Persist in Prayer
Frequent Bible readers will notice some statements that are regularly repeated: “fear not,” “wait on the Lord,” “don’t lose heart.” Why does God repeat these messages? Because it’s easy to fear or become impatient with God’s timing and then give up.
Jesus laid out a story to address the problem for unanswered prayer—or at least, confusing delays to God’s answers. A widow went to a judge to get an answer to a legal dispute, but he ignored her. She wouldn’t quit. She kept going back again and again. Finally, the exhausted and exasperated judge gave her an answer. The point is not that the Father is like the judge. Our Father doesn’t have to be pestered to receive an answer. The point is that He wants us to persist. He doesn’t want us to give up. He wants us to keep asking.
How long have you prayed for someone or about a specific situation? Delays may occur for many reasons. God may be preparing the situation or the person. He may even be working in our hearts to show us that we can trust Him, even when He says no to our persistent request. Whatever the reason, we can be sure that eventually, we will receive an answer from God. Don’t lose heart.
Aside from God hearing prayer, does prayer do anything for the one who prays? Yes! Man fails when "God is in none of his thoughts "(Psa.10:4). One remedy for this devastating malady is prayer. Petitioning God, praising God, and thanking God in the early morning, sets God high in a man's thoughts for the whole day. Before God even considers His response, prayer has helped that man!
Praying for someone in trouble, will it matter? Yes! However God responds, praying for that soul will change you. You cannot pray for someone without being compelled to help them. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man" leads you to join the cause of that troubled man. We may think about “what can God do for him," but what often naturally follows is, "what can I do for him?” Prayer changes a praying man and his whole course of action -- or he quits praying.
Pray long and hard for the orphans and widows -- for those in need. Pray for them "in their troubles "(Jas.1:27). You will find yourself "visiting" them "in their troubles" -- on their doorstep with relief in hand -- with companionship and comfort in mind. You cannot pray for them and ignore them. Pray for a lost man. Pray fervently -- sincerely -- daily. You will be compelled to talk to him about his soul or quit praying for him. Pray for a weak brother and you will find yourself encouraging and strengthening him. Prayer changes the lives of those who pray!
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