"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Thursday, 13 October 2016 with Scripture Luke 18:1-8

"The God Pause Daily Devotional" from The Luther Seminary in Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States for Thursday, 13 October 2016 with Scripture Luke 18:1-8
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Luke 18:1 Then Yeshua told his talmidim a parable, in order to impress on them that they must always keep praying and not lose heart. 2 “In a certain town, there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected other people. 3 There was also in that town a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me a judgment against the man who is trying to ruin me.’ 4 For a long time he refused; but after awhile, he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God, and I don’t respect other people; 5 but because this widow is such a nudnik, I will see to it that she gets justice — otherwise, she’ll keep coming and pestering me till she wears me out!’”
6 Then the Lord commented, “Notice what this corrupt judge says. 7 Now won’t God grant justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Is he delaying long over them? 8 I tell you that he will judge in their favor, and quickly! But when the Son of Man comes, will he find this trust on the earth at all?”[Complete Jewish Bible]
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I've often heard it said that prayer changes the heart of one who prays. Yet in this parable it is the unjust judge who has a change of heart. Worn down by the widow's relentless petitions for justice, the judge decides to grant her request primarily to get her off his back. 
Jesus tells his disciples this strange parable teach them something about the nature of prayer. And of course, along the way, he also tells them something about the nature of God.
What if we are to see in the unjust judges in this story a God who responds to the widow's persistent and relentless pestering and then acts in justice and mercy to change our hearts and to help us see the needs of those we are called to serve? How might hearing this story encourage us to be persistent in our prayer, and confident in our trust that God will act in mercy for us and for our neighbor?
Faithful God, you come to us over and over again each and every day. Help to change our hearts by your Spirit that we might grow closer to you in word, thought and deed. Amen.
Brian Hansen, '05
Pastor, St. John Lutheran Church, Fargo, N.D. 
Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart.
2 He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people.
3 In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, "Grant me justice against my opponent.'
4 For a while he refused; but later he said to himself, "Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone,
5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.' "
6 And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says.
7 And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them?
8 I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" [New Revised Standard Version]
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