A powerful vaccine against idolatry

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’” And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18: 1-8)

Prayer is an act of entrustment. It presupposes faith, that is, placing God above all things and all persons. Any form of prayer (of petition, thanksgiving, intercession, praise, adoration) is, therefore, a powerful vaccine against idolatry, against tendencies to adore anything above God our Creator. Jesus, therefore, suggests we never give up on prayer, because even if unjust men, like the judge in the parable, can give in to insistence of the humble, so too will God yield to our prayers if we are likewise humbly insistent. Yet, do we really believe this or do we think that what we do is more effective than what God can do for us?