The Avenger

Delay is not denial. That's a statement I heard many years ago relating to a reason for persistence in prayer. In the 18th chapter of Luke, Jesus tells a parable to show his disciples that they ought to pray and not lose heart. He had already taught them how to pray, and this illustration encourages them to persevere in prayer, and not quit in the face of discouragement or obstacles.

In Luke 18: 1-8, we're told that a woman persistently comes before a corrupt judge asking for justice, and after repeated attempts, she wears him down. Jesus points out that if a corrupt judge will give her attention, how much more so will God do for His elect who pray ..."I tell you that He will avenge them speedily."

In a message about "Boldness in Prayer", Jack Hayford addresses this passage, and defines the word 'avenge' in the original Greek to mean that God will do/make/create justice. But he goes on to say that the verb tense describes an action that will begin in the present, and keep going on until it's complete. The term can be illustrated in the cultural context of that time as a description of the progress of fruit that ripens sooner than you expect it to, at an accelerted pace. Where praying people pray, a creative process is instantly set in motion, and it ripens, but with God's avenging, it's on a supernatural time table.

Often we'll pray long for or about something, and in the process we are changed. If we allow Him, God builds into us a heart that cares about things the same way He does. We persevere not because we think He didn't hear us the first time, but because perseverance can develop in us a heart and passion for what God wants.

Psalm 145: 15-16 says, "The eyes of all look to You, and You give them their food at the proper time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desires of every living thing." Isaiah 48:3b says, " ...then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass." We may persevere in prayer for a while, even for a very long time, but if we seek to know His heart and we don't give up, He will avenge the matter speedily. God's resolution to our situation can come about quickly, at an accelerated pace.

As Hayford puts it, it's kind of like "happy whiplash" :)