice the pairing: always pray, and not faint. Fainting here describes losing heart, giving up, growing weary of asking and simply stopping. Jesus assumes this is a real temptation, that persistent, unanswered prayer will genuinely tempt you to quit, and he addresses that specific temptation directly rather than pretending it does not exist.
The point of the parable is not that God is like the unjust judge, reluctant and needing to be worn down against his will. It is the opposite, an argument from lesser to greater: if even an unjust judge eventually responds to persistence, how much more will a good, willing Father respond to his own children who cry to him day and night.
If you are tempted to faint today, to quietly stop praying about something because the answer has not yet come, this parable was told directly for that temptation. Keep praying. Not because God is reluctant like the judge, but because he is not, and persistence is not required to change his mind, only to keep your own heart engaged.
Watch and Pray
- Name a prayer where you have been tempted to faint, to simply stop asking.
- Pray it again today, deliberately, refusing to let weariness end the asking.
- Remember the point of persistence is not to change a reluctant God but to stay engaged.
Pray This
Lord, I have grown weary in this prayer and have been tempted to faint. Give me the persistence this parable describes, trusting you are not reluctant like the judge. Amen.
Carry this today
Persistence in prayer is not required to change God. It keeps my own heart engaged.