Tuesday, August 11, 2026

Opening Scripture

To some who were confident of their own righteousness and looked down on everyone else, Jesus told this parable: “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other people – robbers, evildoers, adulterers – or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

“But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ “I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.” Luke 18:9-14

Opening Prayer

Gracious Father, thank you for this day, another chance to love and serve You. Help me make the most of it and do everything I can to please You. May Your priorities be mine. Remind me that, apart from You, I can do nothing. Help me follow the Spirit today as He guides me in grace, truth, and knowledge of the Lord Jesus. Help me not to be foolish, but to understand your good, pleasing, and perfect will. Open my heart and mind to all You want me to know and learn. As I draw near to You, please draw near to me and help me sense Your presence. Help me to stand strong against the evil one, and to think and act as Your child. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.

Daily Bible Reading

Luke 18:1-8

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

“For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

Reflection  

Jesus’ parables are always interesting. In today’s passage, He uses a crooked judge, who neither fears God nor cares what people think, to teach us about prayer.

As we have seen, widows represent those who are the most marginalized, powerless, and vulnerable in society. They have no one to take up their cause. They have no status. They cannot afford to pay bribes or secure legal representation. The only things this widow had going for her were the justice of her case and her own persistence.

How easy it would have been for her to lose heart, become discouraged, and give up. She knew that “the system” was stacked against her. The judge’s dishonesty, moral failure, and abuse of power were obstacles that had to be overcome.

The “victory” for the widow was not quitting. The Greek word “ērcheto” means “she kept on coming.” There are many inspirational quotes about getting back up just one more time than you fall: A winner is a loser who tried once more. It is always impossible until you do it. Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up. And so on…

Certainly, we need endurance, persistence, and patience as we follow Jesus. The Christian life is not meant to be “easy.” We have seen that truth emphasized repeatedly as we consider the challenge of spiritual maturity and growing in godliness. Eventually, we discover that the ultimate benefit is more about developing our character than getting what we want.

In today’s Opening Scripture, Jesus offers another parable about prayer. God desires genuine humility, not pious self-righteousness. God desires honest confession, not personal validation. God does not judge us on a “curve.” The goal is not to be “better” than someone else. The goal is to be like Jesus.

Jesus closes today’s text with encouragement and a warning. “I tell you, (God) will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

We can be confident in God’s justice and mercy, though we may not always like His timing. The question is whether God’s people will remain steadfast and faithful?

“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (Galatians 6:9-10).

Flourishing Habit

Flourishing Christians

As with all parables, there is usually a single truth that is being communicated. We get into trouble if we try to carry an analogy too far. Jesus’ point in this story is the need for faithful persistence in prayer. Luke tells us at the start what we are supposed to learn. “Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.”

There is a bit of irony and humor in this parable because the Greek word “hupópiazó” literally means “to strike under the eye.” It is a boxing word. The imagery here is of a weak and lowly widow continually punching a powerful and corrupt judge in the face and giving him a black eye.

It is the same word Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 9:27. “I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.”

The crooked judge does NOT represent God. Almighty God is the Supreme Judge, but He is also supremely good, loving, and perfect. We do not “wear God down” with our persistent prayers. We do not “force” God to give us what we want.

In fact, God knows what we need (and want) before we even ask. We can have complete faith in God’s justice! He knows better than we do what is truly good, right, and appropriate in every situation.

Persistent prayer brings us continually back to God’s presence. It reaffirms our total dependence on Him. As we will see in tomorrow’s passage, we are supposed to keep on asking, seeking, and knocking, in part, because it keeps us connected to our Father who loves to give good gifts to His children.

We saw this same persistence – among God’s chosen ones who cry out to him day and night – in last Saturday’s reading with Luke’s description of the prophet Anna, when Mary and Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the temple courts.

“She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”

We persist in prayer because we believe that God knows best. Our Heavenly Father answers our sincere and appropriate prayers in different ways. Sometimes, “Yes.” Sometimes, “No.” Sometimes, “Wait.” Sometimes, “I have something better planned.” We pray in faith believing that “The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth” (Psalms 145:18).

Our faithful endurance in approaching God is a tangible expression of our complete dependence on Him. Where else can we go? Who else can we turn to? As Peter responded to Jesus in John 6, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

What are you praying for today?

Do you trust God to answer your prayer in the best way possible?

This week’s collective prayer: Father, I am asking you to meet specific needs in my life this week in tangible and recognizable ways. I will give you the glory. Amen.

You can do more than pray after you’ve prayed, but you can’t do more than pray until you’ve prayed!