Many a times when we do something repeatedly for a long time, we lose the faith we initially had. We’ll start to feel frustrated, especially when we see no results. Slowly, we start to lose heart. We don’t continue what we were doing as wholeheartedly, carrying out the task haphazardly or doing it for the sake of doing it.

A good example of this is prayer. When we were first baptised in the Lord or when we just received the Holy Spirit, we would love prayers, and we would often pray. Over time, we start to lose heart.

This sermon will discuss not losing heart in prayer. We first look at a parable.

Luke 18:1-8
Actually the Lord Jesus does understand that we will lose heart when we continue in a task for a long time. This is why He tells us in v1 that the purpose of the parable is that man always ought to pray and not lose heart. The parable mentions there was a judge in a certain city; he did not fear God nor regard man. What does it mean to not fear God? A person who gives no regard to justice. He doesn’t care much about what’s right or wrong, good or evil. To him, this life is all there is; there is no retribution after this life. He only cares about how he lives in this life. He does not regard men as well, meaning, he doesn’t care what people think of him; he doesn’t care about his reputation in this earth. Such a man simply does what he wants; he’s not afraid of anything, only doing things beneficial for him. He doesn’t care too much about the possible consequences of his actions; whether it’ll harm others; whether what he does is just. Everyone in the city likely also knew what kind of a judge he was.

There was a widow in the city who had encountered an injustice she wanted to seek justice for. She had been bullied by her adversary. As a widow, she had already lost her husband - her support - she is alone. Left with no other choice, she had to seek this judge who didn’t fear God nor man. She was likely well aware of the judge’s character. She knew succeeding in asking the judge for justice was slim. But she had no other choice. She grabbed hold of this last hope she had. She came to seek help from this judge. Unsurprisingly, the judge didn’t care about her request. He didn’t seek justice for her. The matter the widow sought justice for was likely very important, possibly more important than her own life. She gave no regard that the unjust judge may lock her up as she persisted over her matter. Recall he’s a judge that didn’t fear God nor regard man. He had power to lock her up and no one would be able to do anything. The widow would’ve known the judge had such power, but she gave no regard to this risk. Rather, she grasped hold tightly of the faint hope she had. She continually sought help from this judge.

v4 Every time she went, the judge rejected her. This wasn’t just for 1-2 days, a week, or a month. It could’ve been 1-2 years or even longer. No matter how long, as long as there was hope, the widow would continue seeking help from the judge until he was willing to seek justice for her. Finally, the judge was so annoyed by the continual requests of the widow, he decided to avenge her lest she weary him.

v6-8 The Lord said, “Hear what the unjust said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily!”
The Lord tells us that when we request things from God, it’s much easier for Him to answer us than the judge answering the widow. Since God is likened to the judge, it seems God is wearied by our requests. But we must understand what kind of God we have when we compare the judge to Him.

Deut 32:3-4
God will not trick us. Everything He says is truth and what He wants to tell us, so that we may be saved. God is also just. He’s not partial to anyone, and He will not be biased to anyone. As long as we carry out what He wants us to do, then we will surely receive blessings from Him. God is just. Whatever is just, He will do. He will definitely allow and answer. Since He’s righteous, He will definitely fulfil His word.

Equality and justice are hard to carry out. Even for family matters at home, the speaker finds it hard to be equal and just. During a meal, the speaker’s daughter asked to look at the phone while eating. Being a child, she threw a tantrum. The speaker’s father started to help her, saying, “Don’t YOU also eat and use your phone at the same time?” That made the speaker reflect: The rules we set should be things we practice as well. It shouldn’t be the case where it’s “it’s because I’m an adult so I can do it, while you’re a child so cannot”. That’s not being fair. Because the speaker set this rule, at times his daughter will tell him, “While eating, we cannot use phone!” While he feels slightly displeased, he’ll listen to her and put his phone away.

Sometimes, children are people we unknowingly give less regard/thought to and we don’t notice their feelings.

Mark 10:13-15
The disciples disregarded children also needed to come near the Lord Jesus. Perhaps they thought children are noisier and disturb the Lord. While the disciples failed to give regard to the feelings/thoughts of the children, the Lord Jesus did. He’s just and fair, and want all to come to Him, including children. He told the disciples to not forbid the children from coming to Him. He even taught the disciples that whoever doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will by no means enter it.

What kind of God is our God?
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”
God loved the world, and loved them to the end. What does it mean to love to the end? He put away His position as God; His honour; He took the likeness of a servant and washed the disciples’ feet that they may have a part with Him. He gave us an example that we may follow in it. God will help us to carry out whatever is beneficial for our salvation that we may be able to reach our goal of salvation.

Luke 18:7-8
The main point in v7 is that His own elect cry out to Him day and night, and God will avenge them speedily. Not because God is afraid of being annoyed by us, but because God is just and true. He will definitely carry out His promises. He is a loving God. He loves His elect. He will not see His elect cry out and not do anything. He will surely carry out what’s beneficial for us.

Consider the attitude the widow had to persistently seek. What about us? Do we have the same attitude? Do we continually pray and ask for help from our God?

Matt 6:7-8
“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words…For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
The speaker once heard an interpretation of this verse as follows: we shouldn’t repeat what we say in prayer. Have faith. We only need to say it once. God knows what we already want after all.

Once, the speaker’s daughter was making a request to her mother (his wife). They didn’t want to give that, and offered an alternative. But that’s all his daughter wanted at that time. So she just repeated her request. Likewise in our prayer, we will say what our heart desires. If it’s something we really desire, we would keep making the same repeated request to God. The speaker thinks this is a normal, natural behaviour of humans. It’s not a display of a lack of faith.

The speaker thinks that Matt 6:7-8 isn’t telling us we cannot repeat the same phrases to request things from God, but to tell us not to be like the heathen. Note that the heathen make vain repetitions BECAUSE they think they will be heard by their many words. The false gods they pray to won’t help then no matter how many times they repeat their requests. We cannot be like then - having blind faith and making requests with no good basis. In contrast, who we make requests to is the true God. And not because we blindly believe He’s the true God makes Him the true God. Rather, He has already proved He is the true God. The Holy Spirit is the evidence and our testimony. We can hear and see someone receiving the Holy Spirit, and experience the grace of receiving the Holy Spirit for ourselves. This is the proof God gives to us that He’s the true God. Therefore when we do according to His promises, the loving, Almighty, righteous God will give us according to our needs.

As for the widow, the matter of injustice was something very important to her. So much so that she was willing to risk her life to seek justice from an unjust judge. What about the motivation that spurs us to pray and ask God? Is what we ask for really what our heart desires?

Is prayer truly something we desire to do? If so, then we would be like the speaker’s daughter who would non-stop keep repeating herself. We likewise would continually pray.

Luke 18:8b
“When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Faith is what motivates us to continue in prayer. The reason the widow sought the judge was because she believed the judge has the power to help her. It’s just a question of whether he’s WILLING to do so. Likewise do we believe God is the God we believe Him to be.

As for the widow, because she had such an important issue she needed justice for, she continually sought help from the judge. Because she believed the judge had the power to help her.

Heb 11:6
“But without faith, it is impossible to please Him. He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.”
Do we believe that God is; that He will keep His promises and reward those who diligently seek Him?

If we do, let us not lose heart. Let us continue in prayer.