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Imagine your most discouraging times of prayer. You prayed privately about a certain need, you had your friends praying for you, and you spent time each week with your men's group praying about this need. But an answer just didn't come your way. God seemed silent. And maybe you're experiencing this season of silence right now. This week we tackle a passage that's just right for anyone who has stopped or is tempted to stop praying because God doesn't appear to be listening.

Luke 18:1-8

1. How would you answer someone who accuses God of not giving answers when answers are desperately needed?
   
2. Why did the judge finally give in to the widow's request? (See v. 5.)
   
3. Why do you think God hears and answers our persistent prayers? (See Luke 11:5-11; Mark 7:24-29.)
   
4. According to Matthew 6:10 and Mark 14:36, what is a "stipulation" for having our persistent prayers answered?
   
5. According to verse 8 and Matthew 17:14-20, what is another "stipulation" for having our prayers answered?
   
6. What sort of positive changes can persistent, never-give-up prayer bring about in our own hearts and lives?
   

Talk to God about your own struggles with prayer—and be specific; ask him to help you to be more consistent in the time you spend in both personal and group prayer.

Luke 18:1-8

1 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 2 "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. 3 A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' 4 The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, 5 but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'"

6 Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. 7 Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don't you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? 8 I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?"

Copyright © 2010 by the author or Christianity Today International/Men of Integrity magazine.
Click here for reprint information on Men of Integrity.

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Prayer for the Week

Heavenly Father, show me the importance of praying regularly with others; help me to overcome any fears or misconceptions I have about praying out loud; reveal to me the power to be found through praying with fellow believers.

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