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The Persistent Widow

A lesson in not giving up

"And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." - Luke 18:1

Jesus told a story about a widow who kept pestering a judge for justice. This judge didn't care about God or people, but he finally gave the widow what she wanted just to get her to leave him alone. Jesus' point was simple: if a corrupt judge will respond to persistence, how much more will our loving heavenly Father respond to our prayers?

This reminds me of a story I heard about Hudson Taylor, the great missionary to China. He was trying to raise support for his mission work, and he had been praying for a specific amount of money for months. One day, he received a letter with a check for the exact amount he had been praying for. The letter said, "I have been carrying this check in my pocket for three months, and God keeps telling me to send it to you, but I kept making excuses. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore."

God had answered Taylor's prayer three months before Taylor even knew it, but it took persistence on both ends to bring it to pass.

You know, I think one of the biggest reasons we don't see more answers to prayer is that we give up too soon. We pray once or twice and when we don't see immediate results, we assume God isn't listening or isn't going to answer.

I've learned this in my own life, sometimes the hard way. There have been things I've prayed about for years before seeing any movement. There have been people I've prayed for who seemed to get harder instead of softer toward God.

But I've also learned that God's delays are not God's denials. Sometimes He's working behind the scenes in ways we can't see. Sometimes He's preparing our hearts for the answer.

The persistent widow teaches us that we shouldn't give up. Keep praying, keep believing, keep trusting that our God hears us and will answer in His perfect timing.

Is there something you've been praying about that you're tempted to give up on? Don't quit. Keep knocking, keep asking, keep seeking. Our God is faithful, and He rewards those who diligently seek Him.

Prayer: Lord, help me to be persistent in prayer like the widow in Your story. When I'm tempted to give up, remind me that You hear every prayer and answer in Your perfect timing. Give me faith to keep believing even when I can't see what You're doing. Amen.

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