Have you ever felt that you hear radio silence when you are praying and trying to hear a response from God? Have you ever thought that you may as well stop praying about what’s on your heart because God doesn’t seem to care? Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by the trials and storms of life that you have been wearing out your knees over all the time you spent petitioning God for a miracle?
Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount said “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7 NIV).
On the surface, this seems to promise that God will grant us everything we ask for, as long as we ask, seek, and knock. However, does this mean that God promises to give us everything we want? What about when our requests are not in line with God's will?
It's crucial to understand that this promise is not a guarantee of receiving every desire. Rather, it highlights God's willingness to bless those who earnestly pursue Him. This is not a promise that God will grant us every whim, but rather an encouragement to seek God's will and kingdom above all else.
I realize that when our prayers are not answered quickly and in the way we want God to answer them it often feels challenging to stay steadfast. What Jesus’ words highlight is the importance of persistence in prayer, and the active engagement in prayer of our faith. Prayer isn't about submitting a wish list to God. Prayer builds a meaningful relationship with God. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to "pray continually,".
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV [16] Rejoice always, [17] pray continually, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (emphasis mine).
To pray continually affirms that constant communication with God is essential. It's less about the frequency of requests and more about the devotion and trust we demonstrate.
Persistent Prayer
Persevering in prayer shapes us, builds our character, and aligns us more closely with God's will. It’s a reminder that in the waiting, our spirit grows. So, when prayers seem unanswered, remember: keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Your spiritual journey is as important as the destination.
Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow gives us the perfect example. In the parable a widow, relentless in her pleas for justice, ultimately sways an unjust judge. If an indifferent judge can be moved by persistence, how much more will a loving God respond to our continuous prayers?
Luke 18:1-8 NIV [1] 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?”
Be Persistent in Praying that God’s Will be Done
Jesus emphasizes the importance of persistence in prayer, using the metaphors of asking, seeking, and knocking. These verbs convey a sense of urgency, humility, and dependence on God. When we ask, seek, and knock, we are acknowledging our need for God's guidance, provision, and wisdom. We are recognizing that we are not self-sufficient, but rather dependent on God's goodness and mercy.
1 John 5:14-15 NIV [14] This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him (emphasis mine).
It is important that we pray according to God's will, rather than our own desires.
Matthew 6:9-10 NIV [9] “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, [10] your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
When we ask, seek, and knock, we must do so with pure hearts and a desire to align ourselves with God's will.
James 4:3 NIV When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
When we ask, seek, and knock, we are acknowledging our dependence on God and our desire to align ourselves with His will. As we pray, we must do so with persistence, humility, and a willingness to surrender to God's sovereignty.
Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV[8] “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. [9] “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God will always answer our prayers when He knows the time is right. It may not be the answer we want but God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours so the answer will be the right one for us.
Romans 8:28-30 NIV [28] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. [30] And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Meanwhile, in our persistence, we can rest in the fact that God is Sovereign and trustworthy, and that He loves us.
John 3:16 NIV [16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 4:8 NIV Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (emphasis mine).
God always has our best interest at heart because He loves us and His plans for us are always good.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Whatever requests you made known to God, be encouraged that He hears you and He will answer your prayers. Hang in there and don’t stop praying.
Jesus, in His Sermon on the Mount said “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you" (Matthew 7:7 NIV).
On the surface, this seems to promise that God will grant us everything we ask for, as long as we ask, seek, and knock. However, does this mean that God promises to give us everything we want? What about when our requests are not in line with God's will?
It's crucial to understand that this promise is not a guarantee of receiving every desire. Rather, it highlights God's willingness to bless those who earnestly pursue Him. This is not a promise that God will grant us every whim, but rather an encouragement to seek God's will and kingdom above all else.
I realize that when our prayers are not answered quickly and in the way we want God to answer them it often feels challenging to stay steadfast. What Jesus’ words highlight is the importance of persistence in prayer, and the active engagement in prayer of our faith. Prayer isn't about submitting a wish list to God. Prayer builds a meaningful relationship with God. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says to "pray continually,".
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NIV [16] Rejoice always, [17] pray continually, [18] give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus (emphasis mine).
To pray continually affirms that constant communication with God is essential. It's less about the frequency of requests and more about the devotion and trust we demonstrate.
Persistent Prayer
Persevering in prayer shapes us, builds our character, and aligns us more closely with God's will. It’s a reminder that in the waiting, our spirit grows. So, when prayers seem unanswered, remember: keep asking, keep seeking, keep knocking. Your spiritual journey is as important as the destination.
Jesus’ parable of the persistent widow gives us the perfect example. In the parable a widow, relentless in her pleas for justice, ultimately sways an unjust judge. If an indifferent judge can be moved by persistence, how much more will a loving God respond to our continuous prayers?
Luke 18:1-8 NIV [1] 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?”
Be Persistent in Praying that God’s Will be Done
Jesus emphasizes the importance of persistence in prayer, using the metaphors of asking, seeking, and knocking. These verbs convey a sense of urgency, humility, and dependence on God. When we ask, seek, and knock, we are acknowledging our need for God's guidance, provision, and wisdom. We are recognizing that we are not self-sufficient, but rather dependent on God's goodness and mercy.
1 John 5:14-15 NIV [14] This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. [15] And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him (emphasis mine).
It is important that we pray according to God's will, rather than our own desires.
Matthew 6:9-10 NIV [9] “This, then, is how you should pray: “ ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, [10] your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
When we ask, seek, and knock, we must do so with pure hearts and a desire to align ourselves with God's will.
James 4:3 NIV When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.
When we ask, seek, and knock, we are acknowledging our dependence on God and our desire to align ourselves with His will. As we pray, we must do so with persistence, humility, and a willingness to surrender to God's sovereignty.
Isaiah 55:8-9 NIV[8] “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. [9] “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
God will always answer our prayers when He knows the time is right. It may not be the answer we want but God’s thoughts and ways are higher than ours so the answer will be the right one for us.
Romans 8:28-30 NIV [28] And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. [29] For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. [30] And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
Meanwhile, in our persistence, we can rest in the fact that God is Sovereign and trustworthy, and that He loves us.
John 3:16 NIV [16] For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
1 John 4:8 NIV Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love (emphasis mine).
God always has our best interest at heart because He loves us and His plans for us are always good.
Jeremiah 29:11 NIV For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
Whatever requests you made known to God, be encouraged that He hears you and He will answer your prayers. Hang in there and don’t stop praying.
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