The Widow Who Would Not Quit

How to Keep Praying When You’re Tired of Praying

“Jesus told this parable, Luke tells us, to teach the disciples “the necessity of praying always and not losing heart” (Lk. 18:1).
From the beginning of human history, when our ancestors first lifted their eyes to the stars and whispered into the night, prayer has been humanity’s oldest act of hope. Before there were temples or hymns, before there were creeds or commandments, there was the cry that rose from the heart: help us, save us, hear us.

Scripture bears witness to this. On a battlefield in the wilderness, Moses raised his hands to heaven, and as long as his arms remained lifted, Israel prevailed against Amalek (Exodus 17). The psalmist sang, “I lift up my eyes to the hills—from where will my help come? My help comes from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth” (Psalm 121). And Paul, nearing the end of his own long journey, urged Timothy to stay rooted in…