Parable of the Friend at Night

The Parable of the Friend at Night (also known as the Parable of the Friend at Midnight or of the Importunate Neighbour) is a parable of Jesus which appears in Luke 11:5–8. In it, a friend eventually agrees to help his neighbor due to his persistent demands rather than because they are friends, despite the late hour and the inconvenience of it.

This parable demonstrates the need to pray without giving up. It is similar to the Parable of the Unjust Judge and is depicted by several artists, including William Holman Hunt.

An alternate interpretation, especially since this parable is part of a sequence on prayer, would maintain that the point of the parable is not about persistent prayer, but rather that God answers the prayers of his children because it is His very nature to do so.

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