by IHOPKC Staff Writer
4/2/15
Prayer
Abraham and Sarah went through it. Joseph endured it. Elijah? Well, he was all too familiar with the topic. Even the Son of God has experienced the process of praying and waiting to receive an answer.
The entire Bible is filled with examples of God’s people waiting expectantly for answers to their prayers. The people named in the book of Hebrews prayed and waited in faith, much like many believers around the world today.
The married couple praying to have a baby, a widow praying for food for her children in the midst of social unrest, oppressed believers asking the Lord for their persecutors’ salvation, and yet, in the natural, requests seem to go unanswered.
Jesus taught on the importance of faith as a foundational principle in the kingdom of God. We will experience more of His kingdom activity and Jesus’ provision for us, as well as enjoy our relationship with Him more, as we believe for more.
We must intentionally cultivate growing in faith by hearing and speaking God’s Word over our heart and circumstances and against the works of the enemy—”So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Rom. 10:17). We must learn who we are in Christ and what is available to us in Christ.
Jesus described how faith operates. He indicated that we first “receive” our prayers in the spirit realm, and then we “have” them in the natural when we see them with our eyes. We need to be aware of the distinction between the spiritual and the natural realms to understand how prayer works.
“Whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore, I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them , and you will have them .” (Mk. 11:23–24)
Prayer is not about informing or persuading God, but about conversing and connecting with Him relationally. We believe God has approved of our prayer and released it to us in the spirit realm; therefore, we never stop reminding Him of it and thanking Him for it. As we remind God of His promises with thanksgiving, we position ourselves to receive them in the natural.
Faith is the substance and evidence that goes beyond what we see or feel with our natural senses (Heb. 11:1–3). Faith is the title deed of what we already possess in the spirit; it is not physical evidence, but it is evidence given by the Spirit.
In a message from August 2014, Mike Bickle gave five principles for having a biblical perspective on praying with faith, in order to help us understand how faith and perseverance relate to prayer.
Although we do not earn answers to prayers by our persistence or obedience, as we persevere in prayer, our requests move from the spiritual realm to the natural realm.
We often pray for things that are not specifically promised in the Scripture, but that are not in opposition to the Word of God. The Spirit may indicate or confirm that He will grant a request. Some circumstantial blessings are subjective rather than directly promised in the Word, so we must be careful not to be presumptuous and then become angry if the answer does not come.
Prayers that are in God’s will are always answered in God’s timing and in God’s way, so do not give up too quickly or become discouraged if the answer to your prayer is delayed.
We can trust His leadership in the timing and method in which He answers our prayers.
Read more about persevering prayer and other aspects of developing a fervent and fruitful prayer life in Mike’s latest book, Growing in Prayer: A Real-Life Guide to Talking with God.
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Enjoy reading and share 13 famous quotes about Perseverance In Prayer with everyone.
“Prayer unaccompanied by perseverance leads to no result.”
— John Calvin
“Ephesians 6:16-18
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: 18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.”
— LaNina King
“We must unceasingly ask for by making use of the means which God has taught us for obtaining it: prayer, fasting, almsgiving, frequenting the sacraments, association with good companions, and hearing and reading Holy Scripture.”
— Francis De Sales
“Patience and perseverance are never more thoroughly Christian graces than when features of prayer.”
— Samuel I. Prime
“The surest method against scandal is to live it down by perseverance in well-doing, and by prayer to God that He would cure the distempered mind of those who traduce and injure us.”
— Herman Boerhaave
“Being a godly father requires much perseverance and prayer as we seek God’s guidance in being the types of fathers He wants us to be.”
— Jonathan Falwell
“Importunity is a condition of prayer. We are to press the matter, not with vain repetitions, but with urgent repetitions. We repeat, not to count the times, but to gain the prayer. We cannot quit praying because heart and soul are in it. We pray “with all perseverance.” We hang to our prayers because by them we live. We press our pleas because we must have them, or die.”
— Edward McKendree Bounds
“Prayer is the acid test of the inner man’s strength. A strong spirit is capable of praying much and praying with all perseverance until the answer comes. A weak one grows weary and fainthearted in the maintenance of praying.”
— Watchman Nee
Perseverance In Prayer Quotes Pictures
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QUESTION: Persistent Prayer: How long should we pray for something?
ANSWER:
Several Bible verses talk about persistent prayer.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us, “Keep on praying.”
- “The Lord’s Prayer” (Matthew 6:9-13) teaches us to pray for our daily needs.
- “One day Jesus told his disciples a story to illustrate their need for constant prayer and to show them that they must never give up” (Luke 18:1). The next verses tell of a widow who pleaded with an unjust judge. He finally gave in to her request, worn down by her determination. How much more will God, the righteous Judge, listen to the persistent prayers of His loved ones?
- “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God’s peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
- “O LORD, I cry out to you. I will keep on pleading day by day” (Psalm 88:13). “Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:5-6).
Our joy, prayers, and thankfulness to God should not fluctuate with our circumstances, needs, or feelings. Obeying these three commands — rejoice, persevere, give thanks — often goes against our nature. But if we make a practiced, conscious decision to be obedient, we will gain a new perspective.
