Persistent Praying

Mark 7:26 “The woman was a Greek, a Syro-Phoenician by birth, and she kept asking Him to cast the demon out of her daughter.”

“She kept asking Him” grabs our attention as we read of the pleas of a desperate mother for her young demon-possessed daughter.  The previous verse tells how this woman had heard about Jesus and came and fell at His feet.  She knew from others what Jesus had done so she begged Jesus to do the same for her daughter.   She knew He could if He would!

The scene though of repeatedly asking can be viewed as this woman being a pest.  For us who have had young children who wanted ice cream and they keep on asking and asking and asking you know how irritating the constant asking can be.  I am sure I have said more than once that if you ask one more time the answer is a definite no.  The constant begging can easily become bothersome.  

While this unnamed woman could easily be viewed as bothersome to Jesus she is described by Mark as one who after she made her first request kept on asking.   The desperate need her daughter had demanded that she have determined persistence tell she got an answer.  

How do you feel or think about persistent praying?   Is it okay to keep on asking?  Do you feel embarrassed to go back to God again and again?  

In learning to pray the great prayer warrior and teacher of prayer, E. M. Bounds wrote about persistent praying.  He concluded based on Ephesians 6:18 that there will be times we will need to persist in prayer.   Ephesians 6:18 says, “Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.”

I admit that I struggle with praying for something multiple times.  I feel like I have asked God and if He does not answer immediately then the answer is no.   But the answer is not always no.  I can now show many answers to prayer came after many times of praying the same prayer.  There are some things that I am praying about that after decades I have not received an answer, so I keep asking Him.  Learning from this desperate mother I will keep asking until I hear a definitive no. 

As you describe your prayer life is the word persistent used?  

Continue Strong Being Persistent In Prayer,
And remember to DATE the Word