The Bible in a Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz

Episode: Day 317: Persistence in Prayer
Date: November 13, 2025
Scripture Readings: Luke 11–12; Proverbs 26:7–9

Episode Overview

On Day 317, Fr. Mike Schmitz explores themes from Luke 11–12 and Proverbs 26:7–9, centering on Jesus’ teaching about perseverance in prayer, the importance of filling our lives with good after deliverance, warnings against hypocrisy, and the reality of division caused by fidelity to Christ. Fr. Mike provides both scriptural exposition and practical spiritual reflection, tying the texts to contemporary Christian experience, especially focusing on persistent, trusting prayer and loving patience amid familial or societal division.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Persistence in Prayer

(Luke 11:1–13)

• Jesus Teaches the Lord’s Prayer: The disciples ask, "Lord, teach us to pray," leading to the familiar prayer outlining priorities in Christian life: reverence, dependence, forgiveness, and deliverance.
• The Parable of the Friend at Midnight: Jesus illustrates perseverance: the friend gives not because of friendship but because of "importunity"—a relentless, shameless persistence.

  “That persistence, that shameless refusal to quit is just... I don’t know about you, but something in me just responds to that really powerfully.” (Fr. Mike, 21:11)

• Greek Continuity: Fr. Mike notes that in Greek, the verbs are continuous—not just 'ask, seek, knock' once, but 'keep asking', 'keep seeking', 'keep knocking.'

  “In the original Greek, it isn’t just ask like ask once... It is keep asking... there’s something about that that just again, it highlights the shameless refusal to quit.” (Fr. Mike, 22:02)

2. God’s Nature in Answering Prayer

(Luke 11:9–13)

• God doesn’t promise to give everything we ask for.
• What He does promise:

  “If you... know how to give your children good things, the Father in heaven knows how to give good things. In fact, some of the best things... the Holy Spirit.” (Fr. Mike, 24:28)

• The true promise is the Holy Spirit to any who ask—emphasizing God as Father, not "a sugar daddy in heaven."

3. The Parable of the Cleansed but Empty House

(Luke 11:24–26)

• On delivering evil from one’s life:

  “But nothing good has taken its place. It’s simply empty. And we all know that nature abhors a vacuum. Even supernature abhors a vacuum.” (Fr. Mike, 26:00)

• Drawing from Monsignor Charles Pope’s analysis:
  • Empty: Evil removed, but not replaced by good/virtue.
  • Swept: Temptation to pride (“I cleaned myself up”).
  • Ornate: Facade—outwardly virtuous, but inwardly unchanged.
• Danger: Without cultivating virtue after deliverance, worse vices may return.

4. Warnings Against Hypocrisy

(Luke 11:37–54; 12:1–3)

• Jesus rebukes Pharisees and lawyers for focusing on external religiosity and neglecting justice and love.
• Fr. Mike links this hypocrisy with the previous parable: being "ornate" or concerned with image without heart transformation.

5. Whom to Fear and Anxiety

(Luke 12:4–34)

• Jesus urges, “Do not fear those who kill the body... but fear him who, after he is killed, has power to cast into hell.”
• We are valuable to God: “Even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”
• Parable of the Rich Fool underlines life’s meaning is not accumulation, but being “rich toward God.”
• Jesus instructs:

  “Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”
  “Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”

6. Watchfulness and Stewardship

(Luke 12:35–48)

• Believers must be vigilant, as the master’s return is unpredictable.
• Greater knowledge/responsibility = higher expectation:

  “Everyone to whom much is given, of him will much be required.” (Luke 12:48)

7. Jesus as Cause of Division

(Luke 12:49–53)

• Jesus states He brings not peace, but division—even splitting families.
• Fr. Mike reflects how this rings especially true today, noting the pain of division over faith within families, but also the comfort of knowing Jesus foresaw and foretold this.

  “We’ve entered a time, at least in the west, when this is completely true, when Jesus is a cause of division in so many people’s families...” (Fr. Mike, 35:10)
  “And yet we can also take comfort... knowing that he said this would happen.” (Fr. Mike, 36:09)

• Encouragement: Be patient with those who differ, and “just pray for them.”

  “Their story is not over yet. Your story is not over yet... We just keep praying and ask the Lord, please meet them, meet us where we’re at with his grace.” (Fr. Mike, 36:42)

8. Proverbial Wisdom

(Proverbs 26:7-9)

• Proverbs compared to valuables in the hands of fools: misused wisdom can be harmful or empty.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Persistent Prayer:

  “God doesn’t promise to give us everything we ask for... He wants our good. And so He says the heavenly Father will give the Holy Spirit to anyone who asks.” (Fr. Mike, 24:41)

• On Nature and Supernature Abhorring a Vacuum:

  “I can get rid of bad vices... unless I replace those vices with virtues, unless I replace those sins with acts of charity and goodness, what’s gonna happen is other vices will come in.” (Fr. Mike, 27:25)

• On Division and Faith:

  “We can pray for them because we know we need it, right? I’m praying for you. Please. Please pray for me.” (Fr. Mike, 37:08)

Timestamps of Important Segments

• [21:11] – Fr. Mike on the "shameless refusal to quit" in persistent prayer
• [22:02] – Greek 'ask/seek/knock' as continuous
• [24:28] – God promises the Holy Spirit, not always what we ask for
• [26:00-27:25] – Meaning of the parable of the empty, swept, ornate house
• [35:10] – Jesus as a cause of division in modern families
• [36:09-36:42] – Encouragement to pray, be patient amid division

Final Reflection

Fr. Mike closes the episode urging listeners to persist in prayer—especially intercessory prayer for those with whom division exists—filling the emptied, cleaned spaces of life with virtue and good, and trusting that God’s ultimate gift is His Spirit. He reminds all that perseverance—“the shameless refusal to quit”—brings us closer to God and helps us endure both joys and sorrows in faith.

“Your story is not over yet... We pray that we can be faithful and persevere until the end.” (Fr. Mike, 36:49)