Persistance in Prayer

Have you ever given the idea of talking to God any thought?  Prayer can be one of the most complex and misunderstood activities you ever ponder.  And on the other hand, it’s so simple a small child can do it.

Perhaps the best place to start is very simply.  Prayer is nothing more than a conversation.  Talking with God.  A chat.  

Also, if you don’t fully understand how to pray it’s okay.  Even the disciples, Jesus’ closest friends, didn’t really get it either.  And they took a very simple approach.   They just asked Jesus to teach them how.  

In Luke 11:1, the disciples just come right out and ask.  “Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples.”  What Jesus says has come to be known as the Lord’s Prayer.

“Father, Reveal who you are. Set the world right. Keep us alive with three square meals. Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others. Keep us safe from ourselves and the devil.” (Luke 11:2-4)

Luke is recording basically the same thing as Matthew (Matthew 6:9-13 snd 7:7-11) does, but Luke throws in an interesting story.  A story of two friends and a somewhat strange conversation.

One friend is low on food.  He runs to his buddy’s house to ask if he can borrow a few things.  But his friend is already in bed.  The sleepy friend doesn’t want to get up and the friend in need doesn’t want to leave without a loaf of bread.  So, the hungry friend keeps on knocking.  He keeps on asking. (Luke 11:5-9)

Then Jesus says, “Ask and you’ll get; seek and you’ll find; knock and the door will be open.”

As I read over this, I am struck by the idea of persistence.  Not giving up when we don’t just get what we need handed to us immediately.  To continue to ask.  To continue to seek.  To continue to knock.  Wow!  Don't ask just once, but continue to dig in with God.

Jesus is telling us to be persistent in our prayers.  Or maybe easier to follow is, don’t stop talking to God.  Keep the chat open.

Something miraculous happens when we are persistent with God.  The focus shifts.  When we continue the conversation.  When we keep at it with God, we begin to focus more on Him than own our wants.  And that shift is huge.  No longer focusing on our circumstances but looking towards Jesus.

Ask!  Seek!  Knock!  Don’t stop the conversation!