In Prayer, the Holy Spirit, and Christian Living (p.3-4), Kenny McComas speaks of the parable of the widow in Luke 18:1-8 who continued to plead with the judge until he avenged her adversary. "The widow got what she wanted because of her importunity. She stayed with it. She wouldn’t accept ‘no’ for an answer. She refused to be ignored. Jesus began our Scripture passage by saying, ‘Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.’ We need to remember that delays are not denials. The Bible teaches us to ask and keep on asking until the answer comes. It was said of Martin Luther, he so bombarded the gates of Heaven with prayer, God had no choice but to answer him. Many Christians pray a weak, formal prayer requesting of God certain favors, then conclude by saying, ‘If it be Thy will.’ Many times they excuse their prayerlessness by saying, ‘It must not have been the will of God.’ It may have been, however, the will of God to grant that request on the third, fourth, or fifth petition that was never made. Note carefully verse 7 of our Scripture text. ‘And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?’ "
