“Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.” (Romans 12:12, CSB)
When we pray for a need in our life, do we pray once? Twice? Three times? When do we give up? Do we have the persistence to hold on until the answer comes? Is our trust in God strong enough to leave the answer and the timing up to Him?
When we’ve cried out to God for the same situation for weeks, months, or what sometimes feels like forever, it’s easy to become discouraged. Yet, a parable of Jesus in Luke 18 teaches us to hold on, to be tenacious, and not to grow weary in our prayers.
“Now he told them a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up.” (Luke 18:1, CSB)
In this parable a widow came before a judge to get justice in her situation. The judge was cold-hearted and did not fear God or man. Yet, because of the widow’s persistence, he eventually handled her situation so that she would stop coming. In verse 7 Jesus asks:
“Will not God grant justice to his elect who cry out to him day and night? Will he delay helping them?” (CSB).
RELENTLESS PRAYERS
Throughout God’s Word we read of men and women who demonstrated persistence in prayer. They refused to give up until an answer came.
- Hannah poured out her heart to God, relentless in seeking God for a child (I Samuel 1).
- Elijah prayed for rain seven times before his servant finally saw a small cloud form (I Kings 18).
- Daniel sought God for twenty-one days before he heard from heaven (Daniel 10).
- Jesus, our greatest example of consistency in prayer, habitually spent long hours praying, including the night of His arrest (Luke 22).
- The outpouring of the Spirit on the Day of Pentecost came after ten days of unified prayer (Acts 1 and 2).
MAKING A COMMITMENT
Persistence in prayer means we become intentional in our prayer life. This requires commitment to making God a priority in our schedule. To accomplish this, we may need to lay other things aside as we dedicate ourselves to prayer. But when we do, we gain so much in return.
Our persistence in prayer will:
- Show a commitment that doesn’t give up.
- Bring our will into alignment with God’s will.
- Show that we trust in God’s timing.
- Deepen our intimacy with God.
You may have been seeking an answer from God for a long time and wonder if it will ever come to pass. Just keep praying. Like Elijah’s prayer for rain, you may only see a tiny cloud of an answer on the distant horizon, but the answer is on its way. Soon you may find yourself standing in “a great rain” as God abundantly supplies your need.
Keep praying. Keep believing. God hears the cry of your heart. Trust Him to answer your prayer in His time and in His way. His ways are always best.
“I waited patiently for the LORD, and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.” (Psalm 40:1, CSB)
Devotion by Mary Loudermilk
