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Jesus told them a parable about the need to always pray and not lose heart: “There was a judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not care about people. There was a widow in that town, and she kept going to him, saying, ‘Give me justice from my adversary!’ For some time he refused, but after a while he said to himself, ‘Even though I do not fear God or care about people, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice so that she will not wear me out with her endless pleading.’” The Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. Will not God give justice to his chosen ones, who are crying out to him day and night? Will he put off helping them? I tell you that he will give them justice quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“Can we have ice cream?”

At our house, that’s one of the most common questions ever. The freezer usually has something tasty in it—fudge bars, popsicles, cookies & cream ice cream (the best one, if you ask me!), or even Oreo ice cream sandwiches.

But usually, ice cream comes after real food. Why? Because if hungry kids eat ice cream first, they’ll never touch their dinner!

One hot summer day, the kids were outside riding bikes, running with the dog, and making up all kinds of imaginative games. And then came the questions—over and over:

Finally, I opened the freezer, grabbed the bowls and spoons, and scooped it up. Their persistence paid off.

That’s exactly what Jesus is teaching about prayer. In Luke 18, he tells the story of a widow who kept asking a judge for help. The judge didn’t care about God or people, but he finally gave her what she wanted because she wouldn’t stop asking!

Now here’s the important part: God is NOT like that judge. God cares about you. God invites you to call him Father and ask again and again—just like kids ask their dad for ice cream. Persistent prayer isn’t bugging God—it’s what faith looks like!

At the end, Jesus asks a big question: “When I return, will I find people still praying with faith?” In other words: Will you keep asking, even if the answer takes time?

Dear Jesus, thank you for inviting me to pray to you again and again and again . . . Help me not to give up, but to trust that you always hear me and love me. Amen.

The questions below are to help families discuss this devotion. The questions are divided by age group as suggestions, but anyone could reflect on any of the questions as they desire.

Questions for Younger Children

Questions for Elementary Age Children

Questions for Middle School and Above

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