In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus told a parable to His disciples about a woman pleading with an unjust judge. This parable was spoken for a specific purpose: “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (v. 1).

Prayer is an exercise of faith. When we pray, we speak to a God we can’t see. We don’t see Him acknowledge, hear, and respond to our prayers. Our faith can be tested when the need is urgent and the answer is slow in coming. This parable is helpful for us as we continue to walk by faith as children of God.

The woman in this parable was in a desperate situation. She needed justice but had the misfortune of being under the jurisdiction of an unjust judge. “Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me’” (vs. 3-5).

The unjust judge granted her request, not because he cared about her, God, or doing what was right, but because he wanted her to stop pestering him.

God is nothing like this judge. He will avenge His people who cry out to Him. He bears long with us, but are we willing to bear long with Him? When the Lord returns, will He find people who are still believing in and relying patiently on God (v. 8)? We must remember that we are on the Lord’s timetable; He is not on ours. We must pray in faith, but we must continue praying and believing as we patiently wait for His response.

“As for me, I will call upon God, and the Lord shall save me. Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, and He shall hear my voice” (Ps. 55:16-17).