Worthy Brief - September 29, 2026

 Worthy Brief - September 29, 2026 

Do not lose heart! 

Luke 18:1-8 "Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: 'There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 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."' Then the Lord said, 'Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?'"

Bartimaeus showed that faith speaks up even when others tell you to be quiet. The persistent widow goes even further. Faith keeps calling out, even when the answer takes time.

Luke explains right away why Yeshua (Jesus) told this story: "that men always ought to pray and not lose heart." This line sets the stage for everything that comes next.

The widow has nothing on her side. In Hebrew, she is called an almanah (אַלְמָנָה), a widow. She has no husband to speak for her, no money to influence the judge, and no status to demand a hearing. But the Torah had already spoken for her: "If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry" (Exodus 22:23). The psalmist even gave God the title dayan almanot (דַּיַּן אַלְמָנוֹת), Judge of widows (Psalm 68:5). The Judge she needed had already promised to care for her.

But she has one thing no one can take away. She keeps coming back. "Get justice for me from my adversary." Day after day, she brings her request to the judge. He refuses at first, but her persistence finally wears him down, and he acts.

It's important to see that Yeshua isn't saying God is like the unjust judge. He means the opposite. He uses a type of reasoning called kal vachomer (קַל וָחֹמֶר), which argues from lesser to greater. If a corrupt judge who doesn't fear God will eventually help a stranger, how much more will the righteous Judge help His own people? If a widow with no power can keep knocking on a closed door, how much more can God's children come boldly to their Father's throne?

When we truly grasp this -- this will revolutionize the idea of persistent prayer. We are not trying to wear God down or beg a reluctant Father to show mercy. Instead, we stand with confidence before someone who is already good.

Abraham did the same thing. He pleaded for Sodom again and again, always asking, "Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?" (Genesis 18:25). Through Isaiah, God invited this kind of prayer: "You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent, and give Him no rest till He establishes and till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth" (Isaiah 62:6-7). God told His watchmen to keep reminding Him. Persistent prayer is partnering with His will.

There is a difference between repeating prayers out of fear and being persistent because of faith. Fear says, "Maybe He didn't hear me." Faith says, "He heard me the first time, and I trust His character." Fear says, "The delay means no." Faith says, "The timing is up to the King."

Yeshua says His elect "cry out day and night." This echoes the Priests who continually offer sacrifices on Israel's altar every morning and evening (Exodus 29:38-42). The fire on that altar never went out. Persistent prayer is like that fire, faithfully tended morning and evening, rising to God as a steady fragrance.

Then Yeshua promises, "He will avenge them speedily." When the King acts, it can happen quickly. Years of prayer can be answered in just one day.

Finally, Yeshua s asks a question that brings the story back to us: "When the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?" The real issue isn't whether God will answer, but whether we will keep believing as we wait. That's when persistence turns into faithfulness. Some prayers are answered quickly, while others take years. But the King who hears us is also working, often in ways we can't yet see. 

Maybe you have been praying for a long time for a loved one, for healing, for a promise, or for a situation that hasn't changed yet. Remember, you are a child of the righteous Judge, and your case is already before Him. Your Father cares deeply, and His goodness gives you the strength to keep going. Every prayer you have prayed is held before Him in golden bowls of incense (Revelation 5:8). So keep coming. Keep praying. Keep believing.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George & Baht Rivka 

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