Persistent Faith

Day 1

Have you ever felt guilty about praying for something over and over again? If we had faith and really believed God was going to take care of something, would praying about it again indicate doubt in our heart or insufficient faith? Does God get tired of my worry and ‘nagging’? How about daily prayers that we may pray? Does God get upset with us in praying the same thing over our day, every day? In some recent conversations I’ve had, these types of questions have come up as a concern. So, let’s look at what the Scripture says about them.

I believe there are times when we pray over something, and we just know it’s taken care of. I don’t think it is necessary to keep praying over it if we have that sense in our spirit that its resolved and God is working on it. We can rest in that. When it comes to mind after that, we can just thank Him that He has it under control and for His assurance in the matter. Personally, I believe some of these instances fall under the category of the ‘gift of faith’ mentioned in 1 Corinthians 12:9. I also believe God’s Spirit communicates with our spirit that the matter is taken care of. 

But there are other times when we aren’t as assured in our spirit, and we wrestle with the feeling that the matter is not resolved. In these times, I don’t believe it necessarily indicates a lack of faith, nor is it wrong for us to keep praying. 

In Matthew 7, Jesus tells us to ask, and it will be given us, to seek and we will find, knock and the door will be opened to us. Those who are educated in the original languages tell us that the tense of ‘ask’, ‘seek’, and ‘knock’ indicates a continuing action. To ask, and keep asking. To seek, and keep seeking, etc. In Luke 18:1-8, Jesus gives us a beautiful illustration of this concept. It’s the parable of the persistent widow. I love how the writer introduces the story by saying, Jesus was teaching them to keep praying and to not give up, then goes into the story:

Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. ² He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. ³ And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’

⁴ “For some time he refused. But finally, he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”

⁶ And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you; he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

We might read this and interpret it as, “is God only answering my prayer because I nag Him to death??” That isn’t the point. Jesus is saying that even a wicked judge will give justice to someone who is persistent. If that is the case, how much more a loving Father who cares for His children? Then to wrap up the teaching – Jesus asks an astonishing question. He asks, “but when the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” I hope this puts to bed the question of whether or not praying multiple times for something is a lack of faith. Jesus is indicating that being persistent in prayer over something is actually displaying faith. Think about it, does it take more faith to pray once for something and see it come to pass, or does it display a greater faith to keep coming before God with something that just doesn’t seem to be getting answered. Not giving up but keep coming before Him with a tenacity like Jacob wrestling with the angel (Genesis 32:26) that says, I will not give up till I have what I’m asking for – regardless of what my eyes see or don’t see. Which shows more faith? I would argue that it takes greater faith to keep coming again and again even when you aren’t seeing any results.

Think of the heroes of our faith mentioned in Hebrews 11. Many of them were considered to have great faith and to have gained approval through their faith, yet many went to their graves without seeing the answers to the things they were praying for. That may sound depressing, but it should also set us free from a guilt that would try to attach itself to us because we continually bring something to the Father. Don’t let it trip you up. Ask... the Father takes pleasure in this. When you get to the point where the only place you can go to is God, and you do – know that the Father takes notice. James 5:16 says the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. 

Reflection: 

Lord, thank You for letting us come to someone as awesome and mighty as You. The One who can meet any need and Who cares for us. Help us not come under condemnation for doing something that You told us to do, even if it seems repetitious or it feels like we are being a nuisance to You. Thank You for Your peace that passes all understanding and the knowledge that You are watching over Your Word to perform it. Give us a deeper understanding of Your love for us today and help us as we strive to love You more. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

 Scriptures:

 Matthew 7:7

 Luke 18:1-8

 Hebrews 11

 James 5:16

Day 2

On day 1, we discussed praying for a specific thing multiple times. But what about daily prayer that we pray for our family or for our day, etc.? I don’t believe it is wrong to pray the same daily prayer as long as it is heart-felt, we’re genuine in our requests and we’re not just reciting some ritualistic, pre-formed prayer that’s void of any sincerity or thought about the words coming out of our mouths. It’s easy for these prayers to become religious or even good luck wishes or rituals; but if it’s sincere and authentic, I believe there is nothing wrong with it. The main Scripture I use for this is the Lord’s Prayer (Luke 11:1-4 and Matthew 6:9-13). In the Matthew account, Jesus warns us not to use meaningless repetition when we pray, but also includes in His prayer, “…give us THIS day, our DAILY bread” indicating this prayer was something they should pray daily. Again, not just reciting this passage as some kind of ritual or religious exercise but praying it as a daily prayer- thinking about what we’re asking for and genuinely requesting it, daily.

