February 23, 2025

Persistent Prayer (James 5:18; Luke 18:1-8)

The Heart that Seeks and Trusts in God

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31 NKJV

Objectives:

• What is persistent Prayer?
• Why Persistent Prayer?
• How it plays a role in the Christian Life

Introduction:

•  Ephesians 6:10
• We are called to persist in prayer: “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41 NKJV
• We know prayerlessness is a sin (1 Samuel 12:23)
• We become mature (Colossians 1:9-10)
• It’s the desire of our Lord Jesus Christ, It is our calling, it is a command. “Prevailing prayer is the most divine ministry you will ever have… It is Christ’s desire, Christ’s call, and Christ’s command…” Wesley Duewel (Mighty Prevailing Prayer)

What is Persistent Prayer?

Persistent prayer means continuing firmly to ask, seek, and knock despite difficulty or opposition. It is PUSH (pray until something happens). It is understanding that God is the blessing, and He desires to provide at His own timing.  

Galatians 6:9

“Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ”” Luke 18:1-5 NKJV

The parable:

• Jesus was using contrast rather than comparison here
• The readiness of God to effect justice vs a reluctant judge who only dispenses justice out of annoyance of a worrying widow
  • The point is that God is ever ready and willing to exact justice on our behalf, and further, we are not widows but the brides of Christ (members of Christ’s own body)

Three Keys from the above scripture

• The widow didn’t allow circumstances to define her vv. 3
  • Blind Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52)
  • Woman with the issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48)
• The widow didn’t go about complaining, she was determined
• The widow rested, abiding in the promises. John 15:7

Parallel scripture Luke 11:5-10

So why persistent prayer?

• It is a command
• World changers
  • Abraham prayed for Lot his nephew and interceded for Sodom
  • Ezekiel 22:30, the Lord is looking for a man who would make up a hedge and stand in the gap
  • Our persistent prayer is for the will of God to be done on the Earth
    • Will of God, for all men to be reconciled back to Him
  • “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours [with the same physical, mental, and spiritual limitations and shortcomings], and he prayed intensely for it not to rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months. [1 Kin 17:1] Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the land produced its crops [as usual]. [1 Kin 18:42-45]” James 5:17-18 AMP
• Increase our dependence vv. 1 (“… always ought to pray and not lose heart)
  • The dynamic is for us not to be weary in prayer, and this can only happen if we are dependent on God
  • Isaiah 40:31

How it plays a role in the Christian Life

• It differentiates us from the world
  • Moses (Exodus 33)
  • Paul (Philippians 3:12)
• We find security in God, Psalm 91:1-3
• It increases our faith vv. 8

In Conclusion

• Philippians 1:6
• Romans 12:12
• 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

We need to practice patient, persistent, persevering prayer.