Do you really need to pray persistently? You pray day and night in full faith. Still, God doesn't seem to hear you. You are still joblessyour friend is still seriously illthe man of your dreams is nowhere in sight. What should you do?
Waiting in prayer and doing nothing, you believe God will see your faith and take action. God may be teaching the virtue of patience while you ponder God's silence with a stoic resignation and a belief that the prayers have not been heard.
Continuing to pray longer and harder, you hope (not trust) that God will eventually answer those prayers. Jesus implied persistence in the parable of the man who kept knocking on his neighbor's door in the middle of the night asking for bread, until the neighbor got up and gave him the bread to make him go away (Luke 11: 5-8). His persistent action produced the desired response. In the parable about the widow, she kept returning to an unjust judge begging for justice. She wore away at him until he relented and granted justice (Luke 18: 2-5).
Sometimes praying seems like you are nagging God. You hope he will eventually answer and grant your heart's desire. Pray persistently and you will get what you want. But is that really what Jesus was saying? Will God grant your request just to get rid of you therefore allowing him to attend to countless others who are demanding His attention?
Surely, you know God is not like that. Just remember Jesus who personifies the character of God in the flesh. The Bible shows various accounts of Him always ready to help the needy, hearing their cries and showing compassion. The truth is God always hears and answers prayers. At times, He immediately responds to a prayer with a resounding 'Yes' but there are also times when He responds differently in spite of persistent praying.
Have no doubt. God wants you to pray continually with faith. Why? The life of the apostle Paul is an example of faith. Paul was believed to have "a thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7). There is no description but readers believe the "thorn" was a chronic and debilitating health issue that kept him from doing his work. He prayed many times asking for God to take the 'thorn' away and waited in patience and faith for an answer. Yet, his prayer was not granted.
Paul got something much better. He prayed persistently with faith and heard God's voice and learned His will in his life. God told him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."(2 Corinthians: 9) Paul realized that his 'thorn in the flesh' prevented him from being boastful and proud. Paul had wonderful spiritual experiences and developed great preaching prowess and it was difficult not to brag. The 'thorn' kept him humble. Paul was aware of his weaknesses and knew that his accomplishments were gifts from God and not of his own making.
Returning to God in prayer keeps the lines of communication open. It allows God the opportunity to communicate with you. The silence of prayer provides the opportunity for you to hear God speak. Many times it is after praying that the words no longer come. This is the time, when you stop talking, that you will hear God in the silence.
Persistent prayer provides God the opportunity to give you the solutions you're looking for. You may have your own idea of what the solution should be, which guides you as you continue to pray. However, what you think as the solution may not be God's. There are times when God bends your will and allows the broken spirit to shine. It is in prayer that you realize that letting go is the answer that lets God work miracles in your life. God will reshape your desires and show the right resolution.
Pray persistently because you know the communications lines are open and God is listening. Actively speaking with God opens the way for resolution. Do not lose heart. Keep praying. Hold on to the greatest opportunity by allowing God to work through you, in you and with you.
Pray for the right reasons and experience His presence, experience His goodness, experience His mercy and experience His power in your life!
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