Sarah Patton, one of our spiritual directors and group facilitators, shares her conversational prayer with Jesus which arose from her prayerful reflection on this week passage:
As I listened to the Scripture, three phrases shimmered and stayed.
The first was ”always to pray and not lose heart.” The second phrase was “give justice to them speedily.” The third was Jesus’s question, “…when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
As the words settled, I began this conversation with Jesus that became a prayer –- a prayer for myself but also a prayer for the community of seeking listeners.
Jesus, it’s hard to understand what you mean by “give justice speedily.” I have waited long for answers and many others even longer. Yet I know your love is bigger than my questions.
I keep praying. We keep praying.
Jesus, I see you open your arms wide, saying to me, saying to us:
You are chosen.
You are beloved.
I long to hear your prayers.
I answer your cries because I love you.
But Jesus, another heartbreak, one I didn’t see coming, has made it hard to pray with words.
Others have deep heartbreaks that have no words and go unspoken.
We cry to you day and night, wordlessly with tears.
I have felt faint and weary but have not lost heart for I believe you hear me.
We do not lose heart because we believe you hear us.
Jesus says:
Yes, I hear the unspoken words. I hear the cries of your hearts.
I save the prayers of your tears. I collect your tears in my bottle.
When you turn your face to me, you are praying, and I hear and will comfort you.
Jesus, help me keep turning my face to you. Help us keep turning our faces to you.
Jesus, I hear the sorrow and loneliness in your question, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
You know what’s coming. You know those you love will falter and fail you.
And yet you love us anyway.
You hear our prayers anyway.
You love is greater than your sorrow.
May our love be greater than our sorrow.
I love you. We love you.
Help us keep praying.
Amen
Luke 18:1-8 The Message
Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, “There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: ‘My rights are being violated. Protect me!’
“He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, ‘I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won’t quit badgering me, I’d better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I’m going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.’”
Then the Master said, “Do you hear what that judge, corrupt as he is, is saying? So what makes you think God won’t step in and work justice for his chosen people, who continue to cry out for help? Won’t he stick up for them? I assure you, he will. He will not drag his feet. But how much of that kind of persistent faith will the Son of Man find on the earth when he returns?”
Luke 18:1-8 ESV
And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
For Reflection and Prayer:
Was there a word, a phrase, image, or feeling that ‘shimmered’ as you listened? Allow it to land in your heart. Stay with it. Savor it.
Reflect on what you heard. What effect does it have on you? What meaning does it hold for you? What does the Holy Spirit seem to be conveying to you? Talk it over in your prayer. Perhaps you want to draw or color your prayer or journal the conversation.
As the time of prayer comes to a close, share some moments of quiet with Jesus, simply resting safely in his presence.
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