Rev Hugh Park, 27 July 2025
A man was praying eagerly: “Oh Lord, I believe in you. Nothing is impossible with you. To you, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. Lord, I have something to ask you for. Can you just tell me the winning lottery numbers for this week!” And God’s voice boomed from above, “Okay. No problem, My son. I’ll do it tomorrow.” Tomorrow, as in one day, might be a thousand years to God.
God’s concept of time (Kairos) is significantly different from ours (Chronos). This is where many believers struggle with confusion, frustration, setbacks, or even doubts, leading them to ask, “Does God really care about me? Is God even real?” We want it now, but God gives it later, and sometimes much later, like a couple of decades later. And at other times, God gives something totally different. Or even… God never gives it.
Many Christians tend to view prayer like operating a vending machine. What would you normally do to get something from a vending machine? Well, the first thing you will do before you actually insert coins is to make a choice. You’ve got to decide which item you want to have. Then, as you put your coins in the machine, you know exactly what will pop out. If something else pops out or even nothing pops out, you instantly know that the machine is out of order. I think many Christians view prayer like that. When they pray for something, they expect that God will answer their prayers in the way a vending machine should work.
In a Christian survey done in many churches in the US years ago, they found that ‘unanswered prayer’ was one of the main barriers for many churchgoers. Because of their unanswered prayers, many believers would stay away from growing in faith. Prayer is more than an emergency magical lamp rubbed in a crisis. The truth is, many people give up on prayer because they haven’t received what they prayed for.
This leads us to ask some questions such as: “How do you pray?” or “Why pray at all?” And above all, “What do you pray about?” We are not alone. Those disciples of Jesus had that question, too. In today’s gospel story, Jesus was praying in a certain place, when one of his disciples came up to say, “Lord, teach us how to pray.” And Jesus said, “When you pray, say, “Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your Kingdom come; Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven…”
A little boy was standing on the banks of a river waving and shouting at a steamboat that was going by. He was waving for the steamboat to come to shore. A stranger came by and said, “You are a foolish boy. The boat will never come ashore because of your request. The captain is too busy to notice your waving and shouting.” Just then the boat turned and headed for shore. The little boy grinned and said to the stranger, “The captain is my daddy.” Friends, the captain of the universe is our God, our Abba, our Father. The captain might not come right away but he never fails to attend to you, because the captain is your Dad, your God.
Yes. God will always provide and sustain in our lives. And that’s where our confidence comes from. However, today’s story and its lesson teach us a bit different understanding about the Lord’s Prayer. God answers our prayers, but there are a few possible ways in which God answers to our prayers.
First, God answers immediately. No struggles, and everybody is happy. Second: God gives it but at a later time, sometimes much later. This makes us struggle more. We want it right now, but God says ‘Later’. Three: God answers with something else that we haven’t asked for, and this makes us frustrated or even feel betrayed. Four: God doesn’t answer our requests at all. It’s like he is not around. It feels like you’re talking to a wall in prayer. I believe many of you have experienced some of them in your prayers already.
But Jesus adds a bit challenging perspective to his Lord’s Prayer. It is a story of a man who goes to his rich friend, asking for some food to feed his other friend who is in need. The point is, Jesus tells this story to help the disciples better understand what the Lord’s Prayer should be about. In that story, his rich friend represents our God, and his needy friend represents whoever we pray for. We call it intercessory prayer, which is to pray to God on behalf of another person or group of people. Simply put, prayers for others. But you see, prayers for others are not just mentioning the names of people we know are struggling in their lives. It involves something else.
Getting back to the story, there is something we need to notice about this man. His friend arrived unexpectedly that night, worn out and very hungry. But this man doesn’t have enough food to feed his hungry friend. So what did he do? He decided to go to his rich friend asking for help. But it’s almost midnight, and his friend and all his children must be in bed by now. So what should he do? He knocks on the door, I mean, he bangs on the door to wake him up. His friend gets up and says from behind the door, “Hey my friend, don’t bother me at this time of the night. We are already in bed. Come tomorrow and I will see what I can do for you.”
But Jesus continues and says, “Even if he will not get up and give you the bread because you are his friend, yet he will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.” Because he is not ashamed to keep on asking, his rich friend will give him everything he needs. That kind of attitude in prayer is called “shameless persistence.” You just keep asking until it’s done. Sometimes we do that.
Some might believe that if you pray continuously and never give up, God will eventually answer your prayers. It might be that God’s answer is just a matter of time. I agree with this idea to some extent, and I do pray persistently sometimes. However, this isn’t the main message of Jesus’ story that comes after the Lord’s Prayer. The key here is that this man was so bold and persistent in asking for help. Why? Because he deeply cared about his other friend who desperately needed help that night. He was so driven, persistent, and even shameless in his request because he really, really wanted to help his struggling friend.
And in this story, the core point is a “how much more” logic. Think about it: If a human friend finally gives in to persistent requests, how much more will our good Heavenly Father answer our prayers for others? He showed His ultimate love by giving His only Son so the world could be rescued and live forever. And Jesus’ story today represents God’s enormous, sacrificial love for the world.
Then, what about us? Do we just pray for others, forgetting our own needs? We’re not angels. We, too, are struggling humans. Let’s look at Jesus’ logic again. He said, “He will get up and give you everything you need because you are not ashamed to keep on asking.” The man’s first request was just for three humble loaves of bread to feed his hungry friend. But his rich friend ends up giving him everything he needs because of his shameless persistence. “Everything he needs” could mean a lot of bread, milk, and maybe even some money. It means enough for his hungry friend, and also for his own children and whole family!
You remember the miracle story “Five Loaves and Two Fish,” right? A little boy shared his small lunch to help feed a lot of people. Do you remember what happened at the end? After everyone ate, they collected 12 baskets full of leftover bread and fish. So, by sharing his lunch, the boy actually ended up with more.
I believe this is often how God responds to our persistent prayers for others. When you pray for others, especially for those in need, you’re actually praying for God and his struggling children. I believe that our persistent compassion for those in need is a core part of the Lord’s Prayer. If your prayers are truly filled with this kind of compassion for others, trust me: your needy friends will be happy. And… you, your loved ones, and your family will be happier. Give to others, and God will give to you more. Remember. The measure you use for others is the one that God will use for you. Pray for others. Pray for those in need. And act it out in your lives, and your life will be filled with God’s presence in everything you do and have.