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When When life becomes difficult or we face disappointments, we can falter in our faith.

In Luke's gospel, Jesus told a parable to encourage his disciples not to give up, but to keep

praying, even when it seems like God isn't answering

your prayers. Today, on Truth for Life, Alistair Begg examines this parable and explains what's

really happening when we pray and when God delays his response.

Coming to the first verse of chapter 18, it would be possible for us to do so in such a way that ignored everything that had gone before.

And to do that, of course, would be to create a great error.

Because verse 1 of chapter 18 wasn't verse 1 of chapter 18 when it was originally written down

because there were no chapter breaks for a start. These have been inserted along the way

in order to help us navigate through our Bibles. Therefore verse 1 follows directly on verse 37 of the

previous chapter and the context, some of you will recall, is set for us back

in verse 20 of chapter 17 when Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, when is the kingdom of God going to

come? Jesus had answered that question for the Pharisees, and then in verse 22, he had turned

to his disciples, and he said, essentially, given that the Pharisees, and then in verse 22, he had turned to his disciples,

and he said, essentially, given that the Pharisees have raised this question about the coming

of the kingdom, let me give to you a few more words of explanation. And he had then taken the time

to provide the disciples with certain insights into the nature of the day when the Son of man is going to be revealed.

Having done that, he then, in verse 1 of chapter 18, gives to these same disciples an illustration

in order to show that they should always pray and not give up.

Now, the context would seem to demand this kind of assessment, namely, I'm going to go away,

Jesus is saying, there will be a time lag between my departure and my return.

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