Pray Without Becoming Weary
They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Have you ever been weary? At various seasons in my life, I have been weary. There have been several times when I was experiencing serious burnout. The weariness I experienced during these times went beyond being merely tired. It was a feeling that permeated your entire existence down to the bone. (Perhaps that is the root of the expression “bone tired”?) The definition that best captures this type of weariness is “very tired, especially after you have been working hard or doing something for a long time.”
There is also spiritual weariness. We can experience lengthy spiritual battles. Battles that wear you down in your soul. You pray and pray and pray, and yet it does not end. You cry out to the Lord, “How long, O Lord, how long?” The temptation arises to give into spiritual weariness and sink into despondency and self pity. In dark faith, you continue to cry out to the Lord for help.
The day comes, usually suddenly, when the battle is over. The Lord has decreed, “It is finished.” When you look back, you see how God sustained you through the dark night. You see the purpose in the process. God restores your strength and you continue to press forward to face the next challenge.
I started reflecting on weariness the other day after reading a passage from the Book of the Prophet Jeremiah. Jeremiah is prophesying judgment against the unfaithful people of Israel at the time. The following passage caught my attention:
Every one deceives his neighbor, and no one speaks the truth; they have taught their tongue to speak lies; they commit iniquity and are too weary to repent.1
What kind of weariness is this? Too weary to repent? It must be a state of spiritual paralysis. What a terrifying state to be in!
How does one end up in such a state? According to the Word of God, apparently committing iniquity can land you in such a state.
Iniquity is something different from sin. One author explains that iniquity is not merely an action (i.e. sin is an action) but the character of that action. Iniquity can also be described as “sin upon sin.” We know that “sin creates a proclivity to sin; it engenders vice by repetition of the same acts. This results in perverse inclinations which cloud conscience and corrupt the concrete judgment of good and evil.”2 Perhaps one could describe iniquity as the place where you end up when you continue to pile sin upon sin without repentance. If you end up in that place, you may find yourself spiritually paralyzed and too weary to repent.
The following weekend, the Gospel proclaimed at Mass was the parable of the persistent widow from the Gospel of St. Luke. In the first line, I heard the word “weary” and started paying attention.
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Then he told them a parable about the necessity for them to pray always without becoming weary. He said, “There was a judge in a certain town who neither feared God nor respected any human being. And a widow in that town used to come to him and say, ‘Render a just decision for me against my adversary.’ For a long time the judge was unwilling, but eventually he thought, ‘While it is true that I neither fear God nor respect any human being, because this widow keeps bothering me I shall deliver a just decision for her lest she finally come and strike me.’” The Lord said, “Pay attention to what the dishonest judge says. Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night? Will he be slow to answer them? I tell you, he will see to it that justice is done for them speedily. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”3
The two Scripture passages seem to lay out two diverging paths for us to choose from. On the one hand, Jesus is encouraging believers to pray always without becoming weary. Keep praying day and night without giving up. On the other hand, the prophet warns those who choose to commit iniquity. That path may lead to spiritual paralysis and an inability to repent.
It is significant that the path of prayer implies that one has repented and is attempting to live righteously according to the law of God. Jesus highlights this in the parable. “Will not God then secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night?” Another translation reads: “Will not God vindicate his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?”4
Who are these “chosen ones” or “his elect”? The Strong’s concordance explains that this Greek word (ἐκλεκτοί / eklektos) refers to “those who have become true partakers of the Christian salvation are contrasted with κλητοί, those who have been invited but who have not shown themselves fitted to obtain it.”5 This suggests that one who is living in iniquity would not fall within the “chosen” or “elect” whom Jesus is referring to here unless they repent.
This is why the daily examination of conscience and repentance is an important part of our spiritual practices. There is no amount of sin that is good for our soul. If you find yourself in iniquity, kneel down today and ask the merciful Lord for forgiveness! Catholic Christians are required to go to the sacrament of reconciliation (confession) at least once a year. If you have not been to confession in a long time, rally yourself and go this week! Do not wait until you are too weary to repent.
The parable of the persistent widow should inspire us with great confidence in the path of prayer. Jesus tells us that God the Father will secure the rights of his chosen ones who call out to him day and night. He reassures us that God the Father will not be slow to answer them. This should stir up great faith in us! We must continue to pray even when it appears that God is not answering our prayers. We must not allow discouragement to set in and make us weary.
The Word of God also assures us that God Himself will provide us with the strength to continue. It is in the life of prayer that we receive divine strength to continue. This is how we pray without becoming weary.
They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.6
I can do all things in him who strengthens me.7
Are you in a place right now where you have been praying for a long time about something? Are you starting to wonder whether God is going to answer your prayers? If so, ask yourself this question: Have I been pestering God with this petition long enough to become weary? If the answer is no, keep going! Call out to your loving Father in heaven day and night!
The Christian spiritual life is a wonderful thing. God loves you and wants you to spend eternity with Him! Everything I have written here is to encourage and equip you to follow that path. My prayer for you today in the Name of Jesus is that the Holy Spirit will encourage and strengthen you on the path of prayer, wherever you may be on your journey. Amen.
Eric A. Welter is an employment lawyer and trial attorney with a long-time devotion to intercessory prayer. He is a Catholic Christian who has been involved with intercessory and healing prayer ministry for over twenty years. The Abound in Hope Ministry website is https://www.aboundinhope.org/ministry.
Eric’s books on prayer are available in paperback or e-book format on amazon.com.
Effective Intercession for Our Loved Ones: Power Tools for Prayer.
(Available on amazon.com in paperback or Kindle.)
Effective Intercession for Ourselves: “Power Tools” for Prayer (Part Two). (Available on amazon.com in paperback or Kindle.)
Jeremiah 9:5. Scripture quotations are from the Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition, unless otherwise indicated.
Luke 18:1-8 (NABRE).
Strong’s G1588 (citing Matthew 20:16 and Matthew 22:14). For illustration, this same Greek word is used in the following passages:
For many are called, but few are chosen. Matthew 22:14.
And if those days had not been shortened, no human being would be saved; but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. Matthew 24:22.
Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation which in Christ Jesus goes with eternal glory. 2 Timothy 2:10.