This chapter begins and ends with a call to persistent prayer.
In the first parable Jesus says that God will bring justice for those who cry out to him day and night (Verse 7) but then says "However, when the Son of Man comes will he find faith on the earth" (verse 8).
The problem is persistence over time. I know that I can pray fervently at times and for a time. But as time wears on, my fervency grows less. When there are prayers that take a long time to get answered I/we get discouraged and give up. That is where faith comes in. It is easy to be excited and believe for a short while and then receive an answer. But it is hard when we wait for a long time - such as waiting for Jesus' return. That is why Jesus asks if he will find faith on the earth when he returns.
Some helpful things here are to remember and recite what God has already done, be around others who remind and tell of what God is doing and keep our eyes on God and not on the waiting. Still the journey can be hard, so we pray for God's help!
Jesus, please increase my faith to endure over time. Give me the faith of Abraham and others who endured even when things looked hopeless! I thank you for your love and faithfulness!
At the end of this section there is an account of a blind man who hears Jesus is coming. He cries out for help but others try to silence him - probably because his shouting/crying out is not "respectable". But this man doesn't care about what others say. He knows that he has a need and he cries out all the more to the one who can help him!
This is the other factor that can hinder our persistent perseverance in prayer - opposition. That opposition can be, as in this case, people actually telling you to stop. Or it can be a more internal fear - afraid of what others think about us - so that we don't cry out in prayer. But we, like this man, need to increase our fervency to overcome the opposition - cry out even harder!
Jesus, please give me the courage to cry out and seek you even when fear or others tell me to stop. You are my only hope and the only real help! Stir up my heart to be on fire for you and to seek you with all of my heart!
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