52: Why Does God Feel Silent When I Pray? | The Parable of the Persistent Widow
About this episode
Ever prayed and felt like heaven was quiet? In this episode of Untwisting Scripture, co-hosts Lisa Scheffler and Jan Touchberry walk through the parable of the persistent widow (Luke 18) and what it reveals about God’s justice, timing, and heart for His people.
This episode gently untangles the confusion around unanswered prayer, reminds us why persistence matters, and challenges common misconceptions about the Bible—including why the “red letters” might not mean what you think.
If you're wrestling with hard questions like “Why isn’t God answering?”, “Is the Bible reliable if the Gospels differ?”, or “Can I keep praying when I feel discouraged?”, this conversation will ground you in hope and truth.
Why does God feel silent when I pray?
What should I do when it feels like my prayers aren’t working?
Does God really care about justice and making things right?
Can I trust the Bible if the Gospels don’t always match?
Should Christians focus on red letters in the Bible?
How can I pray with confidence when life feels unfair?
Luke 18:1–8 — The Parable of the Persistent Widow
“Our faith is in Jesus. Not in a book. The Bible helps us know God, but it’s not God.”
“Don’t stop praying. Don’t stop believing for justice. God is better than the judge—and He hears you.”
0:00 – Storytime with Jesus: intro to the persistent widow 4:55 – Why the Gospels don’t always match—and why that’s okay 11:10 – Red-letter Bibles and how we misread Scripture 20:40 – Our faith is in Jesus, not in perfect Bible interpretation 26:30 – Luke 18 unpacked: what this parable is really about 36:00 – When life is unfair: trusting God’s justice 43:45 – The power of persistent prayer (and how it shapes us) 48:00 – How to hear from God: asking what to know + what to do 52:00 – Invitation to hear more + Lisa’s upcoming sermon
Lisa’s Upcoming Sermon on the Persistent Widow – Christ Fellowship YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@ChristFellowshipMcKinney
YouVersion Bible App - https://bible.com
Evangelist + author Jamie Winship (on praying with clarity) - https://youtu.be/y5cWzCePFac?si=s4jV6QoX0jYIXeGr
Got questions, thoughts, or your own “persistent widow” moment to share? Leave a review or connect with us—we love hearing from you!
In This Episode, We Explore:Scripture Focus:Memorable Quotes:Timestamps:Resources & Mentions:Connect with Lisa & Jan:
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