“Don’t give up” are the words a tired marathon runner, an exhausted parent, and a weary heart longs to hear. It takes courage to start a project, but often, it takes even more courage to persist when we are stuck in the middle, and we are not sure we will make it to the end. In the Gospel reading, Jesus teaches us how to pray persistently because he knows how easy it is to get weary and discouraged. He shows us that tirelessly bringing our needs and concerns to God is not nagging or irritating to him, but rather a sign of faithful trust in him. Are we weary of praying for something? For relief from some hardship? For the deliverance of a loved one? For justice or peace? Imagine Jesus whispering to us: “Don’t give up talking to me about this.” There are some prayers God will answer immediately, while some he may not. While it might seem like those requests have been forgotten, do we trust his faithfulness? Will we offer him our praise? He is faithful and will not leave our petitions unanswered.

PRAYER: Abba Father, give us a spirit that never gives up. Amen.