Hang in there Baby! Persistence in Prayer
Photo by David Beale on Unsplash
By Tom Shanklin
Hang in there, baby!
It may not sound very spiritual, but it certainly is biblical. The Scripture says it this way, “And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” Galatians 6:9, KJV.
Someone said, “Persistence prevails, when all else fails.” Perseverance is a major principle of success in every endeavor of life, and prayer is no exception. When we come to God with our requests for ourselves, for our families, and for others, there may be delays to receiving the answers to our prayers.
Over the years of ministry, I have seen many instantaneous answers to prayer. I’ve seen miracles right before my eyes, both for myself and for others. But at other times, the answer has taken some time to manifest. While we are waiting for the desired change, there is a temptation to grow weary and to give up hope. That’s when we need to “Hang in there, baby!”
George Mueller of England is a great hero of faith to many. Mueller had a friend who did not know Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. He prayed for that man for 63 years, saying, “I have been praying for sixty-three years and eight months for one man’s conversion. He is not converted yet, but he will be! How can it be otherwise? There is the unchanging promise of Jehovah, and on that I rest.” (GeorgeMueller.org Quotes) Mueller did not see this man come to the Lord on this side of heaven, but on the day when Mueller’s body was lowered into the ground in a casket, his friend gave his heart to Jesus.
One of our great weaknesses is that we give up too soon. We pray for something and it doesn’t come to pass, and we assume it must not be God’s will. But God’s Word says, “And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.” Matthew 21:22, KJV. If we have a promise to stand on, we should not let go of it, but persevere in prayer until we see the desired result.
After all, it’s Scriptural. Daniel did not receive the answer to his petition for 21 days, Finally, a heavenly being came to him. “Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words. But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.” Daniel 10:12, 13, KJV.
During those three weeks, Daniel was praying. What if he had given up after 20 days?
Perseverance is often required in prayer. The Word of God says that “men ought always to pray, and not to faint.” (Luke 18:1) If there was never going to be a temptation to faint, that wouldn’t have needed to be written. But the truth is, we all need encouragement to preservere. Hang in there, baby!
Maybe you’re facing the trial of your faith with your health, or with a loved one. Or maybe you’re weary because of the state of your nation, or the problems in your community or your church. I encourage you, remain steadfast. Persevere. Press into the will of God.
We don’t always know all the reasons for delays in answered prayer, but we need to trust God and let Him work out the details. I know in some cases there is need for a change inside of us in order for the answer to come. Perhaps we are disconnected spiritually and need a refreshing and renewal in our relationship with the Lord. Let the Holy Spirit speak to you, repent, and apply the blood of Jesus. He says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9, KJV.
Steadfast, prevailing prayer is frequently needed when you are praying for others. Whether it be family members, corrupt governments, or wayward church members, there is a work of intercession that needs to take place in order to see the desired results. In such cases, it’s not just a matter of asking God to do something, but also progressively releasing His will into the situation through Spirit-empowered prayer. Our nation, for example, needs sustained, prevailing prayer for change. This will come as we progressively press into God’s will and do not lose heart by what we are seeing with our natural eyes.
Often, our prayers are hindered by opposing forces, demonic powers, which are holding people in mental, physical or spiritual bondage. We have to impinge upon these forces with the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit, and command Satan to loose his grip on our loved ones, or others. Jesus died and rose from the dead to give us victory over these evil powers.
Sometimes our faith and the release of power need to come up to the level of the need that we have. However, it we give up, this will never take place. Persevering prayer while yielding to the Word of God and to the Holy Spirit will allow our faith and our power level to grow.
The Holy Spirit is our helper in this work of prayer. When we don’t know how to pray, He will show us the way to bring victory in every situation. The important thing is to yield to Him in prayer and let Him guide us to victory progressively.
Another awesome tool we have in prayer is the Word of God. I’ve found that “praying the Word” will often bring results when nothing else will. When we pray the Word, we are praying the will of God. Find the Scriptures that relate to your particular prayer request. Then you can be confident that God hears you and that you have the petitions you have asked of Him. (See 1 John 5:14-15)
I encourage you to search the Scriptures to find out what the Word of God says about prayer, faith, and spiritual warfare. Study, so your mind won’t be corrupted by man’s opinions or the devil’s lies. If you don’t have the answer on something, remember, your heavenly Father does. As you press in, He will reveal the answer to you by His Word and by His Spirit. So keep pressing in. Don’t lose heart. Don’t let go of the promise. Hang in there, baby!
This article was originally posted on the Tom Shanklin Ministries website in June 2011. It is especially applicable as we are facing a great trial with the coronavirus in our nation and the world today.
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