Persistence in Prayer

Throughout His ministry, Christ made it clear that importunity is a distinguishing characteristic of true praying. We must not only pray, but we must pray with great urgency, with intensity, and with repetition. We must not only pray, but we must also pray again and again. We must not get tired of praying. We must be thoroughly in earnest, deeply concerned about the things for which we ask, for Jesus Christ made it very plain that the secret of prayer and its success lie in its urgency. We must press our prayers upon God. Read Luke 18:1-8. This poor woman’s case was a most hopeless one, but importunity brings hope from the realms of despair and creates success where neither success nor its conditions existed. There could be no stronger case, to show how unwearied and dauntless importunity gains its ends where everything else fails. The preface to this parable says: “He spoke a parable to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint.” He knew that men would soon get faint-hearted in praying, so to hearten us He gives this picture of the marvelous power of importunity. Other parables are about persistence are found in Luke 11:5-10, about the persistence of annoying friends, and in Mark 7:24-30, the Syrophenician woman whose daughter was possessed by a demon. Without persistence, prayers may go unanswered. Importunity is made up of the ability to hold on, to press on, to wait with unrelaxed and unrelaxable grasp, restless desire and restful patience. Importunate prayer is not an incident, but the main thing, not a performance, but a passion, not a need but a necessity. Importunity, it may be repeated, is a condition of prayer. We are to press the matter, not with vain repetitions, but with urgent repetitions. We repeat, not to count the times, but to gain the prayer. We cannot quit praying because heart and soul are in it. We pray “with all perseverance.” We hang to our prayers because by them we live. We press our pleas because we must have them or die. The benefits and necessity of importunity are taught by Old Testament saints. Praying men must be strong in hope, and faith, and prayer. They must know how to wait and to press, to wait on God and be in earnest in our approaches to Him.
Jesus illustrated & perfected pleading & waiting

Abraham has left us an example of importunate intercession in his passionate pleading with Cod on behalf of Sodom and Gomorrah, and if, as already indicated, he had not ceased in his asking, perhaps Cod would not have ceased in His giving.
“Abraham left off asking before God left off granting.” Moses taught the power of importunity when he interceded for Israel forty days and forty nights, by fasting and prayer. And he succeeded in his importunity. Jesus, in His teaching and example, illustrated and perfected this principle of Old Testament pleading and waiting. How strange that the only Son of God, who came on a mission direct from His Father, whose only life and law were to do His Father’s will in that mission—what a mystery that He should be under the law of prayer, that the blessings which came to Him were impregnated and purchased by prayer; stranger still that importunity in prayer was the process by which His wealthiest supplies from God were gained. His all-night praying was that which filled with compassion and power His all-day work. The importunate praying of His life crowned His death with its triumph. He learned the high lesson of submission to God’s will in the struggles of importunate prayer before He illustrated that submission so sublimely on the cross. Charles Spurgeon said: “Whether we like it or not, asking is the rule of the kingdom. “Ask, and ye shall receive.” It is a rule that never will be altered in anybody’s case. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the. elder brother of the family, but God has not relaxed the rule for Him. Remember this text: Jehovah says to His own Son, “Ask of Me, and I will give Thee the heaven for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.” If the Royal and Divine Son of God cannot be exempted from the rule of asking that He may have, you and I cannot expect the rule to be relaxed in our favor. Why should it be? God will bless Elijah and send rain on Israel, but Elijah must pray for it. If the chosen nation is to prosper, Samuel must plead for it. If the Jews are to be delivered, Daniel must intercede. God will bless Paul, and the nations shall be converted through him, but Paul must pray. Pray he did without ceasing; his epistles show that he expected nothing except by asking for it. If you may have everything by asking, and nothing without asking, I beg you to see how absolutely vital prayer is, and I beseech you to abound in it.” God loves the importunate pleader, and sends him answers that would never have been granted but for the persistency that refuses to let go until the petition craved for is granted.
The country is in need of help, be it economical, leadership, or spiritual. God tells us of His requirements for blessings. If the country shows humility, prayer, devotion and repentance, He will heal our land.
2 Chronicles 7:14: “and My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray, and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Know when to speak #19

This month we’ll look at some statements and questions that may come up in the course of a conversation you might have with someone about the Lord.
If you have a good grip on the armament shown during the last 18 months, these points will be easier to discuss. The statements come from a number of different faiths, and can be answered from the Bible.

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1 The rapture will occur on October 27, 2011.
2. Satan can appear as an angel of light.
3. There are at least a dozen ways to get to heaven.
4. There is no hell, only different levels of heaven.
5. There are many gods, and ways to heaven.
6. All scripture is inspired by God.
7. Jesus is God.
8. You must be reincarnated a number of times before you can be with God.
9. Baptism is the sole act that provides salvation.
10. Where will you find the following?

“Let not the believer take disbelievers for their friends in preference to believers. Whoso doeth that hath no connection with Allah unless (it be) that ye but guard yourselves against them, taking (as it were) security.”