²⁵ But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”^(A)

²² It has often cast him into the fire and into the water, to destroy him; but if you are able to do anything, help us! Have compassion on us!”

³¹ The crowd sternly ordered them to be quiet, but they shouted even more loudly, “Have mercy on us, Lord, Son of David!”

³³ And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”^(A)

² and there was a man with a skin disease who came to him and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.”^(A)

²⁶ Then he said, “Let me go, for the day is breaking.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go, unless you bless me.”^(A)

The Parable of the Widow and the Unjust Judge

18 Then Jesus^[a] told them a parable about their need to pray always and not to lose heart. ² He said, “In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor had respect for people. ³ In that city there was a widow who kept coming to him and saying, ‘Grant me justice against my accuser.’ ⁴ For a while he refused, but later he said to himself, ‘Though I have no fear of God and no respect for anyone, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will grant her justice, so that she may not wear me out by continually coming.’ ”^{[b] 6} And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God grant justice to his chosen ones who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long in helping them? ⁸ I tell you, he will quickly grant justice to them. And yet, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?”

²⁴ Immediately the father of the child cried out,^[a] “I believe; help my unbelief!”

⁸ I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything out of friendship, at least because of his persistence he will get up and give him whatever he needs.^(A)

⁹ “So I say to you, Ask, and it will be given to you; search, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened for you.^{(B) 10} For everyone who asks receives, and everyone who searches finds, and for everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.