Sunday October 19, 2025
PERSISTENT Faith
Luke 18:1–8 begins with a purpose: “Jesus told His disciples a parable about their need to pray always and not lose heart.” The story that follows is simple but searching. A widow appeals to a judge who neither fears God nor respects people. She has no money, no influence, and no allies. Her only leverage is persistence. Day after day she returns with the same plea: “Grant me justice against my adversary.” The judge resists, but her persistence wears down his indifference. Eventually he acts, not because he is just, but because she refuses to disappear.
Jesus draws a line from her persistence to our faith. If relentless appeal can move an unjust judge, how much more can prayer move the heart of a just and loving Father. The point is not to pester God into goodness but to remain near Him when the silence feels long. God is neither unmoved nor late. His justice may feel delayed, but His faithfulness is sure. Persistent prayer keeps us turned toward Him until we see His timing unfold.
John Wesley’s journal offers a living example. In May and June of 1739, he was barred from multiple pulpits, rejected by deacons, and even chased out of a meadow. Yet he kept preaching: on streets, in fields, and along the roads; until thousands gathered to hear. Wesley’s endurance was not stubborn pride; it was grace at work over time. He trusted that God was present in both closed doors and open fields.
Wesleyan theology gives language for this kind of endurance. Prevenient grace awakens our cry for help. Justifying grace roots us in God’s love so we dare to keep praying. Sanctifying grace trains perseverance, stretching our endurance in prayer and service. Persistence is not gritting our teeth in the dark. It is grace shaping faith that lasts.
The parable also binds prayer to justice. The widow is not asking for private comfort but for right judgment in a system that ignored her. Persistent faith prays for God’s kingdom to come and then acts in ways that fit that prayer—standing with the vulnerable, speaking truth without violence, and refusing to grow numb.
For today’s disciples, persistent faith means setting rhythms that sustain trust. Choose two daily anchors for prayer—morning and evening—and bring the same need to God until He answers or reshapes the request. Link your prayer to action: if you pray for someone, show up for them. If you pray for justice, take one practical step toward it. Share the burden with a friend or small group so the request is carried together.
Jesus ends the parable with a question that pierces the heart: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on earth?” The kind of faith He seeks looks like a widow who keeps knocking. Faith that endures keeps showing up. It prays, acts, and trusts that grace is already at work.