Insistence or importunity:
The beginning of chapter 11 of Luke is about prayer, asking, and seeking. The Lord presents a model of prayer to his disciples, as John did to his. It is known as the Lord’s prayer, a prayer about asking God. And afterwards, a parable about an unexpected guest who arrives at an obscure time. The friend, because of his friend’s insistence or importunity, is forced to give him everything that he needs. Unexpected visits from visitors can make us behave unseen. Visitors can come in many forms and at unexpected times; they can be a financial problem, a family trauma, a friend in need, or an evil attack from the enemy. And when those unexpected guests arrive, they usually catch us off guard. Depending on who that guest is, we will tailor our hospitality. For example, the prophet Nathan told King David a parable about a rich man who had an unexpected visitor (1 Sam 12:4). The rich man did not want to entertain his visitor with his own goods, so he took from his neighbor his only lamb and prepared it for his guest. Natan revealed to David his sin against God and his lamb, Uriah. David’s visitor, lust, caused him to have an importune episode.
Luke 11:5-8
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity, he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.
Importunity is the quality of being persistent, insistent, and repeatedly demanding, often in an annoying way. Now, the scriptures teach us to ask, and it will be given to us. So we must direct our importune drive towards prayer, not towards other things, as David did. Our prayers, depending on the visitor, must have a scale effect, going from a simple request to a persistent yearning (Lk 11:9-10). Some visitors require more intense prayer, a prayer with importunity, as in the case of the demon-possessed boy whom the disciples of Jesus could not cast out (Mt 17:19-21). Some healings require this type of prayer with importunity, such as those illnesses that are sin-derived. James says that if we are sick, we should pray fervently with others (Jm 5:16). Unexpected door closings tend to visit us once in a while; they require that importune attitude in prayer. Micah says that the people of God will break down those closed doors and follow after God, who goes before them (Mi 2:13).
Lastly, Elijah prayed earnestly for the rain to come down. God had stopped the rain from coming for 3 1/2 years until Elijah prayed. Elijah sent his servant to the mountain seven times while he prayed intensely(1 Kg 18:43-44).
2 Samuel 12:4
4 And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
Luke 11:9-10
9 And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.10 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Matthew 17:19-21
19 Then came the disciples to Jesus apart, and said, Why could not we cast him out?20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. 21 Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.
James 5:16
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
Micah 2:13
13 The breaker is come up before them: they have broken up, and have passed through the gate, and are gone out by it: and their king shall pass before them, and the Lord on the head of them.
1 Kings 18:43-44
43 And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. 44 And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man’s hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down that the rain stop thee not.