3 Biblical Example of Persistent Prayer
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| Biblical Example of Persistent Prayer |
One of my friends had made
request to me if I can help her in doing her essay assignment to be submitted
following day. During the day she asked me for help was the week I had a lot of
things to do. I told her I but she kept on asking me repeatedly until I can no
longer resist her.
A Christian is tempted to
stop in praying maybe because their prayer took so long to be answered. Christians
struggle with this though there is prayer that is worth fighting and ask for.
We need to consider the
example of persistent prayer to help a believer in this struggle.
1. Persistent Friend
We
learn the story of a persistent friend who went to his friend at midnight
because a friend came to him from a journey at midnight. He doesn’t have bread
to offer so he went to his who is asleep that time. His friend doesn’t want to
be bothered and the door is already shut and his children are in bed with him. And
said he cannot get up to give him anything. Then Jesus added that his friend
will give him not because of their friendship but because of his persistence.
“I
tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is
his friend, yet because of persistence he will get up and give him as much as
he needs.”
Luke
11:8 [NASB]
Jesus taught this parable of a
persistent prayer for the believer to do the same. A child of God should keep
asking his father with persistence in prayer.
“For everyone who asks, receives; and he who
seeks, finds; and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”
Luke
11:11 [NASB]
The
climax of the story fall into the character of God the father who is good and
answers the prayer of a persistent child.
2. Persistent Widow
It
is a weakness of every person to be energetic in doing things from the start
then will slack in the middle. The example of a persistent widow encourages us
not to lose heart. The widow came to an unrighteous judge who doesn’t fear God
and does not respect man. The nature of this judge didn’t stop the widow to
come to him every day for a legal protection she asked from her opponent. Then
Jesus told His audience that the request was granted because the bad judge was
bothered and because the widow continually coming to him.
So
this is Jesus’ encouragement,
“Now,
will not God bring about justice for His elect who cry to Him day and night,
and will He delay long over them?”
Luke
11:7 [NASB]
3. Persistent Believer
Apostle
Paul told the believers in Rome to be “devoted in prayer,” [Romans 12:12 NASB].
He exhorted in his letter for the Ephesians’ church, “With all prayer and
petition pray at all times in Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert
with all perseverance and petition for all the saints,” [6:18 – NASB]. And for
the Colossian’s church, “to devote yourselves in prayer, keeping alert in it
with an attitude of thanksgiving;” [4:2 – NASB] and lastly to “pray without
ceasing;” in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.
Persistence
in prayer doesn’t just make our prayers which are according to God’s will be
answered but it help us to wait patiently knowing that our good God and Father cares
about His children. Whenever you face struggle in your prayer just look on the
example that Jesus and His apostle taught for our edification and growth.
Persistence
in prayer shows the faithfulness of God to those who enduring in prayer even if
it seems hard and impossible.
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