The Simple Power and Reward of Persistent Prayer
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“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NIV84) [see full text in button/link below]
Persistent Prayer
Persistent prayer is important! How important is prayer to you? Where does prayer rank as a priority in your life? A simple way to answer these two questions is by answering the following question.
Is prayer your first response or last resort when it comes to needs and crises in your life?
Many people say it’s their first response, but their lives show otherwise. When prayer is the first response, it’s because of the assurance in our hearts that the Father knows our needs before we even pray. Even when it’s the first response, our faith may seem weak. If the Lord doesn’t answer our prayers in a timely manner, we may give up on praying unless we are confident in God’s answer to our prayers.
I’ve prayed for many people and about many situations in life. Many of those prayers were answered over an extended period of time. Sometimes my prayers were answered, or the outcome differed from how I wanted or expected.
The need for extended prayer can be hard to determine. How do you know when you’ve given your prayers enough time? Is there a point where you should stop praying or give up? I don’t know an answer that covers all situations, but I can share my perspective on this.
Many times I’ve prayed for God to heal people. I have two friends who had terminal illnesses, with two different outcomes. A close friend received a diagnosis of a debilitating, worsening, and ultimately fatal illness. Many close friends prayed and even fasted for this brother in the Lord. After nearly a year, the Lord healed this brother at the point of the disease’s progression. The disease stopped progressing, and he is still alive and serving the Lord over two decades later.
Another close friend, a sister in the Lord, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. We prayed, fasted, laid hands on her as the Bible says (see James 5:14), and continued to pray for her for many months. A few people encouraged her with specific words from the Lord about being healed. But the Lord still took her home.
I’ve learned to keep praying. To persist in prayer until God answers in one way or another. I don’t need to know the outcome before I pray. I need to pray with the expectation that God will answer my prayer, without presuming to tell the Lord how to answer. 1
I believe in persistent prayer.
Insights
One of the keys to understanding prayer is the simplicity of verse 7:
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” (Matthew 7:7 NIV84)
These three simple words—ask, seek, knock—express a continuous pursuit of God. This insistent approach to praying displays intensity and persistence in prayer. This persistence in prayer and assurance of an answer is reinforced in verse 8:
“For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.” (Matthew 7:8 NIV84)
Why do you think Jesus repeats Himself this way? In His earlier teaching on prayer, Jesus says we’re not to “keep on babbling” like unbelievers. Is this a contradiction of His earlier teaching? Not at all! The repetition in verses 7 and 8 reinforces the importance of what He says. It’s also an affirmation of assurance about persistent prayer. Jesus makes it clear that persistent prayer will be rewarded.
Mere repetition of words lacks value unless it carries a sense of the intensity of our trust in God. A trust that God will answer our prayers. These are not rote prayers memorized and repeated in a ritualistic manner, but earnest and honest prayers. Prayer from the heart, filled with emotion and need. It is the outpouring of a soul who earnestly believes in and pursues God (see Hebrews 11:6).
It is not a repetitive form of prayer but an intensified insistence.
A True Way of Life
Jesus uses a parabolic illustration to explain this kind of prayer and how it’s different from rote, ritualized prayer that was typical of the Pharisees and those who don’t know God personally.
First, consider the type of progression expressed by these three words—ask, seek, and knock. When we ask for something, it is a request. It could be a request for provision, guidance, forgiveness, or help of some kind. Perhaps this is a reminder not to worry, for our Father knows our needs already (see Matthew 6:32).
The act of seeking is to look for something with the intention of finding it. This reflects a more specific focus of prayer beyond a request. This type of prayer carries with it a sense of confidence. Jesus gives us assurance of finding what we seek. And remember, we are to seek His Kingdom and righteousness first (see Matthew 6:33).
Knocking on a door indicates a sense of nearness and presence. A door is a point of entry. In prayer, we pursue God where He lives—in heaven. When we knock on a door, we expect it to be opened, and the Lord assures us it will be opened.
Jesus asks two questions with obvious answers.
“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake?” (Matthew 7:9-10)
The parabolic illustration focuses more on the beginning of persistent prayer, of asking and making a request. The two questions Jesus asks are rhetorical and contrast our human selfishness and weakness with the goodness and faithfulness of God.
Though we are prone to selfishness and sin by nature, we wouldn’t give our children a stone when they ask for bread, nor give them a snake rather than a fish. We would give them good things.
The Father wants to give good gifts to His children far more than we as human parents do. In this teaching on prayer, the emphasis is not so much on how to pray but to whom we are praying.
How do we see God?
If we see Him as harsh and reticent to answer our prayer, it’s more of a reflection of our hearts and our faith than of God. The Father knows our needs and promises to provide for them. But do we genuinely trust in Him? Are we confident in God’s goodness and faithfulness as our Heavenly Father? If so, then we need to be persistent in prayer!
Persistence in prayer is simply—asking, seeking, and knocking—with the confidence of receiving, finding, and seeing the door opened.
How do you see God?
As harsh and reticent to answer your prayers?
Or as your gracious Heavenly Father?
Reflections for Prayer
Persistence in prayer is an intensified insistence. An outpouring of our souls, because we earnestly believe and trust in God. When we ask, seek, and knock, we do so with the confidence of receiving, finding, and seeing the door opened by our Heavenly Father.
Ask the Lord to help you grow in your faith, to enable and empower you to pray with persistence. Ask God to make Himself known to you in a personal and powerful way. If something seems to hinder you from coming to God with confidence when you pray, ask Him to reveal what it is. Then you can lay this aside in His presence and be assured of your Heavenly Father answering your prayer.
Footnotes–
Jesus points out the importance of persistent prayer in two parables. One of them is found in Luke 18 (See Luke 18:1). The other parable occurs earlier in Luke and includes the same exhortation as Matthew 7:7 (see Luke 11:5-13).
Paul also speaks of persistent prayer. One of my favorite places is found in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV.
This is an excerpt from a recently published book called The Heart and Soul of God’s Kingdom. Look for it on Amazon with my other books— Trip Kimball on Amazon
And you can also see some of my writing over on Substack too! Just click this link– Trip Kimball on Substack
