Are We There Yet? Persistent Prayer for Justice

We gather around a simple, urgent question, are we there yet, as we face injustice, uncertainty, and longing. We name the ache for justice that the world and our neighbors feel, and we refuse to spiritualize away the real needs before us. We hold Luke 18 as a mirror, seeing a judge who neither fears God nor cares for people, and a widow who will not stop asking for justice. We recognize the widow’s persistence as faith made visible, a stubborn prayer that demands God’s attention and invites God into concrete action. We accept that the kingdom of God is not only a future hope but present within our grasp, manifest when repentance moves us to forgiveness, compassion, and acts of justice.

We confront the possibility that the church has grown comfortable with silence, and that silence can become complicity. We confess that power in God’s kingdom does not mean domination but faithful stewardship that protects the vulnerable. We affirm prayer as relational and formative, not a technique to manipulate outcomes. Our persistence in prayer shapes our own hearts and fuels visible work for justice even when answers delay. We trust that waiting is not passive resignation but active expectancy, a hope that renews strength and enables us to run without wearing out. We commit to a faith that keeps asking, keeps acting, and keeps trusting in the God who will not leave or forsake us.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Persist in prayer, not for outcomes Persistent prayer trains our vision to see God at work, even when immediate results do not appear. We learn to bring honest lament and steady requests into the presence of God, trusting that persistence itself testifies to hope. Such prayer refuses to reduce faith to formula and instead deepens our relationship with God. [48:50]
• 2. The kingdom dwells within our grasp The kingdom’s presence appears where repentance leads to compassion, forgiveness, and justice. We practice the kingdom now by allowing inward change to produce outward mercy. That practice reshapes neighborhoods and institutions through disciplined, visible love. [56:44]
• 3. Justice requires faithful and visible action Silence and inactivity can betray the vulnerable more than outspoken failure. We must let acts of justice expose systems that would otherwise remain unchallenged. Faith that speaks and acts prevents injustice from wearing down the oppressed and from leaving the community with a visible wound. [62:03]
• 4. Hope endures in patient, active waiting Waiting on God does not mean passivity; it means sustained engagement rooted in hope. Patient waiting renews strength, fuels perseverance, and reorients our work toward God’s timeline. We learn to run without fainting because hope transforms our endurance into service. [66:39]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [42:16] - Initial observations of worship
• [44:03] - Trevecca and kingdom formation
• [47:17] - Ascension and Spirit promised
• [48:50] - Reading Luke 18 aloud
• [53:22] - Are we there yet, the longing
• [56:44] - The kingdom within our grasp
• [64:17] - Prayer as persistent faith
• [67:59] - Hope, renewal, and waiting
• [71:39] - Commitment to faithful action

1. In Luke 18:1-8, what two character traits does Jesus highlight about the judge, and how does the widow respond to his indifference?
2. The sermon emphasizes that persistent prayer is not about outcomes but about shaping our vision of God’s work ([48:50]). What does this distinction mean for how we approach prayer?
3. How does the parable connect the idea of “justice” with the question, “Are we there yet?” (see [53:22])?

1. Why do you think Jesus uses an unjust judge (who doesn’t fear God or care for people) as a contrast to God’s character in this parable? What does this reveal about God’s response to persistent prayer?
2. The sermon states, “Silence and inactivity can betray the vulnerable more than outspoken failure” ([01:02:03]). How does the judge’s initial refusal to act mirror this idea, and what might this imply about the church’s role in injustice?
3. Jesus ends the parable by asking, “When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?” (Luke 18:8). How does this question challenge our understanding of what “faith” looks like in times of waiting?

1. The widow’s persistence is called “faith made visible” ([48:50]). What is one area of injustice or personal struggle where you need to persistently “keep asking” in prayer, even if answers feel delayed?
2. Reflect on a time when your silence or inaction unintentionally contributed to a problem. What practical step could you take this week to advocate for someone vulnerable in your community?
3. The kingdom is described as “within our grasp” when repentance leads to compassion and justice ([56:44]). What habit or relationship in your life needs repentance to create space for outward acts of mercy?
4. How can you practice “active waiting” (see [01:06:39]) in a situation where you’re tempted to either give up or demand immediate results? What small act of service or trust could embody this?
5. The sermon warns against reducing faith to a “formula” ([48:50]). Where have you tried to control outcomes in your spiritual life, and how might surrendering that control deepen your relationship with God?