Persistent Prayers
Persistent prayers doesn’t mean lack of faith. It actually shows the believer’s trust that God will indeed hear him. The Christian has to stand on God’s promises claiming them every day to receive spiritual blessings, victory over sin, and other needs. He should not give up until they are answered. This is called praying through: “And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise” (Hebrews 6:15).
To stress the necessity of persevering prayer, Jesus gave us the parable of the Persistent Widow. He said, “that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). And He ended the parable saying, “And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?” If the judge, for selfish reasons, would eventually respond to the widow’s prayer, how much more will God answer the prayers of all that seek Him.
Jesus said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him! Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 7:7-12).
The Power of Prayer
The Bible teaches the importance of persistent prayer, “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16). Prayer depends, not on gifts, education, wealth or position, but on the character of the person who prays. The supplicant is not free of all weaknesses, for even Elijah (verse 17) was not perfect. But he is “righteous” in that he does not practice known sin (Psalms 66:18). He is righteous in that he has a daily relationship with God, even as Elijah had.
The apostle Paul encouraged the believers to “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). The connection with Heaven should not be broken (Luke 18:1). Paul worked “night and day” (1 Thessalonians 2:9); he also prayed “night and day” (ch. 3:10). Strong connection with his heavenly Father, through prayer, gave him success in his battle with the powers of darkness.
Jesus is our example in having a persistent prayer life. He spent entire nights in prayer (Luke 6:12). Usually such instances were recorded by the different gospel writers preceded times of decisions in His life or ministry (Mark 1:35). At the beginning of His ministry in the wilderness, He sought meditation and prayer (Matthew 4:1).
Prayer also was linked to the opening of Jesus’ Galilean ministry and immediately preceded His first missionary tour through Galilee (Mark 1:35). He spent the night in prayer before the ordination of the Twelve, the Sermon on the Mount, and the beginning of the Second Galilean Tour. Prayer is again accompanied in the crisis in Galilee (Matthew 14:22, 23; John 6:15, 66). The same was true of the Transfiguration, when Jesus told His disciples about His sufferings and death (Luke 9:28–31).
The longest recorded prayer of Jesus preceded His entrance to the Garden of Gethsemane (John 17). And just prior to His crucifixion, He raised His most agonizing prayer in the garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36–44). God the Father honored the prayers of His Son and empowered Him with His Spirit to fulfill His mission on earth successfully. May the persistent prayers of Jesus be an inspiration to His followers that they may obtain grace and power to overcome sin and all the powers of darkness.
In His service,
BibleAsk Team
