3 Bible Character of Persistent Prayer
It is the nature of
humanity to look for a model or an example they can imitate. I heard a lot of
young people from different churches thanking God for the life of man or woman
of God who show faithfulness in the service for the Lord. Even Apostle Paul
told the same thing in his letter to imitate him as he imitates Christ. Nothing
wrong with that unless we are taking Christ’s honor and cloth it with His
servants.
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| Model of Persistent Prayer |
And because we are people
who are very good in imitating, may we come to imitate Bible personalities who
overcome fears and weakness through persistent prayer.
1. The Early Church
Dr. Luke recorded this in
his letter that the early church were spending their time in prayer, “They were
continually devoting themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to
the breaking of bread and to prayer,” [Acts 2:42 – NASB].
The early church is one of
the best examples of a rapid growing church. Their growth and testimony didn’t
just became effective because they are bold but because of the Work of the Holy
Spirit through their prayer. They have given up their intellectual power to
convince unbelievers to follow Jesus and trusted the Almighty God by praying.
“praising God and having favor with all the
people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being
saved.”
Acts
2:47 [NASB]
Another record of
miraculous work of the God through constant prayer is found in Luke 12:5 and
12. Peter was kept in prison because of his witness and proclamation because of
Christ but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church for God. His release
can be found in verse 12 when he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John
who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.
2. The Apostle Paul
Apostle Paul bore record
of his constant prayer to God. He is a man of God who endured severe persecution
(2 Corinthians 11:30-33; 12:7, 10). Then in chapter 12 verse 8, we found him
imploring to God three times that his infirmities might leave him. Though God
didn’t remove the infirmity, he was promised greater motivation,
“My grace is sufficient for you”
2
Corinthians 12:9 [NASB]
Therefore, Apostle Paul
became well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions,
with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when he is weak, then he is strong.
3. Jesus the Son of God
The greatest and immovable
model for Biblical personality to be imitated is Christ. The early church
prayed because of Jesus’ example, Apostle prayed because he is imitating Jesus.
The Disciples inquired to Jesus to teach them to pray in Luke 11.
Jesus was persistent in
prayer when He is in deep distressed because of the coming suffering on the
cross (Matthew 26:36-39). While His disciples were in deep sleep He prayer 3
times (Matthew 26:40-44). His stress didn’t leave Him for He prayed that His Father’s
will be done not His but He received necessarily help to face what is ahead
(Matthew 26:45-47)
Having seen the Son of God
in a persistent prayer, how much more we are? Let us imitate the example of
Biblical characters more importantly Jesus. In your stress and depression, fear
and weaknesses God has something to offer you through prayer.
“if
you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move
from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.”
Matthew17:20
[NASB]
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