Lifestyle

Praying is a lifestyle not a one-off pursuit.

Not just to fire off once but to keep on going.

Readings for this Sunday 20th October 2013...include Jeremiah 31:27-34, Psalm 119: 97-107, 2 Tim 3:10-4:5 and Luke 18:1-14
[ The Australian lectionary conflates both this week's and next week's Gospel readings]

This is the idea that is being presented in the metaphor about prayer.
When we were talking about this the other day someone said to me.  "This seems to be saying that God will only hear our prayers if we nag!"
when ever we talk about God we are speaking metaphorically and imaginally.
That is, we are using an image to try and understand something that is, in reality, more complex than the words that are used to convey it.
We might for example think about the word 'love'.
It is clear enough...but the word alone does not convey the depth and subtlety of everything that 'love' is about.
When Jesus is teaching with this level of subtlety he uses images or parables
The image here is a woman who wants a judge to hear her case. We are told she keeps on and on until she gets her way.
It is about persistence.
And Jesus is wanting to help his listeners to understand that prayer is about
Persistence.

In fact Luke's editorial hand even tells us that this is what this parable is about
"Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart"

Don't pray just occasionally, or in a limited set of circumstances
keep on praying.
Rather like nagging !
It is of course not the nagging that Jesus is talking about
it is the persistence.
So often persistence is not in our prayers
We 'fire one off' if we feel like it
or in emergency.
And then wonder why so often it seems to us that nothing happens.
All that is well and good
but let there be more Persistence!

This week
Have a think about what you might currently pray for and decide that you are going to throw some energy at it
The sort of energy that is typified by nagging....just keep going on and on.
Try not to nag God....but do try to keep the energy at that sort of level.

Lord help me to persist in my prayers

When I feel like giving up

may I know your encouragement to persist

And then persist!