4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, 5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
When I was in middle school, before smart phones, I remember there was great satisfaction in texting girls using one of the old slide or flip phones. You had to press the number 7 four times just to get an “S.” Every single message took effort. But there was something about the anticipation after you sent the message. You couldn’t tell if the other person was typing so you just had to close the phone and wait. It could have been 5 minutes or an hour before a reply came in but when it did it was the best feeling. You kept showing up, message after message, because you believed the connection was worth it. It was all about persistence.
This kind of persistence reminds me of a story that Jesus told in Luke 18, the parable of the persistent widow. Day after day, she came before an unjust judge, pleading for justice. At first he ignored her. But she didn’t let the silence, rejection, or delay stop her. She kept showing up and eventually, even this hardened judge gave in, not because he cared about her, but because he was worn down by her determination and persistence.
This parable that Jesus tells shows us that if even an unjust judge is able to respond to relentless pursuit then how much more will God our good and loving father respond to those who cry out to him day and night? Like Psalm 88:1 says, “Lord you are the God who saves me; day and night I cry out to you.” To persist in prayer doesn’t mean we just repeat the same prayer over and over again or spend hours on end in the prayer closet. In means constantly keeping our requests before God as we live by faith each day. “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)
Maybe you have been praying and believing God for something, but the answer hasn’t come yet. It seems as though God isn’t listening. Just like the old school phones, you’ve sent your message up, and there’s no reply. But let’s take this passage of Scripture as an encouragement to our faith. Silence doesn’t mean God’s not listening. Sometimes the waiting time is when God is growing and shaping our character the most.
In Jeremiah 33:3, God says, “Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” That’s a promise we can hold on to. The key is to keep showing up and trust that God is working behind the scenes even when we can’t see it.
So today, don’t let the silence stop you. Keep praying, keep believing, and keep showing up because every time you do, you’re placing your faith in the one who always hears, always sees, and always answers in His perfect timing.
The Bigger Picture: Don’t give up.
The Bigger Picture 