Boldness and Perseverance Opens Doorways
Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’ 7 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.’ 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. Luke 11:5-8
There are many lessons to be learnt in the school of prayer. This parable Jesus told contains one of them.
In the time Jesus told this story, everyone was in bed soon after dark and up as soon as it was light. By midnight no lights would be seen in any dwelling. Homes commonly had a single upstairs room and a small courtyard underneath for animals. Everyone in a family slept together on the floor.
A man has unexpected visitors late at night. Jewish hospitality would demand he welcome, feed and house them. But he doesn’t have enough food, so he goes over to his neighbour and knocks and knocks until he wakes his him. He explains his predicament. He needs to borrow three loaves of bread. The neighbour is inconvenienced and tries to put his friend off, ‘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.’
But in the story Jesus told, the actions of the one in need finally won out. He wouldn’t be put off and He got to borrow the three loaves of bread. Why? Because of his ‘shameless audacity.’ The term brings together the twin thoughts of boldness and perseverance.
When you pray are you bold? Do you persevere? If either or both are light in your prayer life then you need to shift gears. There are some things we pray for that God will not answer without these two qualities shining through.
Add both to the way you pray and watch doors open!