It is common for a person to visit a doctor for help with a particular subject. For example, if you have a sports-related injury, you might visit a sports medicine doctor. Luke is the author of the gospel that bears his name. One of the things that we know about Luke is that he was a doctor (see Colossians 4:14).
In his gospel, Dr. Luke provides us with guidance from Jesus’ ministry about persistence in prayer. In Luke 11:5-8, after giving the disciples a pattern for prayer (see Luke 11:2-4), Jesus tells the story of a man who is in need and visits his friend at midnight for help. The man is persistent in asking for help even though it is late, and his friend is tired and cranky. Eventually, his friend gives him what he needs because he keeps asking for help.
The story reflects a contrast between the friend and God. Whereas the friend did not want to be bothered, God wants His children to seek Him for their various needs (see also Luke 11:9-10, 18:1-8). To do this, they will first need to be humble, acknowledging their need before the Lord. Next, they will need to be persistent in prayer knowing that God will answer the prayer in accordance with His will. Finally, they need to remember that God is a loving Father who will always do good to his children (see Luke 11:13).
“If a tired and selfish neighbor finally meets the needs of a bothersome friend, how much more will a loving heavenly Father meet the needs of His own dear children!”[1]
We too, need to be persistent in bringing our needs before the Lord. Although He may answer the prayer differently than we would like, we can be assured that He always hears us, never grows tired of us coming to Him, and will always give us the good that we need.
Blessings,
Pastor Steven
*See more of Dr. Luke’s advice blog posts here = https://pastorstevendbc.wixsite.com/nbba/blog/categories/dr-luke-s-advice
[1] Warren Wiersbe. The Bible Exposition Commentary, Luke, pg. 214-215.