Praying

October 19, 2025, Saint Barnabas Lutheran Church, Howard Beach, Queens, N.Y.

There is some sage advice about what to do if your boss finds you asleep at your work station.

You don’t panic. You simply raise your head, open your eyes and say, “Thank you, Lord. Amen.” That should convince the most cynical of bosses.

You could make the argument, as many of us do, that napping is a holy exercise, especially on a Sunday afternoon. It restores our energies, soothes our bodies, and prepares our spirits to resume our work. All of which brings us closer to our God, so why not see a nap as a form of prayer?

Having said that, we should keep in mind how Jesus reacted when his disciples slept while he prayed in Gethsemane. 

“So you could not stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you may not come to the time of trial; the spirit is indeed willing but the flesh is weak.” (Mt 26:40-41)

In Luke 18, Jesus tells the story of an unjust judge who refused to grant justice to a widow who has been treated shabbily by an unknown opponent. At first the judge refuses to hear or rule for the widow. But she comes back repeatedly to his chambers, each time pressing her case. The judge, who may be concerned that this poor woman is making him look bad – or even, God forbid, unjust – begins to tire of her.

“Because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.” (Lk 18:5)

Eric Barreto, New Testament professor at Princeton Theological Seminary, admits to some surprise that this particular parable is used to encourage prayer.

He writes: “This is a parable many of us need these days! In a world teeming with disappointment and hopelessness, I turn to the beginning of chapter 18, yearning for a refreshing word. Instead, Jesus narrates a parable about the kind of everyday corruption that marginalizes those who can least afford it. It is a surprising parable to tell if Jesus’ aim is to encourage prayer and persistence.”

The archetype of the corrupt judge (or magistrate, or politician, or any abuser of power) is familiar to us.

So we quickly note that this reprobate is not supposed to represent God in the story. He is the very opposite of the loving, just God. If this amoral scoundrel will succumb to the persistent nagging of a justice seeker, how much more will God respond to those who “pray always”?

“And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them.” (Lk 18:7-8)

A few chapters earlier in Luke, the disciples showed they weren’t entirely sure how to pray. 

“Jesus was praying in a certain place, and after he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, ‘Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.” (Lk 11:1)

And Jesus responded by teaching the prayer we recite every Sunday and in our daily devotions.

According to legend, Martin Luther was once asked what he planned to do today.

He replied, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

In our frenzied age today, we can only shake our head. Three hours? Is he exaggerating? Where in heaven’s name could we find three hours just to pray. How would our work get done? How could we take time to plan and prepare meals?  Would it be fair to our families if we took so much time away from them? John F. Kennedy once told a friend that his mother, Rose, was frequently away at prayer retreats when he needed her the most.

Here, Luther’s teachings are helpful. Luther believed that all we do – work, planning meals, attending to the household, and being with our families – was holy work. 

Luther said: "The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship". 

Luther's core belief was that honest work, regardless of its nature, is a divine calling and a way to serve God and neighbors, with the emphasis being on diligence and excellence rather than religious ornamentation. 

And of course honest work is always bolstered and sustained by prayer.

One of my favorite examples of prayer at work – although one the antisemitic Luther would have discounted – is Tevye the milkman in Fiddler on the Roof. As he makes his rounds delivering milk and cheese to his neighbors, he is constantly talking to God. He doesn’t separate prayer from his work, which he sees as God’s work. 

Nor does he hide his honest feelings from God.

"Oh, Lord, you made many, many poor people. I realize, of course, it's no shame to be poor. But it's no great honor either! So, what would have been so terrible if I had a small fortune?"

I love this uninhibited conversation with God, and I wish I was better at it. During my erstwhile Baptist days, when I was called upon to say a public prayer, I was very self-conscious about choosing words that were pleasing to God and to the congregation I was facing.

“Lord we – just – thank you for everything, and we – just – pray you will bless us and keep us safe, and – just – show us the way and – just – just – Amen.”

Now I am so grateful for the beautiful liturgy that guides our worship each Sunday – the confession and forgiveness, the kyrie, the prayer of the week, the prayers of the people – all so beautifully written, and all capturing the thoughts of my heart.

Luther approved the reciting of prayers written down or memorized but he did caution us against vain and repetitious praying. Whether we pray the words of a prayer book, or of a rosary, or of the words of our heart, we recognize that we are in dialogue with the Creator of the Universe, and we strive to keep conversation going; to pray always.

Francisco J. Garcia, an Episcopal priest and social activist in Berkeley, California, finds deep meaning in the parable of the widow and the unjust judge.

‘It speaks to the divinely rooted call to pursue justice, while also grounding it in the context of living a faithful life. It urges us to resist the tendency to think about prayer in a simplified and uni-directional way, as merely words we offer to God in a transactional and hierarchical manner (in other words, the idea of praying to God the “Father” up in the sky). It also makes a clear, intimate, and inseparable connection, in my view, between prayer and justice. This parable invites preachers and all who would receive it to think of prayer as an active, dynamic, relational, and even mystical enterprise between us and God.”

That mystical enterprise of prayer is evident in the prayer Jesus taught us.

“When you pray, say: Father, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.” (Lk 11:2)

When we say these words, we remember that God is holy. The word Jesus used for Father is Abba, or Daddy, an affectionate and intimate term of address for a loving father that is still used by Hebrew speaking children today. We acknowledge that the Creator of the Universe has created a kingdom that dwells within us, and he relates to us as a loving father and not as an unapproachable deity.

“Give us each day our daily bread.” (Lk 11:3)

When we say these words we remember that all we have – food, property, possessions, loved ones – is from God. We remember we cannot claim credit for possessions or fortunes we have gathered, nor think of ourselves as self-made people who have raised ourselves up by our boot straps. We acknowledge that all we have are gifts from a loving God.

“Forgive us our sins, for we ourselves forgive everyone indebted to us.” (Lk. 4a) 

When we say these words, we remember that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. We confess our sins to God and receive God’s gracious forgiveness. When we are so readily forgiven, we remember that we also owe forgiveness to those who have sinned against us. And we remember that it is only through this love for our neighbor that we can live a life of justice and peace.

For it is God’s kingdom, God’s Power, and God’s glory forever. 

God grant us the strength to Pray always.

Amen.