And He spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: and there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith, And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?.
—Luke 18:1-8
The necessity of praying with perseverance is the secret of all spiritual life. What a blessing to be able to ask the Lord for a particular answer, knowing with certainty that it is His will to answer prayer! That our prayers can obtain from the Lord something He would not otherwise give should prove that man has been created in the image of God, that he is His friend and fellow worker. It is to Christ’s intercession that the Father responds, and to which He grants His divine favors.
Jesus teaches us in these words: “All things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive” (Matthew 21:22). Sometimes, healing is immediate and complete. But it may happen that we have to wait. That which God appears at first to refuse, He grants later in response to the prayer of the woman from Canaan, to the prayer of the widow, and to that of the friend who knocks at midnight. (See Matthew 15:22–28; Luke 18:3–8; 11:5–8.) Without regarding either change or answer, faith that is grounded on the Word of God, and that continues to pray, ends by gaining the victory. “Shall not God avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily.”
God’s timing is perfect. He can delay anything as He sees necessary, and then speedily bring the answer at just the right moment. The same two abilities should belong to our faith. Let us grasp the grace that is promised to us, as if we had already received it, but wait with untiring patience for the answer that is slow to come. Such faith belongs to living in Him.