Shameless Audacity

I have been studying the book of Luke and I recently studied chapter 11, where Jesus’ apostles ask Him to teach them to pray. In verse 5, Jesus tells a story about having a friend come in the middle of the night asking for bread. In verse 8, Jesus finishes the story by saying, “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.”  I have read this before, but had never noticed the phrase “shameless audacity.”  (This is coming out of the NIV 2011.) I compared it with other translations that I had at hand at the moment.  The NIV 1973 simply translates it “persistence.”  The KJV uses the word “importunity,” a word that I was not familiar with, but have learned from the Merriam-Webster online dictionary means “to press or urge with troublesome persistence.”  I began to wonder which translation was the best.  Using the Greek New Testament, I looked up Luke 11:8 and the word translated from the Greek phrase διά γε τἡν ἀναίδειαν αύτου. The note on ἀναίδειαν at the bottom of the page said “shameless persistence.”  Also, I looked a Thayer’s Greek-English Lexicon of New Testament Words.  It defines ἀναίδειαν as shamelessness and impudence.  I have drawn the conclusion that the better translation is from the NIV 2011, “shameless audacity”  It paints a much clearer picture of what Jesus is saying that simply using the word “persistence.” What I draw from this is that Jesus is advocating that his disciples pray to God with shameless audacity, not being afraid of annoying the Father with their bold requests, and I have worked to change my prayer life that way. Personally I have seen some bold requests granted.