I came across a story about a young North Korean defector, who tried to escape North Korea three times and failed, getting caught eventually. He succeeded a few later and became a citizen of South Korea, where he began to live a new life.
Despite his new life in the South, he was never truly happy because his mother was still alone in the North. He often cried at night, thinking that he should have to help her out. He worked hard and saved every bit of money he could to hire someone to bring her out of North Korea. However, after talking to several brokers, none of his efforts worked.
One day, he decided to rescue her himself. Late one dark night, he crossed the border from China into North Korea, but unfortunately a North Korean border guard caught him. The guard searched his bag. The worst part was that his South Korean passport was hidden at the bottom; if the guard found it, it would be the end of his life.
In a desperate move, he fought back, knocked him down, and ran. He made it to his home village and entered his mum’s place. A few days later, his mum got caught but he escaped this time, too. He was hiding in the nearby mountains for a week and decided to get back to South Korea for another plan to help her mum out.
Upon his arrival at the South, the South Korean police arrested him because going into North Korea without following the correct legal procedure was illegal. He served a year in jail and was released.
Once free, he started working two different jobs every day for two more years. He worked harder than ever to save enough money to hire a couple of experienced North Korean brokers for his mother to be brought safely out of the North. The long story short. He is now living a happy life with his mother in Seoul, Korea.
Now, I’ve got a question for you: How would you describe his character in one word?
My answer: Persistence or determination. He was absolutely determined to rescue his mother from the North. He planned, worked, fought, and sacrificed his freedom for years. He risked everything, including his own life, and refused to give up, no matter the cost or the time it took. That’s persistence.
Someone has said, “We don’t pray persistently to make God open a door. We pray persistently because it helps us find the path to His door and recognise God’s answer at His timing.” What an inspiration!
Today’s Luke’s gospel talks about the same thing to us: persistence, specifically in our prayers. But when we pray hard and keep at it, it can be confusing, especially when God doesn’t answer in the exact way we think is best.
The point is, the goal of persistent and strong prayer is not to change God’s mind.
The true purpose is the change that such prayers work in our own hearts and minds over time. Persistent prayers make us turn closer to God. Persistent prayers point to God. They lead to God. Such prayers help us walk closely with God in every part of our lives and relationships.
The passage is called “The Parable of the Widow and the Judge”. Jesus was not saying that God eventually would get tired of our persistent prayers and give in to us. Rather, Jesus uses the example of a bad judge to teach us the goodness of God.
In the story, the widow kept coming to the judge and pleading for her rights, but for a long time the judge refused to help her. The Judge was selfish and uncaring, but he decided to help her because he could not bear her persistent pleas any longer.
Jesus’ point is this. “God is the opposite”. God is good, loving, and cares deeply about us. He always answers us and doesn’t need to be persuaded or annoyed into answering our prayers.
Many of you have heard about the life of Saint Augustine in the fourth century. He was one of the most famous theologians and teachers in church history. But I don’t think that many of us heard about his mother, Monica. Augustine had spent twenty years living an immoral lifestyle far from home. One day, his mother, Monica, decided to leave her home in North Africa and travel to Italy, seeking him out in an effort to bring him into the Christian life.
She spent twenty years supporting and praying for her prodigal son until he finally abandoned his reckless lifestyle to devote himself to Christ. Some might ask: Why did God stay silent while a mother prayed for her child for twenty years?
The truth is, persistence in prayers is really about trusting God’s good timing, His goodness, and His wisdom. Even if the answer seems to be ‘NO’, your ongoing prayer helps you maintain your trust in God instead of becoming angry, giving up, and walking away.
Persistent prayer forces you to keep coming back to Him daily, weekly, or yearly. We call it ‘Constant connection to divinity’. Over time, your desire to have your own way changes, and your desire for His will grows stronger. We call this ‘Growth’. It’s like the branches that stick to the vine, bearing ongoing fruit: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit.”
Friends in Christ, persistent prayer is your daily rope that keeps you tied to God’s love and his will. Remember this. You keep praying, not to change God’s mind. You keep praying because it prepares your heart to recognise and receive the wonderful things God is bringing into your life and the lives of your loved ones. God is good and faithful always.