The Prayer God Will Not Ignore

[Jesus] 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?” (Luke 18:2-7)

What is Jesus attempting to help His disciples learn from the persistent widow? It is not that God is like the unjust judge, needing to be somehow broken down by our wearisome prayers before God will listen to His people. No, this is a study in opposites. The unjust judge is wearied into listening to the persistent widow. But God is lovingly attentive to His people, never ignoring their prayers. The prayer God will not ignore is any prayer lifted by His children.

And now a sonnet I wrote on that theme:

There are certain things you cannot ignore:
the steady drip of water in a sink,
squeaky hinges when opening a door,
grating music when you’re trying to think.
And there are people you cannot ignore:
a pursuer threatening violence,
a panhandler’s stark eyes asking for more,
a mother begging a judge for justice.
Our prayers are something God cannot ignore.
We do not need to worry if He’ll hear
or be concerned that we’ll become a bore.
Our every word will travel in God’s ear.
Prayer is not acquiring God’s attention
but living oil love’s realization.