However, it may be a healthier approach to have an outline or list in these kinds of prayer times as opposed to a recited prayer in order to avoid the concerns listed above. On day 4 we will be discussing this in more detail by looking at the Lord’s prayer more closely. Until then, let’s remember this is a relationship. We’re not just praying to God – we’re asking something of our Father. If you have children, you know they will come and ask - and maybe ask and ask…. God is much more of a loving, patient parent than we will ever be. When I became a dad, I started to see how God must view me as His son and it gave me better insight into the relationship. My kids never came to me reading a pre-written request for something they wanted. It sounds a bit funny when we think of it like that and I’m not poking fun at it. I don’t think it’s wrong and I don’t want to discourage anyone from this practice, especially if we are young in our faith. I believe a better way is to recognize this is a relationship and respond accordingly, using our own words from the heart in that moment for what we are asking, even if it is for the same things daily.

Something else to consider in the repeating of daily prayers is that God is not a God of formulas. This is true whether in prayer or in our actions. With our discussion of being persistent in prayer, I thought it would be a good time to consider this aspect as well. It is easy for us to fall into a trap of searching for the right ‘formula’ or ‘trick’ for answered prayer. There is a style of preaching where we focus on a story or account in Scripture and break it down to reveal some spiritual truth or behavior we can apply to our lives. While I personally like this kind of preaching, I also get a little nervous at those who take a story, break it down, and say you have to do the same thing as what was done in the story to see the results that came out of that story. When you hear someone preach on an account in Scripture and based on that account say “God always” or “God never..”; beware, God is not a god of formulas.  Most every time I’ve heard a “God always” or “God never..”, I can show you another place in Scripture where He met the same need in a different way. God is not a god of formulas, but He is the God of covenant and promise. What’s the difference? A covenant or promise says, “if you honor me with the tithe and offerings, I will bless you”. A formula says if I have a tax bill, I need to go fishing and the money for the taxes will be in the mouth of the first fish I catch based on the story from Matthew 17:23. Ok, that might be a little extreme scenario, but a formula is a process that can take the place of faith in God, for a promise from God and if we’re not careful, can become a ritual that we put more faith in than in God Himself. In other words, religion. 

The thing that is so awesome about God is that He used so many different ways to meet an identical need. He promises to meet our needs but doesn’t always specify how. He will not be locked down to a formula or put into a box. If we knew that every time we followed an exact formula to get an answer to prayer, it becomes more about us and our ability to carry out or ‘perform’ the formula correctly. It becomes a matter of works and not faith because we lean on the formula and our ability to perform it more than on God.

Sometimes Jesus laid His hands on the sick, sometimes they reached out and touched Him. Sometimes He went to the sick and sometimes He sent His word. Sometimes He just spoke or commanded a thing and many times He commanded some kind of action from the sick person. Sometimes He spit in dirt and covered blind eyes with the mud and sometimes He proclaimed forgiveness of sin that brought about the healing. God is the God Who heals, He just doesn’t always specify how He’s going to go about it. God makes it simple; our responsibility is not to figure out which way God wants to heal. Our role is to ask in faith and be obedient to any leading He may give. While we see the call for the elders and the anointing of oil mentioned in James 5, the promise is that the prayer offered in faith will restore the sick and the Lord will raise him up. 

When we read the battles of the Old Testament, sometimes God had the people fight and sometimes He fought for them. Sometimes He would send hail or some form of pestilence. Sometimes He would fill the enemy with fear and confusion to the point that they would either flee or turn on themselves and kill each other. In the times He had the people fight, sometimes He would give strategy and sometimes He just said to go fight. Sometimes they worshipped and sometimes they marched around cities. The promise was victory, but many times the way they got there looked different. Don’t think you’re going to lock a creative God into a little box of formulas. He makes convenants and promises and ties Himself to those things which He promised, we just can’t get locked into thinking it’s coming in a certain way or at a certain time.

Reflection:

God, as I ask for things from You, help me to seek You in the process. Forgive me of the times when I have it all figured out and have the best way for You to answer my prayer and meet my need. From this day forward I will not limit You by leaning on my own understanding or creativity, or even relying on past experiences. I will trust in You and seek You for the answer. I trust that You will handle it in a way that honors You most and goes far beyond all I can ask, think, or imagine. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Scriptures:

Matthew 6:9-13

Luke 11:1-4

Day 3

In this devotional thus far, we have discussed being persistent in faith and prayer as well as being authentic. But what do we do when our prayers seem to be delayed or we think they aren’t being heard or effective? Consider the account in Mark 4 of the disciples in a boat with Jesus. A bad storm came, and the wind started to blow, and the waves started crashing against the boat. Yet, in all this chaos, Jesus was asleep in the boat. The storm was so bad, it was to the point of sinking their boat. It was so bad that experienced fishermen who lived their lives in these boats and on these waters were afraid for their lives - yet Jesus was still sleeping. What was it that woke up Jesus? Was it the waves or the rocking of the boat? The wind? The thunder and lightning? No-it was the voice of His disciples crying out for His help. His ear is just as attentive to your cry as it was to the disciples.

