After 45 years of talking with God, I still find prayer to be an enigma. At times, I’ve felt as if I stopped praying too soon. If I had persevered, would the outcome have been different?
Like me, Jesus’ disciples needed to learn more about the nature of prayer. So He taught them how not to pray (Matthew 6:5-8), how they should pray (Matthew 6:9-13), and the confidence and persistence with which they were to call out to God (Matthew 7:7-11).
Once, after watching Jesus pray, one of His disciples requested, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). After instructing them how to pray (Luke 11:2-4), Jesus continued to teach “them more about prayer” with a story (Luke 11:5-8): A guest had unexpectedly turned up late at night, and the host—wanting to show hospitality—unfortunately had nothing to offer. So the host went to his friend nearby to borrow some food. Irritated at being awakened at midnight and having to leave his bed, the friend initially refused to help him (Luke 11:5-7). Undeterred, the needy host continuously and audaciously knocked on the friend’s door until he yielded and gave him the food he asked for (Luke 11:8-9). The friend didn’t help him out of friendship, but “because of [his] shameless persistence” (Luke 11:8).
Thankfully, God isn’t like that reluctant friend; He’s a generous and good Father (Luke 11:11-13). He is not annoyed by our persistence. On the contrary, He welcomes it, expecting us to “keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you” (Luke 11:9).
God hears us (Luke 11:10). May we continue to seek His will even as we lift up our prayers with “shameless persistence.”
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Mark 2:23–3:19
More:
Read 1 Thessalonians 5:15-22 and consider the relationship between persistence in prayer and resisting evil.
Next:
What prayer of yours has seemed to be unanswered for a while? Why is it important for you to persist in praying? What might God be teaching you?
Gary Shultz on June 27, 2017 at 5:48 am
Hi K.T. It is true prayer is a strange and wonderful thing. I think it should be because we are talking to our Father, who we know; however, we have much, much more to learn. We also have the story of the persistent widow and judge, neither of these accounts really depict God’s position, but we are encouraged to continue to pray. We have no idea when and how God will answer, but we know He will do so with great wisdom, and meaningful results. Many times we will never see an answer, but we are still asked to come to our Father to speak to Him and rest our souls there. Some where along the line I picked up the PUSH system, that is what I use, Pray Until Something Happens. Then it’s time for thanksgiving. Speaking and listening to an all knowing God is one of the most enriching things we can ever do. However long it takes, humbly we talk with God about it. We can be assured, as we do in faith, God is already working it out for the best. Thanks K.T.
don777 on June 27, 2017 at 7:04 am
Luke 11: 13 So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
Notice the end verse; the Father gives the Holy Spirit. Isn’t this about receiving The Holy Spirit? Is this a book that more for the soul/spirit than our physical. So when we look at these thing in the Bible should we look more at the spiritual. For example:
Isaiah 53:5 (NKJV) 5 But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.
This is a spiritual healing not a physical. God can heal us physical, but some times He doesn’t, He will spiritually every time. God’s Will be done. This verse was Jesus upon the cross, Jesus laid Himself down upon the cross for our soul’s/ spirit, not our physical bodies. +>i
Tom Felten on June 27, 2017 at 8:22 am
KT, Oswald Chambers once wrote about the important reality that even in our praying God is working within us—transforming us—even if our circumstances don’t change. As we persist in prayer, may we be brought closer to Him and grow spiritually by His power.
Brands Monica on June 27, 2017 at 8:54 am
Love this, KT. I remember as a kid being so puzzled by this parable, wondering why God would want us to “badger” Him before He’d help us. Now I see it isn’t because God is absent that we need to persist in prayer; it’s partly because so often we give up in despair when we can’t see the ways in which He is working in our hearts. If we keep “showing up,” we also open ourselves up to being transformed–as well as being an active part of the spiritual battle against evil we’ve been given the honor of being a part of.
godlove on June 27, 2017 at 11:49 am
Very true, I agree with you both Monica and Tom. I believe as well that the purpose of prayer is not solely to ask for needs and pray for God’s divine intervention in our lives, but also to open ourselves up to Him and to the transformative power of the Holy Spirit. And as we draw nearer to God, He draws nearer to us, too, enabling us to discern His good and perfect will for us. It has occurred to me that I have changed my prayer requests as time went by, after praying persistently for a particular issue, as I eventually realised that my initial request probably did not fall in line with God’s will.
minkjh on June 27, 2017 at 11:55 am
A great reminder for us to keep prayer at the forefront of our spiritual walk and not employ it only when we want something or as a last resort. Praying with a persistent and confident approach to the throne of grace is made better when we pray fervently. Yet we must never lose sight of whose will must always take precedence.