Day 3        September 3, 2013

Asking to Give – the results of importunate prayer

         Isn’t Jesus frustrating! The disciples have decided that they want to pray just like Jesus. They see the results and they say they want the same results in their lives.

     At the very least we see that the disciples want what Jesus wants. But then Jesus simply repeats a prayer they already know and moves on to another subject.

     Or does Jesus change the subject? The picture I get is that Jesus usually stays on His subject, but usually approaches from another angle. Jesus will tell a parable or six, all on the same topic, and then provides some teaching to bring light to the original question.

     Perhaps Jesus is doing the same here? If the disciples want the same relationship style as Jesus and they want to learn to pray like Jesus does, then Jesus expands the point to have them recognise that prayer leads to action when nothing else works.

     As the disciples sit at the feet of Jesus they hear the story He tells about the man in need of bread. We would guess that as Jesus speaks they think of things that have happened in their own lives. Peter might consider the time he really needed some help with his boat, all he had to do was heel the boat over to scrape the hull to remove some weed that was slowing his vessel down. Nobody would come and help, not even his brother. Not even his best friend would stir a finger.

     Peter remembers that time and now hears Jesus say these simple words, “yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.” It is the importunity that matters, it is that which prayer may be. The depth and time that we pray for are not what matters – even simple prayer works. The issue is the importunity behind all prayer. The real point is that God responds even when friends fail.

     The thought is of the demand behind the prayer, the persistence almost to the point of annoyance.The complexity and majesty of the prayer has little relevance. Why is this? Because the majesty is revealed as God stands up where even friends may fail.

     There are some things that are given immediately by God – the Holy Spirit for instance. There are other things that might take a while to mature. God can cope with importunate prayer, so pray about that need that is in your heart before you try anything else – because ultimately prayer is all there is.

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