In Day 2, we reflected on how being a parent can sometimes give us a better appreciation and understanding in our relationship with God. In becoming a parent, you start doing things you wouldn’t have done before because now, you’re a parent. Your life is not your own anymore, you’re living for someone else. Moms especially. They become attentive to their children’s voice to the point that it stands out in their hearing. The child’s voice becomes distinctive to her as she becomes tuned and trained to it. Their cry can wake them from sleep or pull them from something they are focused on. I remember when my kids were little and being at one of my son’s baseball games. I overheard a group of mothers talking. They were saying whenever their child is in a group of kids, even when the group is loud and rowdy, it always seems like their kid is the loudest whether they actually are or not. While some of that may be parental paranoia, I think it’s also due to their being so attentive to their child’s voice that even when there’s a lot of noise and loud voices, the voice of their child seems to rise above all else, like the disciples' cries to Jesus’ ears. While this also needs to be true of us hearing our Father’s voice, I love the fact that our Father’s ear is totally tuned to us and hears us at all times. No matter how much noise is around you, what storm has encircled you, or what wave has hit your boat, He’s there, He hears, and He’s coming. Don’t give up, stay faithful, keep persistent, keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking, keep standing. You’ll reap a harvest if you don’t give up.

Reflection: Lord, You instructed us to not give up. You said our confidence in You has great reward if we don’t give up. Help me be persistent in prayer, worship, and my relationship with You. I don’t want to quit. I don’t want to give in and let the enemy have a victory over me or settle for dealing with something on my own that You want to be involved with. Give me Your insight and tenacity I pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Scriptures

John 10:1-14

Mark 4:15-41

Day 4 



On Day 2, we referenced a concept of using the Lord's prayer as more of an outline as opposed to an actual prayer to recite. This was a concept that was taught several years ago and became popular. I actually like the concept and thought it would be a good way to end this series. The outline breaks out the Lord’s prayer to these areas:

• Worship - “Our Father Who are in Heaven, hollowed be Your Name” 
• Praying for the world, other people, and for His Kingdom – “Your Kingdom come Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”
• Our physical and material needs – “Give us this day our daily bread”
• Forgiveness and repentance – “and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us”
• Our spiritual needs and prayer for purity – “and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil”
• Worship – “for Thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever.”

There are other prayer outlines as well, but these are to be used as tools. We need to remember from Day 2 that this is a relationship. These are awesome tools to help us develop disciplines, but this is a relationship. Your Father loves to hear from you in true and honest conversation. He encourages us all throughout Scripture to ask Him for things, but also to seek His face, and draw near to Him. 

There is a saying that we have 2 ears and 1 mouth so we should listen twice as much as we speak. As we move forward, let's be challenged to spend as much time listening as we do asking in our time with Him. We have focused primarily on the ‘asking’ part of this relationship, but relationship and conversation demands something less one sided. Equal time should be given to ‘seeking’. Could it be that God may be trying to give us direction, encouragement, or peace about the very thing we are requesting from Him? Could it be that God has an answer He wants to share with us, but we come into His presence empty handed, make our request, and leave prematurely without seeking Him, all the while wondering why we left His presence like we came - empty handed? Or, could it be that the very thing we are concerned about really isn’t even an issue - but just perceived as one? 

Years ago, I had something that came up while I was at work and it bothered me all day. I couldn’t get it out of my head, and it distracted me the whole day. I couldn’t wait to get home and lock myself away and spend some focused time praying about it. When I finally got home, I went down to my basement to a room I used for an office and started to pray. I felt God was giving me direction to worship Him. Not to ask for anything or bring this matter to Him yet, just worship for a while. When I worshipped, I started to drift and get distracted into praying about what was bothering me. Again, I’d hear, “just worship”. I ended up spending an extended time in worship that night and then finally felt a release to pray about it. Being completely honest, after the time of worship and the release to pray, I totally forgot what it was that was bothering me that day. I tried to remember, but just couldn’t bring it back to mind. The next day, I still couldn’t remember. To this day, I still don’t remember. That may or may not happen for others reading this, but the point is to be cautious in only requesting during prayer and not spending time seeking Him as well. If we know that He is the one with the answer, then we need to find out from Him what it is and not just expect Him to wave a magic wand and make it go away every time. It could be something He is wanting to use to make a change in us or to show us His goodness in a way we couldn’t have imagined. 

Reflection:

Lord, we ask, we seek, we knock. Help us to trust more and more each day and to develop this relationship with You. Help us to grow in our walk with You and our faith in You. In Jesus’ name. Amen!

Scriptures:

Matthew 6:9-13

Luke 11:1-4