19th Sunday after Pentecost

What should our prayer life look like?  Of course, there are many dimensions to this question, but the Bible urges us to pray big, to pray expectantly and to pray persistently.  This week, the appointed reading is the story of the persistent widow.  The widow came appealing for justice against someone who harmed her. Jewish judges, or magistrates, at the time were notorious for taking bribes.  We are told that this particular magistrate was a godless man and we can infer that he too would be prone to bribes.  In a patriarchal society this widow would have had no resources.  She could not get justice by paying a bribe, but she did have one weapon and she used this one weapon relentlessly.  She had the weapon of persistence.  Eventually the magistrate gives in to her frequent visits and requests, and grants her justice.  Clearly God is not a godless judge who is prone to bribes, but Jesus makes the point quite simply that if this corrupt magistrate gives the woman what she asks for, how much more will He, our loving Heavenly Father grant us our requests too.  Pray big, pray expectantly AND pray persistently.