Follow up to Vain repetitions and Persistence in prayer

At the beginning of 2022, I finished reading the Puritan classic Importunity: Refusing to Give Up in Prayer by Christopher Love. Luke 11:8 is inscribed at the beginning of each chapter: “I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.”

I’ve often wondered about the meaning of this parable Jesus shared in Luke 11—of the man who goes to borrow a loaf of bread in the middle of the night from his neighbour, and refuses to stop knocking at the door until the neighbour finally gets up and gives him bread—and Love’s Importunity explains it neatly.

Similar to what Jesus shared in Luke 18:1, the parable in Luke 11 teaches us how we should approach God in prayer. In the opening verse of Luke 11, Jesus’s disciples asked Him, “Lord, teach us to pray…” (v. 1). In response, Jesus shared what we know today as “The Lord’s Prayer”, and He then shared the parable of the neighbour who comes for bread in the middle of the night.

We must come to God

One of the characteristics of prayer is that no matter the time, we must come to God.

The man in this parable comes to his neighbour at midnight (Luke 11:5).

It’s important to remember that when we feel the Lord’s prompting (and yes, sometimes it may be in the middle of the night) we ought to come to God. Charles Spurgeon wrote that “you should pray because you must pray, not because the set time for praying has arrived, but because your heart must cry unto your Lord.”

We must come to God boldly

Another characteristic of prayer that we learn from the parable in Luke 11 is that we are to come to God boldly.

Let’s be honest, if your neighbour came knocking at your door in the middle of the night, and said they wouldn’t stop knocking until you answered the door and gave them some bread, no doubt you’d be annoyed (and tempted not to answer the door).

The man in Luke 11:8 wasn’t concerned about annoying his neighbour, he was incredibly bold in his approach. So we are to be bold in our approach to God. Matthew Henry wrote in his commentary “We prevail with men by importunity because they are displeased with it, but with God because he is pleased with it.”

Make no mistake, God wants us to come to Him boldly.

We are to be persistent in prayer

Jesus teaches us through the parable in Luke 11 that we are to be persistent in prayer—this is the “importunity” He describes in verse 8, and we are also to pray for what we need.

Christopher Love wrote that the meaning of Romans 12:12 “continuing instant in prayer” “is a phrase borrowed from dogs who are on a hunt and will not cease following the game till they get it…. So you are to hunger after God, and after mercy, and not rest satisfied till God grants the mercy you stand in need of.”

Originally published as “Characteristics of prayer.” Independent Plus. August 11, 2022: 5. Print. Web.

For more on the topic of prayer, click here.

Difference between vain repetition and being instant in prayer

It is important to clarify that Jesus’s instruction to “use not vain repetitions” (Matthew 6:7) does not mean that we should be careful how often we pray or how often we pray about specific subjects.

In Luke 18:1, Jesus Himself instructed us that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”. Similarly, Paul instructed the church at Rome to continue “instant in prayer;” (Romans 12:12) and the Christians at Thessalonica to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Persistence and perseverance in prayer should be marked characteristics of the Christian’s life.

In Benson’s Commentary, the Reverend Joseph Benson suggested that we do wrong when we cease from prayer. “It frequently happens, that after men have prayed for any particular blessing, they desist, because God does not immediately grant them their petition. To show the evil of this, and to recommend importunity and perseverance in prayer… the present parable is introduced.”

Drawing parallels about prayer from the parable of the widow and the judge

The parable to which he refers is that in Luke 18:1-8, where after Jesus said “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;” (Luke 18:1), He shared the parable of the widow and the judge.

In the parable, the widow presses the judge until he gives her justice. As the judge listened to the widow in her persistency, so God responds to us when we are persistent in prayer. This is why Jesus said “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”.

It pleases God when we exercise persistence in prayer

It pleases God when we exercise persistence in prayer. While God’s response may not always be what we want it to be, or in the timing that we think is right, we can be assured that He does answer prayer.

In his letter to the Romans, Paul instructed the Christians at Rome that they should be “Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;” (Romans 12:12). This is an interesting verse because it suggests before “continuing instant in prayer” that we first rejoice, and second be patient, almost as though these are precursors to persistence in prayer.

Fuel to pray

In MacLaren’s Expositions of Scripture, Alexander MacLaren drew a parallel between Romans 12:12 and 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 where Paul instructed the Christians at Thessalonica to “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” Without holding these other attitudes, we cannot be persistent in prayer.

Rejoicing and patience are the fuel which keep us going and enable us “always to pray, and not to faint;” (Luke 18:1).

More than appeals

As Jesus said that we are not to use vain repetitions, our prayers should not be merely appeals to God, our prayers should be an attitude wherein we are referencing God in every thing we do.

C.S. Lewis wrote that “I pray because I can’t help myself. I pray because I’m helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time – waking and sleeping. It does not change God – it changes me.”

Vain repetitions are many words with no meaning; persistence in prayer has power because it requires us to have great faith.

Originally published as “Persistence in prayer.” Independent Plus. August 4, 2022: 5. Print. Web.