Importune

Luke 11:5-10
5 Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread,
6 because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'
7 "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.'
8 I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.
9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
10 For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
(NIV)

importune:/ urgent in request, to annoy or trouble with persistent request or demands

Why is it that our children have to say our name twenty times before we answer them? Last night my Pastor taught on this passage of scripture and as I was driving home I was lost in thought about what he had said. Sahara was trying to get my wife’s attention, “Mom put in a different CD, Mom can you please put in a different CD? Mom!” I helped her out, “Kristi, Sahara is trying to get your attention.” A couple of minutes later Austin was trying to get my attention saying, “Dad, hey dad, daddy, Hey dad, dad.” Then my wife decided to help me out, “Greg, Austin is trying to ask you something.” If our children only said our name once we would probably rarely ever answer them. The majority of the time it is because of their importunity that their request are granted.

There are several Christians today that feel as though their prayers are never answered. Jesus said that when we ask, seek, and knock, we will receive. I believe the determining factor is “importunity.” Most people ask and stop there. They say a prayer and cross there fingers hoping it will be answered. Asking is only the first step. We ask with our voice, but then we are to seek with our eyes! When you lose your car keys do you just look in one spot and give up? To seek something is to diligently search until you find it. Then we are to knock. Try going to your neighbors door and just hit the door once. I guarantee you that you will be waiting out there for a long time. When you knock on a door you have to get physically involved, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK. Knock until you get an answer.

The fact is most of us Christians today do not pray enough. In the New Testament the word ‘pray’ is mentioned 73 times, ‘prayer’ 33 times, and ‘prayed’ 24 times. There are more then 130 references to prayer in the New Testament alone! When we pray we need to pray with persistence and urgency. To see results to our prayers we have to pray with all of our heart, all of our mind, all of our strength, and all of our soul!


Copyright Greg Graham 2005