Thoughts and Prayers

And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Give me justice against my adversary.’ For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.’ ” And the Lord said, “Hear what the unrighteous judge says. And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them? I tell you, he will give justice to them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”
Luke 18:1–8
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Thoughts and Prayers
Thoughts and prayers. We often hear politicians and other people on television offer their “thoughts and prayers” to others when a disaster happens. Maybe it’s a natural disaster like a tornado or a manmade one like a school shooting. Too often, though, it seems that those offering thoughts and prayers only really talk about praying, instead of actually praying. We know that God hears our prayers and desires to hear them. We also know that God always answers the prayers of His people. So we should not simply talk about praying but should be constant in prayer. If even an unworthy judge responds to persistence, how much more will our heavenly Father respond to His people’s faithful prayers? Pray without ceasing St.. Paul tells us, and so we should. God will answer quickly as He has promised in Christ. May our Lord grant us enduring faith and persistence in the face of every trouble.