James.5:16 (NIV) Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.
The first thing we ought to know as we persevere in prayer is that our prayers are powerful and effective. Many times the Lord answers us immediately, although sometimes even when He releases our answers we do not receive the answers immediately. Here are some reasons why we need to persevere in our prayers.
Sometimes because our desires have not yet been fulfilled until the expected answers from the Lord are received.
sometimes the problem or circumstances around us remain and until they are changed we need to PUSH and continually pray until we see a change.
We persevere because we pray to a God we trust.
Paul says to the church in Thessalonica, 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray continually, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.1 Thessalonians.5:16-18 (NIV).
This is clearly a command that we out to persevere in prayer, it is a command and Gods will concerning man.
Daniel & Paul
These are men who prayed without ceasing, because they went through challenges. Daniel for example, was exiled into Babylon, a very difficult experience for a young man, being alienated from his country, his people, his familiar life, but Daniel continued in his prayer life.
Paul went preaching in many gentile countries where he encountered several challenges, he got shipwrecked, jailed, whipped and stoned but prayed on. He persevered the hardship for the sake of the Gospel.
Daniel continued his prayer lifestyle amidst the threats even to the extent of death for those who did not bow down to the god of the Babylonian king. He remained steadfast and kept the discipline, praying in his closet at a specific time everyday. As children of God we too can cultivate such a discipline of prayer, setting a specific time or place of prayer. One can imagine that Daniel could have had times when he had to meet up with friends, take on some business tasks or trips and the daily chores but when it came to his hour of prayer he did not compromise that time for all those. Daniel 6:13 (NIV) 13 Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree you put in writing. He still prays three times a day.”
Those of other faiths have set challenge for us Born Again Christians. They do not compromise the hour of prayer, they will go for Mass in the rain or will not eat at a party because they are fasting, they will keep their fast until they have prayed.
If we’re going to persevere in prayer, there are things that are not negotiable.
Paul became so close with the Lord because he persevered in prayer. Through this God did give the church the many letters and writings in the New Testament. Paul prayed for the brethren and the churches, not only in regard to the earthly challenges but also the spiritual growth and maturity in the faith.
2 Thessalonians.1:11 (NIV) With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may bring to fruition your every desire for goodness and your every deed prompted by faith. 12 We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ.
In these times may the Church persevere in prayer for the body of Christ so that the brethren will grow in the faith and in love and reach out to the world so they will come to the knowledge of God.
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