A lesson on prayer

In my early days as a Christian, I was very interested in learning to pray. I was particularly helped by a classic book on prayers by Andrew Murray called "With Christ in the School of Prayer". One word has been stuck in my head till this day. The word is "importunity". The word is found in the King James Translation of the 11th chapter of Luke where Jesus was teaching his disciples to pray. First He taught them the Lord's prayer (vs 2-4). Then He told them this parable:
"And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee. I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth." (vs 5-8 KJV)

Andrew Murray explained this parable in chapter eight of his book, which he titled "Because of his importunity" or, "The Boldness of God's Friends". He explained,
"The parable is a perfect storehouse of instruction in regard to true intercession. There is, first, the love which seeks to help the needy around us: 'my friend is come to me'. Then the need which urges to the cry 'I have nothing to set before him'. Then follows the confidence that help is to be had: 'which of you shall have a friend, and say, Friend, lend me three loaves'. Then comes the unexpected refusal: 'I cannot rise and give you'. Then again the perseverance that takes no refusal: 'because of his importunity'. And lastly, the reward of such prayer: 'he will give him as many as he needs'. A wonderful setting forth of the way of prayer and faith in which the blessing of God has so often been sought and found."

So the word importunity encompasses all these components - loving our neighbors, bringing the need to the only One who can provide, asking with confidence, asking with perseverance, and expecting the reward.

The Message translated verse 8 this way: "But let me tell you, even if he won’t get up because he’s a friend, if you stand your ground, knocking and waking all the neighbors, he’ll finally get up and get you whatever you need."
NIV translation gives a slightly different flavor: "I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity [Or yet to preserve his good name] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need."

I think the NIV is closest to the original Greek: "I say to you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend (philos), yet because of the prospect (anaideia) of being put to shame he will get up and give him as much as he needs."

So today I learned something new. The word "importunity" is just a KJV translation of a concept that is a little different from what I had in mind for a long time. The secret of answered prayer has less to do with just "nagging" God by praying over and over again like a broken record. It has to do with the fact that God is concerned about His good name! He will answer our prayers for His name sake. And His name has to do with justice and love. When my prayer is based on my love for my neighbor, He will answer so that His name will be glorified.

"For the sake of his great name the Lord will not reject his people, because the Lord was pleased to make you his own." (1 Samuel 12:22)

"he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake." (Psalm 23:3)

"But for the sake of my name, I brought them out of Egypt. I did it to keep my name from being profaned in the eyes of the nations among whom they lived and in whose sight I had revealed myself to the Israelites." (Ezekiel 20:9)

"Through him we received grace and apostleship to call all the Gentiles to the obedience that comes from faith for his name’s sake." (Romans 1:5)