The Persistent Prayer
READ: Luke 11:1-13
When I was younger, I could remember a time when I wanted a new bicycle. Every weekend, while my parents went shopping, I went to the bike section in the store and saw "my" bike. I wanted that bike so badly. Nearly every day I would ask my parents for a brand new bike, especially that one. Finally, on my birthday, I received that brand new bike I wanted so badly.
Nearly everyone can relate to that incident. And yet, in the same way, our prayer life with God should contain the same persistence that a little child has with his/her parents. God loves a persistent prayer.
In Luke 11:9 Jesus says, "Ask and it will be given you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be open to you." God cares about us and promises us that if we ask Him, we will receive according to his good will and purpose. Like good parents try to give their children only what is best for the child, so also God looks out for our best interests in our prayer requests. Our all-knowing Heavenly Father knows what is best for us and may decide that His children do not need everything they think they need or ask for.
Jesus wants us to remember the relationship we have with God by faith, so that we may feel free to pray to our Heavenly Father as boldly and confidently as dear children ask their dear father.
THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: How did Jesus teach us to pray? Why does God love a persistent prayer? Why doesn't God sometimes give us what we ask for in our prayers?
PRAYER SUGGESTIONS: Ask God to keep us consistent in our prayer life and persistent in our prayers. Thank the Lord for giving us a way to communicate with Him. Pray for missionaries throughout the world.