A child is sick, pray. You need a new job, pray. You want to praise God, pray. Thankful for a good meal, pray. As a Christian, prayer should be an enormous and constant part of our lives. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 reminds us to pray without ceasing. In other words, to pray persistently, without giving up. Do we? Do we pray a persistent prayer?
The Power of Persistence in our Prayers
In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus tells a beautiful parable that illustrates the power of a persistent prayer! We see a worldly judge. He doesn’t care about God or anyone else. There’s also a heartbroken, hurting widow. She comes to the judge over and over and over and over again. She begs him for justice and to avenge her. Finally, because of her persistence, her unwillingness to give up, the judge gets so annoyed he does what she’s asked him to do. But the next part is my favorite. In verse 7 Jesus says, “Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night?” And verse 8, “I tell you, he will see they get justice, and quickly.” Did you see that? As Christian’s we are God’s chosen called out people! When we go to Him in prayer he WILL hear us and he will answer. Just like this incredible song says, “I’m not asking. I’m begging.” “I won’t stop knocking until you open the door.”
Persistent Prayer in our Friendships
Something this parable shows so well, is the power of a prayer that does not give up. How much more powerful when multiple people are praying and crying out to God for the same things! This is why it’s so important when you’re choosing the friends to surround yourself with. Are they people who will cry out to God persistently with you? Will they beg and beg and not give up until He answers? Will they surround you with so many prayers, that daily you can feel the relief and strength they supply? Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 says, “Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But pity anyone who falls and is alone, for he has no one to help him up.” Choose friends that will draw you closer to Christ in every way. Who will lift you up when you fall. Friends who will surround you and sit at Jesus’s feet, praying persistently with you, when heartbreak comes and life brings you to rock bottom.
A practice to remember and to keep. his answer will always come.
thank you, Sarah, for your excellent thoughts and reminding us to keep persistent in prayer.