The Persistent Widow
In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, 'Grant me justice against my accuser.' For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, 'Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.' And the Lord said, Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?
Luke 18:2-8
Luke tells us the purpose up front: that men ought always to pray, and not to faint. A widow had no standing, no money, and no leverage, only her continual coming.
Another lesser-to-greater argument. If relentless asking moves even a corrupt judge, how much more a righteous Father? The parable ends with the real question turned back on us: when he comes, will he find people still praying, or people who quietly gave up?
Whatever you stopped praying for, start again. Persistence is not nagging God into reluctance. It is faith refusing to change its address.