Not to faint (μη ἐνκακειν [mē enkakein]). Literally, not to give in to evil (ἐν, κακεω [en, kakeō], from κακος [kakos], bad or evil), to turn coward, lose heart, behave badly.

Consider the contrasts. To begin with, the woman was a stranger, but we are the children of God, and God cares for His children (Luke 11:13). The widow had no access to the judge, but God’s children have an open access into His presence and may come at any time to get the help they need (Eph. 2:18; 3:12; Heb. 4:14–16; 10:19–22).

The woman had no friend at court to help get her case on the docket. All she could do was walk around outside the tent and make a nuisance of herself as she shouted at the judge. But when Christian believers pray, they have in heaven a Saviour who is Advocate (1 John 2:1) and High Priest (Heb. 2:17–18), who constantly represents them before the throne of God.

Perhaps the greatest contrast is that the widow came to a court of law, but God’s children come to a throne of grace (Heb. 4:14–16). She pled out of her poverty, but we have all of God’s riches available to us to meet our every need (Phil. 4:19). The point is clear: if we fail to pray, our condition spiritually will be just like that of the poor widow. That should encourage us to pray!

If such an unjust man would respond to persistent pleas, would not God, who is not only just, but also loving and merciful, do so more readily?

A woman left her diamond brooch in a hotel. When she got home she remembered her brooch and called the hotel. She told the manager what happened and he went to look for it. He found it, put it in the safe, and returned to the phone to tell her the good news, but she had hung up.

So many of us are like this. We aren’t willing to wait on the Lord.1035

An automobile has a battery, which is simply stored-up energy, that enables the machine to function. The motor, lights, radio, and so on draw energy out of the battery.

However an automobile also has a generator that replaces the energy drawn from the battery. If the generator does not function properly, the battery will soon be dead. Then when you need power to start the automobile, you will find that you have none. Nothing is wrong with the rest of the mechanical equipment. It simply has no power by which to function.

An automobile has a cable connecting the battery to the car’s mechanisms. If that cable is removed, the battery still has some power to spare. However, the power is not transmitted to the working parts of the automobile, so the car itself is powerless.

Christians are like that. We expend spiritual energy in ministry. For us to remain spiritually strong that energy needs to be replenished. If not, in a crisis moment we will discover the power is gone.

One the one hand, Jesus said that prayer is the generator that keeps our spiritual power constant. On the other hand, prayer is the cable that connects us to the omnipotence of God.