Luke 11:9 (NLT), “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.”
The prayer of persistence is to pray for something without ceasing until the answer comes. This kind of prayer should be joined together with the other kinds of prayers, because God wants us to pray until His will is done on the earth as it is in heaven. For example, pray with persistence when praying the prayers of faith, spiritual warfare and intercession. Jesus didn’t say just ask one time and then do nothing. Rather, He taught to, “keep on asking, keep on seeking and keep on knocking.”
In the verses prior to our above passage, Jesus gave an example about a persistent friend knocking on their neighbor’s door, hoping to get some bread. Jesus said the friend would get their bread, not because they asked once, but because they kept knocking and asking until the neighbor was compelled to meet their need. Jesus then said the neighbor’s reason for giving them the bread would be because of their “shameless audacity” (Luke 11:8). In the same way, we need to humble ourselves and be persistent in our prayers with God.
Also, later on in Luke, Jesus taught His disciples the parable of the persistent widow to reinforce the command to pray without giving up (Luke 18:1-8). The widow kept coming to the judge to plead her case until she was given justice. A wise person once said, “P.U.S.H; Pray Until Something Happens.” We may not know God’s timing, but one thing we can know for sure is that He wants us to be persistent in our prayers.
I have often wondered why God chooses to delay His answers to our prayers. I believe the answer is at the heart of our relationship with God, faith. God has chosen for His children to grow in their faith during their times of waiting. God is in the waiting (Isaiah 40:28-31).
He is teaching us to know Him as a Father, not as a genie. He is renewing our strength and is teaching us lessons that will last longer than the answer itself. God is doing things in His time to teach us to pray and be in fellowship with Him all the time. No matter what you are facing in life, pray and do not stop until your answer comes!
Reflection
Have you stopped praying for something that God wants you to keep praying for?
Action
- Name three things that you know God wants you to pray for until something happens. Examples: Lost people getting saved, dreams coming to pass, etc.
- Pray consistently for God’s will to be done.
- Don’t quit praying and believing until the blessing comes.
