Pray with shameless audacity.

Today's texts: Genesis 18:20-32; Psalm 138; Colossians 2:6-15; Luke 11:1-3.



It’s not always clear to us how we should talk to God. In the story of Job, when God finally responds to Job’s complaints, God basically says, “What do you know about anything?” We may come away from this exchange with some worry about how we speak to God, anxiety about maybe asking a question that will anger God.

Yet Abraham has a different experience. God has heard the outcry about the wickedness of Sodom and Gommorah and wants to destroy those cities. Abraham tries to prevent this from happening, by pleading with God, based on God’s own character, to spare the cities even if there are only 10 righteous people there (Gen. 18:20-32). Abraham is cautious and humble as he challenges God, but he nevertheless persists in his efforts.

Abraham’s words with God on behalf of those cities is consistent with Jesus’ own teaching on prayer. When he teaches his disciples about prayer (Luke 11:1-13), Jesus says that they should persist in their requests, that they should pray with “shameless audacity.”

It’s not that God doesn’t want to meet our needs or that he doesn’t hear us unless we pester him. We are the loving God’s children. No loving father would withhold what is good from his children. Jesus’ point is simply that we must persist in prayer.

Knock on God’s door, ask of him, seek his answers. He can handle our pestering, our frustration, our anger, our questions, our doubts. He just wants us to talk to him.

This week's readings: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 14-16, 2:18-23; Psalm 49:1-11; Colossians 3:1-11; Luke 12:13-21.