We might think that our prayers and our righteous lives count for little in a world of great negativity, violence, and injustice. On a superficial level, that is correct, but on a spiritual level, we count for a lot. Abraham 'bargained' with God to save the city of Sodom from destruction. Starting at 50 righteous people, for whose sake God would not destroy Sodom, he managed to reduce the number to a mere 10. We should never underestimate the power we have as followers of Jesus. In our difficult and turbulent times, it is very important for people of like minds and hearts to pray together, and to offer their own lives as witness to the ways of God.

The disciples wanted Jesus to give them special prayers like the followers of John the Baptist. He gave them the Our Father, a prayer of radical trust, hopeful expectation, forgiveness, and longing for the coming of God's kingdom. But there was more: in a couple of humorous parables, he underlined how important persistence in prayer is - as Paul said elsewhere, pray without ceasing. We do not change God's mind or manipulate God by our prayers. Our spiritual energy makes a connection with God and opens a channel through which God can work. Persistent prayer is the most effective thing we can do for almost any situation.