Prayer - The Power of Persistence

6. PRAYER

"Catch the Glorious Fire" - By Ps Paul Quadros

For most people, prayer is a shopping list, and often for believers too; it’s all about what WE want. God loves to listen to us, but is always yearning to listen to more than just our needs, worries and desires. Just as communication is a vital part in every relationship, true prayer helps us in our relationship with God. (We need to check our hearts, as God wants us to seek His kingdom first). The point is not that God does not want to give; it is the purpose of the giving that matters. It is God’s will that we should not worry, but give them to Him in prayer so that His peace will rule our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Phil 4: 6-7) NIV

We must learn to have a heart-to-heart conversation with God. He is much closer to us than our earthly parents, friends, and even our spouse.

When we have a close friend, we never run out of things to tell each other because of the love, understanding and closeness we share. It is the same with God. Remember Abraham, how he talked to God like a friend. When he interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah it was like a friend. That is why he was called a friend of God (Gen 18: 16-33). In prayer it isn’t necessary for us all the time to say too many things, but we need to develop the art of listening to what God wants to share with us. Most of the time we do all the talking and pay no attention to what the Father has to say to us.

Just like a bridegroom desires to talk to his bride and wants to listen to her voice, so much more does God desire to talk and listen to us. When we read His Word, it becomes evident how much He loves us. When we listen to what He has to say, we grow in our relationship with Him. And as we enter into the fullness of this relationship, we understand exactly what He wants to tell us and what He wants us to do, and it becomes easy to intercede according to the will of the Father by the power of His Spirit. (Romans 8: 26, 28)

The Holy Spirit is our best friend, partner, leader and helper. Without Him we cannot develop a strong and healthy prayer life. The more we depend on the help and leading of the Holy Spirit, the more we are strengthened in our prayer life. The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of prayer and intercession. He longs and yearns to pray through you. Hence, we must learn to yield to His prompting and leading. Many times He will lead us to pray in tongues (the language of the spirit). The Spirit intercedes for us in groanings that cannot be expressed. (Romans 8:26). The Bible also says, “He who speaks in tongues speaks to God.” (1 Corinthians 14:2)

Often, in our time of need, we run to people for prayer. That’s okay—but it does not help us much in strengthening our own faith. We must learn to pray directly to the Father by committing the person concerned, the worry, or anything else that is disturbing us, in the hands of God through prayer. And as the Bible says, the peace of God will rule your heart and mind, (Phil 4:6-7) this will also lead you to a higher realm in prayer. We must pray according to His will and purpose. If you get upset and irritated with situations and people, you may lose the anointing to pray. Not only pray for those whom you associate with at home or in your ministry, job, etc, but also love them and serve them as the Lord would have you do. This will bring conviction and the desired changes in their lives.

For example, Jesus did not get upset with His disciples because of their careless and prayerless attitude, but persisted in prayer each time till he sweated blood (Luke 22:44-45). As you begin to follow suit, His grace will enable you to pray for those you stay with, meet and associate.

I have personally experienced that after finishing my personal prayer time with God, I am easily led to pray with my wife, children, leaders, staff, and even with the other believers I meet. It also becomes easy for me to witness to unbelievers, and to pray for them by obeying the prompting of the Holy Spirit.

When we pray earnestly until we get a breakthrough, we catch the fire. This is when the heaven above opens over us, and blessings begin to flow. Only what we need is persistence and perseverance. The power in prayer depends on our persistence. Jesus gave us two parables to prove this point. One is found in Luke 11: 5-3. In verse 8, “ I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his PERSISTENCE he will rise and give him as many he needs” NKJV

In Luke 18:1–8, if the unjust judge could give justice to a widow (who has no one to ask or fight) how much more our loving heavenly father will hear our cries, who cry out day and night to Him.

I still remember this particular incident concerning my eldest daughter Danita. One day, when she was little, and we were visiting our native place, she happened to get locked inside my sisters’ house. During this time my wife and I were busy chatting at my brother’s house, which was about 400 meters away. Suddenly I heard her crying out “Daddy!!” I jumped up and ran to rescue her. My wife was amazed to observe my reaction, and marveled at just how much I loved my children. Beloved, if an earthly father could run like that to rescue his child; what about your heavenly Father? How much more will He run for us; can any one on earth stop Him? Hence in conclusion we must understand that the power in prayer increases as we persist.

From "Catch the Glorious Fire" by Ps. Paul Quadros