God Wants You to Nag Him

by Paul Tautges | January 12, 2016 10:15 am

If God chose to answer one of your prayers, today, which one would it be? What have you been begging Him to do for a long, long time? Years? Decades? What is it that occupies your prayers? What is it that drives you to your knees? What is it that keeps you awake at night? Whatever it is, thank God for it because He is using it to develop prayer as a lifestyle, a spiritual discipline that will grow your faith. Too many of us are content with “saying prayers.” But God wants more. He wants us to practice a lifestyle of prayer. In fact, He wants us to nag Him to fulfill His will in our lives and the lives of those whom we love.

In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus tells His disciples a parable to convince them of the value of persevering in prayer.

The Purpose of the Parable (v. 1)

The word “parable” means, literally, “a placing beside.” A parable is a simple comparison that is made for the purpose of teaching spiritual truth. Luke informs us that Jesus told this parable to convince His disciples they “ought always to pray.” Continuous prayer is a necessity; it is a spiritual duty, and moral obligation for a disciple of Christ. Followers of Jesus are not to “lose heart,” that is, to give in to evil, to lose heart, or to play the coward. Instead, Jesus says, we are to obtain the strength and courage we need through prayer.

The Persons in the Parable (vv. 2-5)

There are two main characters: an unjust judge and a widow. The unrighteous judge probably worked by bribery only, as was common in Jesus’ day. This man did not fear God nor respect man. He spoke one language only—the language of money. The widow was being oppressed in some manner, but being poor and unable to bribe the judge, she found herself helpless and, therefore, in need of legal protection. However, because of her persistence the judge came to her aid simply to get her off of his back.

The Promises in the Parable (vv. 6-8)

Jesus then contrasted God with the unjust judge and gives us four promises. God will bring about His will for His children. Therefore, we should pray, pray, and pray some more.

[This blog post is a brief summary of last Sunday’s sermon at Cornerstone Community Church, God Wants You to Nag Him[1].]

Endnotes:
  1. God Wants You to Nag Him: http://cornerstonemayfield.org/church-sermons/message/god-wants-you-to-nag-him

Source URL: https://counselingoneanother.com/2016/01/12/god-wants-you-to-nag-him/