BREAKTHROUGHSampel

Prayer is Persistent Belief In this clip we see that everyone had given up on John. Everyone, that is, except John’s mother. Joyce never stopped praying for her son, and she believed against all odds that the God who brings dead things to life is the same God who hears each of her prayers and will heal her son. No matter how dire the situation appeared or how weary she became, Joyce went to the Lord over and over in prayer, with a firm conviction that God would hear her and show up in a miraculous way. For many people, prayer often comes in spurts. We know it’s important, we push ourselves to do it, and things go well for a while. But then we stop. It’s difficult to maintain a regular prayer habit. Jesus knows how bad we are at this, so he told a powerful parable “to the effect that [we] ought always to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). Why would Jesus say this unless he knew that we’re prone to lose heart and give up? In the parable, a woman needs a judge to rectify her situation. He’s not a great guy, so he refuses to act. But she keeps coming back to him until he finally gives in. Remarkable as it sounds, Jesus gives us this story as a model for prayer. Jesus isn’t trying to accuse God of being lazy or unjust, he’s simply telling us to pray with the same desperate persistence that drove this woman. Have you already told God what you want? Have your conversations filled him in on everything that you care about? Wonderful. Now keep going. Keep telling him. Keep listening. Prayer has never been about informing God of things he didn’t know. It’s always been about the relationship. He wants to know your heart, and if something remains on your heart, it should remain in your prayers. Paul once let slip the intriguing phrase: “pray without ceasing” (1 These. 5:17). What would that look like? Certainly, you can’t always be on your knees in a church building. But if prayer is talking to God about the things that matter most to you, then why shouldn’t it happen all the time? Don’t stop praying—God desires this type of direct contact with your heart. [The video portion of this devotional is not available on your device. To view this video, visit your plan at www.Bible.com]