There is much to be said about praying in and of itself. It’s our direct line of communication with the Lord and it’s how we can approach Him without pretense and in the most intimate of ways. There isn’t a need we have that He doesn’t know about already but when we voice our concerns, requests, shortcomings, and heartache…He is there waiting and intently listening. However, there is something poignantly beautiful about what the Word of God reveals to us regarding persistent prayers. There is power in them.
Waiting on God to Come Through
Although the Lord is always attentive and cares for our every need, there are times when we can get impatient while waiting for specific prayers to be answered.
Sometimes there is inactivity when we long for action.
Sometimes there is silence when we desire a word.
It is in those moments that we are to trust that God truly is who He says He is and that He ultimately knows what is best for us. He is sovereign and His timing is perfect. His answer will not come a moment too soon, and it is never late.
What Do We Do in the Meantime?
Surely God has heard the prayers that were spoken once, but what does God say we should do when He hasn’t answered yet?
Keep praying.
Have faith.
In Luke 18 Jesus tells the disciples a story about a persistent widow. She was a woman who stood before an unjust judge and because she repeatedly came to him with her requests she wore him down. After he ignored her for a while, but he finally relented and gave her justice.
Then the Lord says, “learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”
Luke 18: 1-8 NLT
Remember Those Who Prayed Persistently
God gave King David victory because he consistently prayed to be rescued from his persecutors. Rachel prayed for many years that she would be able to conceive and God answered those prayers. Hannah prayed for a son and God granted her request by allowing her to give birth to Samuel.
And so I tell you, 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. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.
Luke 11: 9-10 NLT
Pray in Accordance to His Will
Although the Lord says be persistent in our prayers it doesn’t mean we are to treat Him as if He is a genie in a bottle. There will be times when our answer is no because what we ask for is not in accordance with His will. We might be asking for something that can hurt us down the road, trip up our faith, destroy our family, or interrupt God’s plan.
It is in those hard moments when we hear no that we have to believe that it is for a good reason.
"Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere." Ephesians 6:18 NLT #SaltandLightLinkup Share on X
How Can We Stay Persistent?
I don’t know about you but I have so many prayer needs for myself and requests from others that I will simply lose track if I don’t keep myself accountable. A great way that I have found to keep myself mindful of the prayers that I need to be persistent about is to write them on a sticky index card and place them in a prominent place. It so happens to be that the best place for me is right on my bathroom mirror in my bedroom. It’s a place I go to every morning as I’m getting ready.
Writing down prayers keeps them at the forefront of my mind. It’s also an excellent way to look back and remember what God has done.
Pray and then Pray Again
We have a remarkable privilege of praying as believers. How awesome it is that our God wants to hear from us. Not only that, but He wants us to be persistent with our prayers. May we never tire of bringing our needs to His feet. May we continue to lift up our prayers again and again, knowing that one day He will answer.
To read more about prayer at my friend Leslie Newman’s blog as I am featuring her post “How to Make This a Year of Powerful Prayer”.
>>Please Read the Featured Post Here<<
This post came to me in an e-mail this morning and it was exactly the message I needed today. Thank you.
Amen Kelley! So glad this was a timely message for you. Praise the Lord!
There are many benefits to praying persistently that we often don’t realize until we find ourselves doing it. I agree with you, what a gift that our Father wants to hear from us. He wants us to trust, even when it’s taking longer than we think it should.
Trust is key! He is always faithful so our trust is necessary. Thank you Traci!
Natalie, thank you for this focus on the importance of persistent prayer. The people in the Bible you mentioned set an example for us on perseverance. It’s also important for us to remember that praying in God’s will means our answers may not look like what we’d like them to, but they will always be what is the best for us. Thank you so much for the feature. It’s a joy to be connected with you here!
Praying for the Lord’s will and believing that His will is best is imperative and I thank you for taking the time to mention that as I wholeheartedly agree. Much love to you Leslie. I always enjoy your visits : )
I have a tendency to not pray through, and it’s something I’m working on. Love this post. Thank you!
Natalie, Thanks for the post. I appreciate your comments around persistent prayer. Far too often we give up too quickly and too soon, when we should persist, wait patiently, trusting God hears the prayers and he will answer in his way and in his timing. In my last OT seminary class I studied the Book of Job and learned about how Job is such a good example of someone who kept lamenting, crying out, and praying even though God remained silent and seemed distant. Eventually, in the epilogue, God does answer Job. Perhaps not giving the answers Job was demanding or hoping for about why he, a good man, had to suffer, but God did reveal to Job that he knew and understood all things. God learned that God was enough, as he was the answer. In the end, Job was satisfied because he understood God was mighty, he delights in all creation, he is in control and wisely governs all he creates. Job also grew to understand that even though God had been silent – he had been present the whole time, listening to Job’s prayers and the debates between Job and his companions. So we must be patient when we don’t actively hear a response from God right away – we have to trust in him, and that he hears us and he is always with us. Encouraging thoughts for us to consider as we pray!
Oh Anne, I absolutely love what you have said here. I’m actually finishing up the book of Job as we speak and you are so right. He kept crying out, lamenting, asking, and eventually he received his answer. I always consider that even though God rebuked Job, He redeemed all that was lost and gave Job abundantly more than what He had. He worked it out for His good. Our God is so faithful!
Amen Amen!!
Thank you so much! that is nice message. Praise the Lord.
God bless you Steven. I’m happy to help.