(Read St. Luke 11:5–13)
Following His teaching on prayer, our Lord deepens the lesson with a parable that reveals both the persistence required in prayer and the generosity of God who answers it. A man goes to his friend at midnight seeking bread for a traveller in need. Though the friend is reluctant, the petitioner’s persistence prevails. Christ draws from this familiar image a lesson that extends beyond human relationships — if even imperfect men respond to persistence, how much more will the heavenly Father, who is perfect in love, hear the cries of His children.
The command to ask, seek, and knock is an invitation to steadfast communion. True prayer is not the repetition of words until the desired result is granted, but the continual turning of the heart toward God until His will is known and embraced. The believer’s perseverance in prayer refines faith, purifies motive, and draws the soul into deeper trust. Every prayer uttered in sincerity becomes a step closer to divine intimacy, whether or not the answer is what we expect.
Our Lord’s teaching also exposes the tenderness of the Father’s heart. He does not mock the cry of His children, nor offer them harm in place of good. If even flawed parents delight to give what sustains their own, then the gifts of the heavenly Father must be infinitely greater. Yet notice what Christ names as the supreme gift — not wealth, nor ease, nor earthly success, but the Holy Spirit. God’s best answer to prayer is always Himself.
This passage in the Gospel of St. Luke calls us to perseverance, trust, and holy expectation. The Father’s door is never truly shut, nor His ear closed to the faithful. He may delay, that our hearts might grow in longing; He may answer differently, that our souls might learn wisdom. But to all who continue to ask, seek, and knock in faith, the promise endures—the gift of the Spirit, the Bread of Heaven, and the assurance that divine love never sleeps.
May God bless you +
Fr. Charles
9 October 2025
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