A knock on his door woke him.
As he got up to answer it, he realized how late it was. “Who could be here at midnight?” he thought. As he opened the door, there stood a friend who had traveled a long way and was both tired and hungry. Realizing he had nothing in his house to feed his friend, he hurried to his neighbor.
As he pounded on their door, the man shouted he had company who just arrived, and he had nothing to feed him. The neighbor called out, “Leave me alone, I’m in bed!” The man who had company did not give up. He continued to shout his need until his neighbor gave him what he wanted.
Before Jesus taught this parable in Luke 11:5-8, he taught the Lord’s Prayer. With that prayer, He showed us the way to pray. However, the parable explains how we are to pray. It’s not just the words we use, but the persistence we show.
In Luke 11:8 (ESV), Jesus said about the neighbor who didn’t want to get out of bed, “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence (or persistence) he will rise and give him whatever he needs.” What does this mean? The neighbor didn’t get up because his friend asked him for food; he got up because he knew his neighbor was not going away until he got what he needed.
The Hebrew equivalent of the word impudence is chutzpah and it means brazen tenacity. We can better understand this if we know the meaning of these two words, too. The word brazen means to be bold and without shame[1] and tenacity means to have determination. [2]
Do you pray with brazen tenacity?
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Is this how you pray? I honestly can’t say it describes all my prayers. In some rabbinical (Jewish) literature, they describe Moses’ intercession for the children of Israel as if he took hold of God’s garment and pleaded with Him to pardon them. [3] This is chutzpah. This is what Jesus taught.
In Luke 8:43-48, Scripture tells us about a woman who knew Jesus could heal her of a bleeding disorder if she could only touch His garment. There was a great crowd around Jesus; people were pressing up against Him making it almost impossible to get close.
Yet, her brazen tenacity didn’t let a crowd stop her from getting to the feet of Jesus. When she touched his garment, Jesus knew power had gone from of Him. After the woman came to Him and told Him why she touched Him, Jesus said, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”
The blind beggar in Luke 18:35-43 didn’t stop yelling for Jesus to have mercy on him even though people told him to be quiet. When Jesus asked him what he wanted, he replied, “Lord, let me recover my sight.” Jesus said, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” The beggar had brazen tenacity. He would not be silent, so Jesus stopped to talk to him.
Like them, our brazen tenacity evidences our faith. There are stories throughout the Gospels about people who did not take “no” for an answer by pushing past boundaries to get to Jesus. These were only a few stories in which Jesus said, “Your faith has healed you.”
What about the times our faith and tenacity don’t get our prayer answered in the way we hope? We all know someone who didn’t get healed or lost a child or spouse from a terrible disease. Or maybe it’s you whose prayer has not been answered. Does Jesus love us less? Did He not hear our cries in the dark or at the altar? We don’t always know why we get a “no” or “wait” from our Lord.
In her book, To Live is Christ, Beth Moore explained that in the Bible Jesus healed for two reasons. One was to prove His authenticity. He was and is the Son of God. The second reason He healed was when natural methods were not possible. [4]
What will bring you closer to God?
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The healing or the suffering? God knows which one it is. He doesn’t want us to suffer, but if our suffering takes us deeper into our relationship with Him, then it’s worth it. He knows our ultimate healing is in Heaven. But that does not mean we pray with any less brazen tenacity. Like the man who needed food from his neighbor, keep pounding on Heaven’s door.
Is there anything you have not asked the Lord because you thought it wasn’t worthy or because you felt embarrassed by it? In the verses which follow the parable in Luke 11:9 (ESV), Jesus said,
“Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you.”
Jesus doesn’t want us to stop asking, seeking or knocking. Approach His throne boldly knowing He hears you and He loves you. Never give up. Pray boldly with shameless determination.
[1] Google.com, https://www.google.com/search?q=brazen+definition&rlz=1C1CAFA_enUS630US711&oq=brazen&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.4848j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
[2] Google.com, https://www.google.com/search?q=brazen+definition&rlz=1C1CAFA_enUS630US711&oq=brazen&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0l5.4848j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#dobs=tenacity
[3] Young, Brad H., The Parables, Jewish Tradition and Christian Interpretation, Baker Academic 1998, pg. 63
[4] Moore, Beth, To Live is Christ, B&H Publishing Group, Nashville, TN, 2001. Pg. 77.
This is such good insight and it goes along with a word I have recently discovered that has a similar meaning. It’s the word “brash”. Most find a person that is brash annoying and one that rubs people the wrong way.. But, one of the meanings, according to Merriam – Webster, is “full of fresh raw vitality.” The example they give is “a brash, new frontier town.” I want my writing to be “brash” or “impudent” so that others hear the message and respond as in a need of urgency. Thanks for your motivating blog. ~ Ben Cooper
Thank you, Ben. I didn’t know that about the word “brash” either. As writers, we can lead others to a greater understanding of words, but also and more importantly, a greater understanding of God and what relationship with Him looks like.
Amen Ms. Stephanie. It’s not that God does not hear our prayer, it’s that He needs to know the seriousness of our request. Sometimes, and it’s hard for us to accept it at the time, it seems our prayers are unanswered. It is in those that we continue to pray for that God brings His most abundant blessings. My wife and family come to mind. God’s blessings ma’am
Yes, I agree JD. He both hears and answers but uses parables and stories to teach us how to pray. Thank you!!
Good morning. I just posted this on Facebook. Excellent teaching. Thank you.
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Thank you, Debbie!♥️
Do I pray with brazen tenacity? Yes, I do. I’ve found myself the last few months emboldened in the place of prayer, praying without shame and with tenacity. Mostly for others. As an example, a man I only know through FB is suffering from an illness that came on quickly out of nowhere. Healthy father facing possible amputation. The injustice emboldened me to speak life to his body, command the pain he was in to go, that it must bow to the name of Jesus. With tears, I asked the Lord to send angels to his hospital room to minister hope and healing to him. There’s more, but the following day his wife posted that he had no pain that night for the first time in weeks! I’m taking no credit, just that this is why in some situations I command as well as ask.
So yes, when we know God’s Word, we approach His throne in full confidence.
Wow, what a great testimony of God’s power. We can stand as intercessors on behalf of others, especially those we do not know or have any contact with and hear about answered prayers. What a blessing! Thank you for sharing.
I do not pray with brazen tenacity, but your devotion convinces me that I should. I’m going to use the term in my prayer journal this morning.
Good! I’m glad you will add this to your prayer journal. I think it will change the way you pray.
Thank you for this reminder to pray with persistence. Ask and keep on asking!
You’re welcome, LuAnn. That’s right, ask, seek, and knock!
“Brazen tenacity!” I need to pray like that, Stephanie. What a powerful message you have shared. We shouldn’t be afraid to ask God for healing, renewal, strength, yet so often, as you mention, we think our prayers trivial or unworthy of His attention. Thank you for this reminder–I needed your message today.
Thank you, Katherine. I’m glad the Lord knows what we need before we do.