Then,
teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: "Suppose you went
to a friend's house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of
bread. You say to him, 'A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit,
and I have nothing for him to eat.' And suppose he calls out from his
bedroom, 'Don't bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my
family and I are all in bed. I can't help you.' But I tell you
this--though he won't do it for friendship's sake, if you keep knocking
long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of
your shameless persistence. And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you
will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep
on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks,
receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the
door will be opened. You fathers--if your children ask for a fish, to
you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give
them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give
good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father
give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him."
"if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence."
Luke 18:1-6 One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. "There was a judge in a certain city," he said, "who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' The judge ignored her for awhile, but finally he said to himself, 'I don't fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I'm going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!" Then the Lord said, "Learn a lesson from this unjust judge." (see verses 7-8)
(parentheses are mine)
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