06/06/2024
We continue our study of persistent prayer this morning with some examples from the bible. There are stories like that of Moses praying forty days and nights to stop the wrath of God, Elijah repeating his prayer seven times to bring rain, and Jesus praying three times in the a Garden of Gethsemane. Moses and Elijah were powerful men of God, and Jesus was the Son of God, yet they prayed persistently in times of great strife and trouble. Going to God over and over again with a prayer regarding something we feel strongly about is like adding an exclamation point to its Amen. God hears each word of every prayer, but as we pray them in this manner we are increasing our own understanding, dedication to the effort, and our faith and trust in God as well.
“And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”
Luke 18:1 KJV
Jesus taught multiple times about persistent prayer. He showed us with His own prayer life, He revealed it to us in the parable of the man asking his neighbor for a loaf of bread at midnight (Luke 11:5-13), and he taught us again in the parable of the widow who repetitively asked the judge, who feared not God or man, to avenge her (Luke 18:1-8). Being persistent in our prayers is not a lack of faith, but rather an example of our strong conviction in something... Something we personally find worthy of bringing before the Lord.
As we pray such prayers, over after over, we are led to examine our requests in greater detail each time we come before God. We ask ourselves such questions as "is this truly within the will of God?" and "Is this really what I would have God do?" As we pray repeatedly the understanding we have of our own desire increases, and we join more closely with God in the answer to that prayer. Have you ever noticed that as you pray for something multiple times that it changes in some small way each time you lift it up? Our prayers are refined through such introspection and the very heart of our desire is revealed to us... God already knows our heart, but sometimes it takes us many tears, and sweating blood, before it becomes apparent to us. In this manner, persistent prayer teaches us about ourselves, our faith, and the will of God.
However, there are times when God uses repetition in prayer, or action, to make a point to those who are praying, or those watching on as prayers are offered. He does this to teach us about himself, the nature of our faith, or some other lesson. He did this in the biblical account of Elisha, the king of Israel, and the healing of Naaman, the leper.
“And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean. But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the Lord his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper.”
2 Kings 5:10-11 KJV
God was demonstrating many things to those involved, but to Naaman He was saying that He was God and not to be commanded or taken for granted. Then, once the lesson had been taught, and His command obeyed, Naaman the leper was healed. Sure, God could have just healed him with a word, but this was a teaching moment; like the ones He still uses to teach us in today.
So as we pray this morning, and we find ourselves praying persistently about a desire or trouble in our lives, let's ask ourselves about the nature of that prayer. Do we understand our own heart? Is this request within the will of God? Is there something more to my prayer that I am not seeing, or saying? And, is God teaching me a lesson through this prayer?
There is so much to understand about ourselves, our faith, Jesus, and God. Each time we lift up a prayer and begin a conversation, we are entering into another audience with the creator of the universe and find ourselves glimpsing yet another aspect of His magnificence. If we prayed for the same desire a hundred times, or more, we would see a little further each time we prayed it.
In the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus cried and sweated blood, but in the end He acknowledged that what was most important to Him was obeying the will of God. In our lives we need to come to grips with this realization as well. There are many lessons in our prayers and each one brings us into a closer walk with God... As you lift up your prayers this morning, where will the two of you be going on your walk in it today?
Prayer:
Father, thank you for teaching us so much as we come to you in prayer. Thank you especially Lord for the lessons we find in repetitive prayer as we come to you day after day asking and thanking you in advance for your answer, and intercession, in our lives and faith. Hear us Lord God as we place an exclamation point at the end of each Amen while praying time and time again for those things that are troubling, or that mean so much, to us. You know our hearts, and hear our every word, but sometimes Father we really don’t know not how to pray what or heart is feeling, so you send your Holy Spirit to give us understanding, and on occasion to pray for us in moans and groaning. Teach us through our repeated prayers to translate the language of our hearts into words for our tongue so that we can come to know what it is that our heart actually desires, and can determine if it is in accordance with your will. Holy, Holy, Holy, are you our God who has walked with us from before creation, and who continues to instruct us in your ways with each conversation we have with you through our unceasing and repeated prayers. Bless us in this way Father, and perfect us; teach us to pray as Jesus did when He knelt before you and opened His heart to you in fervent prayer. Help us to understand what it is that our heart really desires as we ask those things of you, and show us your will so that we can truthfully say “Your will, not mine, be done.” Help us to be transformed Abba, and to be prepared to stand before you, radiant in the image of Christ on the day of our judgement. Use every prayer we utter, and offer to you today, so that on that faithful day when Jesus presents us to you we will be found pleasing in your sight, and pronounced worthy to walk in eternity with you.
Amen! Amen! Amen!
Rich Forbes