The old city of Jerusalem, filled with small shops that sell anything from cooking utensils to souvenirs made of olive wood, is a fascinating place to visit. If I showed any interest in his wares, a merchant may toss out a price, expecting me to respond. I might roll my eyes, give a wave of the hand and move on. If he senses that I am at all interested, the merchant might bait me by lowering the price. “For you, I will offer it for only 200 shekels.”
“No way!” I would say. “Still too much. I can buy it cheaper in Tel Aviv.” Perhaps I would then make a counter offer and he would moan, “How can I feed my family at that price? Already I am offering you the lowest price in the city!” The bickering continues until either a sale is made or this would be customer walks away empty handed.
Like the shrewd customer in the market place, Abraham certainly knew how to make a deal. He walks and talks with God as though they were close friends, free to share what is on their minds. He seeks to spare the destruction of Sodom and Gommorah, asking God, “Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? Suppose there are 50 innocent people in the city; would you wipe out the place, rather than spare it for the sake of 50 innocent people within it?” Given that assurance, Abraham presses on. 45? 40? How about 30? Finally, God tells him that for the sake of 10 innocent people, these cities would not be destroyed.
In the gospel, Jesus invites his listeners to plea bargain with God as well, not only with the prayer that he teaches them but also with the story that he then shares of the man who shamelessly begs his neighbor for food in the middle of the night.
Most of us would be fairly embarrassed to impose on our neighbor at such a late hour. For some of us, the time of day doesn’t matter. We would be reluctant or too proud to ask for help at any time of day from anyone, including God.
Consequently, we sell ourselves short. Students excuse their poor grades, calling themselves “dumb.” When asked if they sought help, they respond, “Nah, it wouldn’t do any good.” A spouse, anxious over a failing marriage, refuses to seek professional help, convinced that it wouldn’t turn things around. Some people complain of being lonely, but put no effort into making friends. Others grumble that they are bored and feel empty, but do nothing to change their life styles. Because they will not ask, seek or knock, many people can only wonder about the many lost opportunities in life they have missed out on.
That certainly isn’t the case for Abraham or the man in the gospel parable. They were both brazen and shameless in their persistence. In both instances, God is portrayed as compassionate and just, yet we shy away from the one who is there to offer us a helping hand. Imagine what our prayer life would be like if we approached God with that same degree of shamelessness?
In the gospel, Jesus provides us with a blueprint for prayer, instructing us to remember God not as a strange and distant deity, but as a loving, caring parent. He goes on to say that there is more to prayer than words. He encourages persistence, not giving up until our needs are met. “Ask and you shall receive, seek and you will find, knock and it will be opened to you.”
In other words, God doesn’t usually change the situation for those who are resigned or indifferent to what is going on.
I remember reading the story of a hotel manager named Jim Johnson. His hotel was failing. Others had tried to save it without success. The hotel was in a now or never situation. Jim decided to try something different.
He did all that was needed from a business point of view to make the hotel function, but he added an extra step. Each night, he drove to a hill overlooking the hotel and prayed for God’s blessing on his work in the hotel. He prayed for the guests, relaxing behind the lit windows. He prayed for the employees and their families.
Night after night, Jim drove to the top of the hill. And night after night, he prayed the same prayer. He would bring to God every decision he had to make. He talked to God about every aspect of running the hotel.
Soon the situation at the hotel began to improve. A new confidence radiated from the employees. The atmosphere became more welcoming. The guests were impressed and soon the hotel was doing a thriving business.
The late Norman Vincent Peale, who told this story, credited the hotel’s rebirth to Jim Johnson’s nightly prayer. He ended his story with a fascinating thought. If the prayer of one man could transform a hotel, think how the prayer of one nation could transform the world. While that may seem impossible to achieve, at least consider how your prayers could change your family or how the prayers of your family could change our community.