Persistence in Prayer

Background Scripture: Genesis 32
Lesson Scripture: Genesis 32:24–32; Luke 18:1–8

Introduction

Some may ask, “Why pray, when God already knows my every need and, indeed, even what I am about to pray for?” The psalmist wrote, “You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar . . . Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether” (Ps. 139:2, 4, ESV). Prayer is not about informing God or begging Him until He gives what we want. Our prayers should glorify God by acknowledging our utter dependence on Him. We should share the inner contents of our hearts in complete trust that God will supply what we need. This trust is vital to a meaningful, successful prayer.

We are inclined to think of prayer being answered when things happen according to our desire. That is not really trusting God. My prayer will only be effectual if my faith and trust in Him is complete enough to believe that He knows what is best. He may deny my request. True prayer finds rest in God’s providence, which includes the grace to accept a no.

Key Verse

Pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17).

Lesson Scripture

Studying the Lesson

When Laban and his sons no longer looked on Jacob with favor, Jacob gathered his family and possessions and fled. This was surely a fearful time for him. He was no longer welcome in the land that had been his home for twenty years, and he was about to face a brother whom he had reason to believe wanted to kill him. His only comfort may have been in God’s former promise at Bethel: “I will be with you.”

After Laban’s pursuit and the resulting covenant between them, Jacob continued on his way to Canaan and was met by the angels of God. The Bible tells us little about this encounter, but surely this evidence of God’s presence and protection encouraged Jacob. He was about to pass through the land of Seir where Esau was living, so he sent messengers ahead to ascertain Esau’s disposition toward him and to assure Esau that he had plenty and needed nothing of his. The news that Esau was coming with four hundred men greatly distressed Jacob. And in the first recorded prayer in the Bible, Jacob cried to God, first acknowledging his unworthiness and then appealing to Him for deliverance.

The identity of the man he wrestled with that night is not clear though Jacob asked him who he was. He is referred to elsewhere as an angel, and Jacob said, “I have seen God face to face.”

His wrestling was not only physical. Hosea tells us that he wept and made supplication (Hos. 12:4), and it is in that sense that believers today still wrestle with God. The fact that Jacob was not overcome is evidence that God gave him the power needed to prevail. That the person he wrestled with had supernatural power is shown by His ability to dislocate Jacob’s thigh with a touch. There could be only one source for Jacob’s power, and so his wrestling with the angel is an illustration of how Paul describes our wrestling in Romans 8:26, “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.”

The resultant limp that Jacob acquired was a lifelong reminder of both God’s power to overcome and His provision of power for Jacob to prevail. In a similar manner the Christian today can relate to Paul’s writing in 2 Corinthians 12:9–10 as to the source of his strength. “And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

The angel’s request for Jacob’s name had a purpose. It gave Jacob the opportunity to acknowledge his sinfulness, since his name meant “supplanter.” Then, in another type of the glorious power of the gospel to change sinners to saints, his name was changed to Israel, “a prince with God” or “God prevails.”

The parable of the unjust judge is not to teach us that we will get what we want if we persist. Groveling, begging, and self-abasement do not bring God’s blessings. Rather, the parable encourages us to not weary in constant prayer. It reminds us to trust God’s infinite goodness and wisdom to provide for our needs. His provision for us may be different than we thought.

Practical Truths for Today

Prayer is an essential part of every believer’s life. In prayer we confess our sins and humbly thank God for His love, mercy, and grace. Prayer is an opportunity to acknowledge Him as Lord of all and to stand in awe of all His glorious attributes. In prayer we come boldly before the throne of grace with all of our petitions. As Unger’s Bible Dictionary states, “Prayer is the expression of man’s dependence upon God for all things.”

Life brings many challenging situations, some of them difficult and painful. We can be so anxious to get out of our difficulties that we fail to let them sanctify us. We may be so intent on getting out of them that we do not reap what we should from them, so focused on God changing our circumstances that we do not allow Him to change us. While it is not improper to pray for deliverance from a trial, sometimes it would be more appropriate to pray for grace and strength enough to endure the trial.

Our purpose on earth is to glorify God. Sometimes our prayers are focused more on our own comfort than what would bring God glory. To receive the grace to carry us through persecution rather than to deliver us from it may bring more glory to God. At times God chooses to change our circumstances; but when He does not, our chief objective remains the same—to bring Him into every situation. Our lot may be as Jesus said of the blind man, “that the works of God should be made manifest in him” (John 9:3).

We may miss the answer to our prayer if we focus only on God supplying our perceived need rather than trusting Him regardless of what happens. Job said, “Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him” (Job 13:15). Faith in this context is the belief that God will do what is right, rather than believing He will do what I want. It enables me to pray from the heart, “Thy will be done.” The account of Balaam in the Old Testament is an example of what can happen if we are determined to have our own way. What might appear as God changing His mind was actually God allowing Balaam the freedom to choose his own way. Balaam continued to ask the Lord’s permission after He had said no. We need the humility and discernment to understand and accept it when God says no to our petition. We are not praying for God’s will to be done if we are trying to change God’s mind.

To persist in prayer in the sense of our key verse, “Pray without ceasing,” includes having a quiet time alone with God every day. The benefits of these consistent personal prayers are indispensable to successful Christian living. Moreover, to live in a spirit of prayer throughout the day wherever we may be is vital to growing in spiritual virtues.

In our prosperous, easy times we may not realize our need of daily dependence on God like those who lived in more difficult times. God may allow us to suffer as a means to draw us to Him. Truly, we should pray as in the the words of the hymn, “Jesus, Savior, Pilot Me”: “Though the sea be smooth and bright, Sparkling with the stars of night, And my ship’s path be ablaze, With the light of halcyon days, Still I know my need of Thee; Jesus, Savior, pilot me.” 1 C. S. Lewis wrote, “God whispers to us in our pleasure, he speaks to us in our conscience, and he shouts to us in our pain. It is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”

Matthew 7 and Luke 11 give parallel teachings on God’s promise to those who pray. In Matthew’s account, Jesus promises that the Father will give good things to those who ask. Luke’s account is more specific as to what God will give. Jesus promises that the Father will give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him. The Holy Spirit inspires and enables us to accept God’s will. It is a comfort to know that He will be with us no matter what life brings. He is the Comforter and, as Paul said, makes intercession for us with the heavenly Father. May God grant us the everyday communion with Him that will result in a greater understanding of what we should pray for together with faith that He understands our every need.

Questions

1. Some healing prayers are answered in other ways than a miraculous healing. Should we call them special prayers rather than healing prayers?
2. What is the practical application of praying without ceasing?
3. Does an unanswered prayer indicate a lack of faith? Did I not pray in a positive enough manner?
4. We are sometimes told to approach God like a child petitioning a parent. Where is “Thy will be done” in this approach?
5. 1 Edward Hopper (1816-1888)
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Source: COGICM Daily Bible Readings (Daily Bible Readings, PO Box 124, Glenn, CA 95943).