Prayer 101 - #19 Let's Pretend - 3 of 4

‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread’… And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’

Luke 11:5B, 7

The asker in the “Lets Pretend” story initially encounters resistance to his request. The same is often true in prayer. There are times we ask God for something and encounter apparent resistance to our request. In the Bible someone attempting to talk to Jesus experienced this.

A gentile lady, concerned for her daughter who was tormented by the devil, came to Jesus in Matthew 15:21-28 and desperately cried out for help for her child. Here’s what happened:

• Jesus did not answer a word.
• The disciples attempted to send her away because of the annoying persistence of her cries.
• Jesus stated that he came to minister to Jews not Gentiles.
• The woman knelt before Jesus, again begging for help.
• Jesus stated it would be inappropriate to take the ministry intended for the Jews (i.e. the children) and give it to the Gentiles (i.e. the dogs).
• The woman responded that even the dogs get the crumbs under the master’s table.
• Jesus responded and said your request is granted and the woman’s daughter was healed at that moment.

When we encounter apparent resistance from God, will we walk away? Did the “bread asker” in the “Let’s Pretend” story walk away at the initial response to his request? Jesus teaches us to persevere in prayer.