Christopher’s Substack
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Pastor Chris White says to all of you: HELLO MY FRIENDS. May the Lord bless you today.
HOLA MIS AMIGOS. Que el Señor los bendiga.
“And he (Jesus) told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” (Luke 18:1)
Leroy was ninety-nine years old when I first met him. I was new to the senior living industry and thought my main job was managing the business affairs of our retirement community.
I quickly discovered my desk was also the complaint department, service desk, counseling center, and—on certain days—the confessional.
Every day, after every meal (and sometimes in between), Leroy would arrive at my desk and declare:
“Someone has broken into my room and stolen my remote control. I want you to call the authorities immediately!”
Now if you’re thinking, Why didn’t you just give Leroy a new remote or help him find it?—believe me, I did. Repeatedly.
But by the next meal it would be gone again.
What Leroy lacked in memory, he more than made up for in persistence.
Somewhere between the third and thirtieth “remote theft,” I began thinking about Jesus’s parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18.
In that story, Jesus describes a cold, indifferent judge who has no fear of God and no compassion for people. A widow keeps coming to him day after day, pleading for justice. Eventually the judge gives in—not because he has suddenly become kind-hearted, but because he is simply worn out by her persistence.
Jesus’ point is beautifully clear: if even a selfish judge can be moved by persistence, how much more will our loving heavenly Father respond to the prayers of His children?
And yet, if we’re honest, we do lose heart sometimes.
God is not a vending machine. And—thankfully—He is not a genie obligated to grant our every wish. Looking back on some of my past prayers, I sometimes blush and then thank God that He lovingly said no.
Still, there are prayers we have offered that are sincere, good, and aligned with God’s heart—and yet they remain unanswered, at least for now. Why that is, only God knows.
But Jesus’ instruction to us is clear: keep praying. Ask. Seek. Knock. Do not lose heart.
So what does that look like for us?
First, bring your requests to God again—even the ones you’ve been carrying for a long time.
The widow kept coming back to the judge, not because he deserved it, but because she believed justice mattered. In the same way, persistence in prayer reminds our own hearts that God is still at work, even when we cannot see it yet.
Second, let persistence deepen your trust in God’s character.
The judge in the parable was indifferent. Our Father is not. Every prayer is heard by the One who loves us more than we can imagine and who answers with perfect wisdom and timing.
So keep praying.
Keep asking.
Keep trusting.
Your Father hears every word—and He will answer with what is best, at exactly the right moment.
Unless, of course, you’re looking for a stolen remote.
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