Persistent Prayer The Key to Victory

A lost art is that of being persistent in prayer because many people think that if a person prays more than one time about something,

they are praying in unbelief. Well this is not true because Jesus gives a discourse about the power of being persistent in prayer by giving an example of a widow woman petitioning an unjust judge. The bible first of all defines the character of this judge who had no regard for God or man. Right off the bat this seems like a hopeless and impossible situation, but God specializes in the impossible.

Think about it, if the situation were humanly possible, why take it to God in prayer anyway? Problems that occur with people in authority need divine intervention. The kings heart is in his hand and he turns it withersoever he will (Proverbs 21:1). The king mentioned here means an authority figure for example, a boss, a supervisor, government officials, CEO’s, court systems, etc. Persistent prayer can cause God to change the heart of an enemy toward a person giving them favor. Notice I said change hearts, not force, because God does not tamper with the will of a person. Man is a free moral agent given the right to choose and make their own decisions. Think about this for a moment. God is not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance.

God’s greatest desire is for mankind to come back into fellowship with him. If this is his greatest desire, why doesn’t he just force men to become born again? Because he has given mankind the right to choose. He says in Deuteronomy 30:19 I set before you life and death, blessing and cursing, choose life that you and your descendants may live. God will show men what is best for them to choose (in his word the bible), but he will not force them to choose. Prayer continues to convict a person to make right choices. For example when children become of age and do not want to listen to parental wisdom, prayer is the vehicle that convicts their heart to make right choices. when injustice has been done, prayer convicts the heart of the person in authority to reconsider the decision.

This is why a person should not take no for an answer, because God may be saying yes. The widow woman came to the unjust judge requesting that he avenge her of her adversary. Continually he would not for awhile. Jesus gives the example of this widow womans persistence and how she doesn’t take no for an answer. Pain in a persons life may stop them from being persistent because they all ready feel bad enough, and to add rejection on top of that is unbearable. This woman in Jesus parable was a widow who had lost her husband, but in spite of the pain she kept being persistent in prayer and God kept giving her the strength needed to continue her pursuit. The unjust judge would not answer her request in her favor for awhile, but this was not a permanent dilemma. Persistent prayer was going to move God to touch his heart to make the right decision. A person with a persistent prayer life will carry through in a persistent manner in everyday life when problems call for it. Rejection after rejection did not stop her because she did not stop praying.

Notice the unjust judge says even though I have no regard for God or man, yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her lest by her continual coming she weary me. Persistent prayer will eventually trouble a person to make the right decision instead of continually making the wrong one just as it did for the unjust judge. Do you have a persistent problem in a relationship? on the job? in church? with yourself? Then persistently pursue it in prayer!