Keep Praying: An ESL Bible Study on Luke 18:1-8

This Bible study series is for people who are learning English. It is designed for advanced beginner and intermediate learners, but children or adults who prefer simple English may also enjoy it.

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Luke 18:1-8 Printable Discussion Questions

Luke 18:1-8 Printable ERV Passage

Lesson Icebreaker Question

Can you think of a time when you had to ask someone for help again and again? What happened?

Lesson Highlight

In this lesson, we will hear a story Jesus told about a woman who never gave up. We will learn why it is good to keep praying and trust God to help us.

Vocabulary List for the ERV Bible Translation

Key Vocabulary Words (10 words)

bother: (verb) To make someone feel annoyed or worried.
judge: (noun) A person who decides if someone broke the law.
lose hope: (phrase) To stop believing that something good will happen.
meaning: (noun) The idea that a word or sign represents.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
rights: (noun) The things that a person should be allowed to have or do by law.
shout: (verb) To speak or yell very loudly.
Son of Man: (phrase) A special name Jesus used for himself to show he is the savior sent by God.
story: (noun) A description of people and events that happened.
thought to himself: (phrase) To have an idea or opinion in one’s mind without saying it out loud.

Important Words to Know (20 words)

answer: (verb) To speak or write back to a question.
believe: (verb) To trust in someone.
bother: (verb) To make someone feel annoyed or worried.
care about: (phrase) To feel that a person or thing is important.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
judge: (noun) A person who decides if someone broke the law.
leave me alone: (phrase) To stop bothering someone or to go away from them.
listen: (verb) To pay attention to a sound with your ears.
lose hope: (phrase) To stop believing that something good will happen.
meaning: (noun) The idea that a word or sign represents.
night and day: (phrase) All the time without stopping.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
quickly: (adverb) In a fast way.
rights: (noun) The things that a person should be allowed to have or do by law.
shout: (verb) To speak or yell very loudly.
sick: (adjective) To be very tired of something that keeps happening.
slow: (adjective) Not moving fast.
Son of Man: (phrase) A special name Jesus used for himself to show he is the savior sent by God.
story: (noun) A description of people and events that happened.
thought to himself: (phrase) To have an idea or opinion in one’s mind without saying it out loud.

Complete Lesson Word Bank

after: (preposition) Later than another time or event.
again: (adverb) One more time.
also: (adverb) In addition to something else.
always: (adverb) Every time or at all times.
answer: (verb) To speak or write back to a question.
believe: (verb) To trust in someone.
bother: (verb) To make someone feel annoyed or worried.
care about: (phrase) To feel that a person or thing is important.
come: (verb) To move toward a person or a place.
died: (verb) To have stopped living.
earth: (noun) The world where we live.
find: (verb) To see or get something you were looking for.
follower: (noun) A person who learns from and obeys a teacher.
give: (verb) To hand something over to another person.
God: (noun) The creator and ruler of everything.
help: (verb) To do something useful for someone.
husband: (noun) The man that a woman is married to.
Jesus: (noun) The Son of God and the Savior of the world!
judge: (noun) A person who decides if someone broke the law.
leave me alone: (phrase) To stop bothering someone or to go away from them.
listen: (verb) To pay attention to a sound with your ears.
long time: (noun) A period that lasts for many hours, days, or years.
Lord: (noun) A name that shows someone has power or authority.
lose hope: (phrase) To stop believing that something good will happen.
meaning: (noun) The idea that a word or sign represents.
night and day: (phrase) All the time without stopping.
once: (adverb) A point in time, usually a long time ago.
pray: (verb) To talk to God.
quickly: (adverb) In a fast way.
right: (adjective) Something that is correct or good.
rights: (noun) The things that a person should be allowed to have or do by law.
should: (verb) A word used to say what is the right thing to do.
shout: (verb) To speak or yell very loudly.
sick: 1. (adjective) Not feeling well or having a disease. 2. (adjective) To be very tired of something that keeps happening.
slow: (adjective) Not moving fast.
Son of Man: (phrase) A special name Jesus used for himself to show he is the savior sent by God.
story: (noun) A description of people and events that happened.
taught: (verb) To have helped someone learn something.
tell: (verb) To give information to someone by speaking.
think: 1. (verb) To use your mind to have ideas. 2. (verb) To have a specific opinion or a thought in the mind.
thought to himself: (phrase) To have an idea or opinion in one’s mind without saying it out loud.
times: (noun) The number of times something happens or is repeated.
town: (noun) A place where many people live that is smaller than a city.
until: (preposition) Up to a certain time.
used: (verb) To have done something with a thing to reach a goal or finish a task.

