The Parable of the Persistent Widow: Don't Give Up Praying

Jesus told the parable of the persistent widow with a clear purpose, stated right at the start: to teach that we 'ought always to pray, and not to faint.' It's one of the Bible's great encouragements to keep praying when we're tempted to give up. Here's the parable and its meaning.

The story

A widow — one of the most vulnerable people in that society — kept coming to an unjust judge, pleading for justice against an adversary. The judge cared nothing for God or people, and at first he refused. But the widow would not give up. She kept coming, again and again, until finally the judge granted her request just to be rid of her persistence.

The point: keep praying

Jesus drew a striking comparison. If even a corrupt, uncaring judge will eventually respond to persistent pleading, how much more will God — who is loving and just — respond to his children who cry out to him? The parable urges us not to give up in prayer, but to keep bringing our requests to a God who, unlike the judge, actually cares for us.

Why we're tempted to faint

The reason Jesus told this parable is that prayer is hard to sustain, especially when answers are slow. We pray, nothing seems to change, and we're tempted to conclude that God isn't listening and quietly stop. The widow's persistence is held up as the alternative: to keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking, trusting that God hears even when the answer tarries.

A God who is not like the judge

The comparison works by contrast, not similarity. God is nothing like the reluctant judge. He is not annoyed by our coming, nor indifferent to our pleas. He is a loving Father who delights to hear his children. So our persistence isn't about wearing God down; it's about not losing heart, and trusting his goodness and timing while we wait.

The parable of the persistent widow is an encouragement to keep praying and never give up. If a heartless judge finally answered persistence, how much more will our loving God answer his children who keep coming to him? When answers are slow and you're tempted to stop, remember the widow — and the reason Jesus told her story: that we 'ought always to pray, and not to faint.'