Pray with Impudence
by Edwin Crozier
Other translations say, “persistence,” but the ESV says, “impudence.” In Luke 11:8, when Jesus explained why the friend who was in bed would eventually respond to the requests for bread, Jesus said, “I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence he will rise and give him whatever he needs” (Luke 11:8 ESV).
That doesn’t sound good. Impudent praying? Surely Jesus doesn’t mean that? Yet, the term translated here means “lack of sensitivity to what is proper, carelessness about the good opinion of others” (A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature by Bauer, Danker, Arndt, and Gingrich, [BDAG]). The lexicon provides glosses for this word–“shamelessness, impertinence, impudence, ignoring convention.” The entry goes on to say the term translated “itself does not mean ‘persistence’, of which the text makes no explicit mention…”
Jesus then explains what He means by this parable about the two friends. “And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9 ESV). The one who, through fear of impropriety, does not bring requests to God receives nothing. But the one who bangs on the door will receive.
No doubt, this is not the only passage about prayer in Scripture. We know prayers offered selfishly will be denied (see James 4:3). Prayers offered without faith must expect to be denied (see James 1:6). Surely, prayers requesting serpents and scorpions will be denied (see Luke 11:11-12). Jesus did not expect His disciples to see this as a completely blank check.
But prayers anchored in God’s glory and kingdom will be granted. Prayers for provision, for submission, for victory will not be ignored. And we need not care for societal convention about those prayers. We can pray them persistently, even impudently.
I encourage you to pray until God grants the request or until you are absolutely certain He has said, “No.” Think of David in II Samuel 12:15-23. His fasting and prostration were uncomfortable to all who saw them. They tried to get him to stop. He refused. However, when the child died, he got up, washed, ate, and went on about his business. He prayed impudently. He didn’t care about the customs or the appropriateness. He prayed.
In the same way, we can pray. Are our prayers messy? Don’t worry about it. Are they loud? Are they full of tears and weeping? Is there some anger? Is there struggle? Is there shameless begging and pleading? That’s okay. Keep praying. Keep praying until God says, “Yes,” or you are convinced He has said, “No.”
How amazing that the God of all the universe allows us to beat on His throne room door. All things being equal, we should be cast in the dungeons for such impudence. But God invites it from us.
The question is not whether God will listen; the question is whether we will ask.