Summary of the Passage

This passage tells a story Jesus shared with his followers. This story is a parable. A parable is a simple story with a special message. In this story, Jesus wanted to teach people to always pray and never lose hope.

The story is about a judge and a woman whose husband had died. A woman like this is called a widow. In Bible times, a widow often had a hard life because she had no one to provide for her or protect her. A judge is a person who decides what is fair and gives people their rights. In the story, the judge did not care about people or about God. He was not a good man.

The woman kept coming to the judge many times. She said, “Give me my rights!” This was a way of asking for protection from people who were cheating her or doing bad things to her. At first, the judge refused to help her. He thought, “I don’t care about God or people.” But the woman did not stop asking! Finally, the judge thought to himself that he should help her. He was getting sick and tired of her asking him every day. He decided to help her just so she would leave him alone and stop bothering him.

Jesus used the meaning of this story to teach us about God. He said that if even a bad judge will help because someone keeps asking, then God will surely help his people! God is loving and good. He listens when his people shout to him night and day. God will not be slow to help. He will help his people quickly. Jesus finished the story by asking if the Son of Man will find people who still believe when he comes back to earth.

This passage teaches us that we should keep praying, even when life is hard and it feels like we are waiting a long time. God hears us and cares about us!

Read The Passage

Most English learners should use the Easy-to-Read Version (ERV), the New International Reader’s Version (NIRV), or the Good News Translation (GNT). If you want to try something harder, you can read one of the other Bible versions.

God Will Answer His People
1 Then Jesus taught the followers that they should always pray and never lose hope.
He used this story to teach them:
2 “Once there was a judge in a town.
He did not care about God.
He also did not care what people thought about him.
3 In that same town there was a woman whose husband had died.
She came many times to this judge and said,
‘There is a man who is doing bad things to me.
Give me my rights!’
4 But the judge did not want to help the woman.
After a long time, the judge thought to himself,
‘I don’t care about God.
And I don’t care about what people think.
5 But this woman is bothering me.
If I give her what she wants, then she will leave me alone.
But if I don’t give her what she wants, she will bother me until I am sick.’”
6 The Lord said,
“Listen, there is meaning in what the bad judge said.
7 God’s people shout to him night and day, and he will always give them what is right.
He will not be slow to answer them.
8 I tell you, God will help his people quickly.
But when the Son of Man comes again, will he find people on earth who believe in him?”
Luke 18:1-8 (ERV)

Very Easy: Easy-to-Read Version: Luke 18:1-8 (ERV)
Very Easy: New International Reader’s Version: Luke 18:1-8 (NIRV)
Easy: Good News Translation: Luke 18:1-8 (GNT)
Medium: New Living Translation: Luke 18:1-8 (NLT)
Hard: New International Version: Luke 18:1-8 (NIV)
Very Hard: English Standard Version: Luke 18:1-8 (ESV)

Luke 18:1-8 Printable ERV Passage

Comprehension Questions

Why did Jesus tell this story to his followers?
What kind of person was the judge in this story?
Who came to the judge asking for help?
What did the widow want the judge to do?
How did the judge feel about God and people?
Why did the judge finally decide to help the widow?
What did Jesus say about how God listens to his people?
What question did Jesus ask at the end of the story?

Application Questions

When is it hard for you to keep praying?
Why do you think it is good to pray every day?
How does it feel to know that God hears your prayers?
What can you pray for today?
How can you show faith when you are waiting for God’s help?

Theological Insights

God is kind and listens to the prayers of his people.
Even when God’s help seems slow, he is working and will do what is right.
Jesus teaches us to pray often and not to give up.
Faith means trusting God, even when we do not see answers right away.
One day Jesus will come again, and he wants to find people who still have faith.