Impatience is short-sighted. God answers prayer in His timing, in His way, for His purpose. Although we may not understand, perseverance may bring unexpected blessings.
1 John 5:14-15 reminds us that God does indeed hear each prayer: “And we can be confident that He will listen to us whenever we ask Him for anything in line with His will. And if we know He is listening when we make our requests, we can be sure that He will give us what we ask for.” Note that asking “in line with His will” is required. People often pray for things that they want instead of what God desires for us. Our all-knowing, loving God wants the best for us.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?
– We have all
sinned
and deserve God’s judgment.
God
, the Father, sent His only Son to satisfy that judgment for those who believe in Him.
Jesus
, the creator and eternal Son of God, who lived a sinless life, loves us so much that He
died
for our sins, taking the punishment that we deserve, was
buried
, and
rose from the dead
according to the
Bible
. If you truly believe and trust this in your heart, receiving Jesus alone as your
Savior
, declaring, “
Jesus is Lord
,” you will be saved from
judgment
and spend eternity with God in heaven.
What is your response?
Yes, today I am deciding to follow JesusYes, I am already a follower of JesusI still have questions
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Bible verses about perseverance
One word in Christianity that is not emphasized enough is perseverance. It is not those who at one time in their life prayed a prayer to accept Christ and later fall away who will enter God’s Kingdom. A true child of God will persevere in faith in Christ and it is these people who will enter Heaven.
Scripture makes it clear that God lives inside of believers and He will work in your life until the end.
God will use trials that happen in your life for good. While doing God’s will He will hold you up. Fix your eyes on Christ, not the world nor your problems.
You will not get through your walk of faith without prayer. Jesus gave us parables to teach us that we should not stop knocking on God’s door.
We should not lose hope. We’ve all been there praying for weeks, months, and even years for something.
Perseverance in prayer shows seriousness. I’ve seen God answer prayers in a matter of days and for some He answered a couple of years down the road. God is doing a good work in us that we don’t see. Are you willing to wrestle with God?
God answers at the best time and in the best way. We should not only persist in prayers during trials, but also when everything is going good. We should be prayer warriors praying for our families, ways to advance God’s kingdom, guidance, daily strength, help, giving thanks, etc. Remain steadfast! Perseverance builds character and a closer relationship with the Lord.
Things we need to persevere in.
- Faith in Christ
- Witnessing to others
- Prayer
- The Christian lifestyle
- Suffering
Quotes
- “Prayer is the acid test of the inner man’s strength. A strong spirit is capable of praying much and praying with all perseverance until the answer comes. A weak one grows weary and fainthearted in the maintenance of praying.” Watchman Nee
- “Our motto must continue to be perseverance. And ultimately I trust the Almighty will crown our efforts with success.” William Wilberforce
- “By perseverance the snail reached the ark.” Charles Spurgeon
What does the Bible say?
1. 2 Peter 1:5-7 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.
2. 1 Timothy 6:12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.
3. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, and I have remained faithful. And now the prize awaits me—the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give me on the day of his return. And the prize is not just for me but for all who eagerly look forward to his appearing.
Focus on Christ and the eternal prize.
4. Hebrews 12:1-3 Since we are surrounded by so many examples of faith, we must get rid of everything that slows us down, especially sin that distracts us. We must run the race that lies ahead of us and never give up. We must focus on Jesus, the source and goal of our faith. He saw the joy ahead of him, so he endured death on the cross and ignored the disgrace it brought him. Now he holds the honored position—the one next to God the Father on the heavenly throne. Think about Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners, so that you don’t become tired and give up.
5. Philippians 3:14 I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.
Driving through the storm!
6. James 1:2-5 My brothers and sisters, when you have many kinds of troubles, you should be full of joy, because you know that these troubles test your faith, and this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need. But if any of you needs wisdom, you should ask God for it. He is generous to everyone and will give you wisdom without criticizing you.
7. Romans 5:2-4 Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. And endurance develops strength of character, and character strengthens our confident hope of salvation.
8. 1 Peter 5:10-11 In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation. All power to him forever! Amen.
9. James 1:12 God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.
We must continue in prayer.
10. Luke 11:5-9 Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat. And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
11. Romans 12:12 Be happy in your confidence, be patient in trouble, and pray continually.
12. Acts 1:14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.
Do not grow weary!
13. Galatians 6:9-10 So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone–especially to those in the family of faith.
14. Thessalonians 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.
Be strong in the Lord.
15. 2 Chronicles 15:7 Be ye strong, therefore, and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.
16. Joshua 1:9 9 See that I command thee to be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for I, the LORD thy God, am with thee wherever thou goest.
17. 1 Corinthians 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
18. Psalm 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
19. Job 17:9 The righteous keep moving forward, and those with clean hands become stronger and stronger.
Reminders
20. 1 Corinthians 13:7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
21. Lamentations 3:25-26 The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.
22. James 4:10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Examples
23. 2 Thessalonians 1:2-4 Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters, and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing. Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions and trials you are enduring.
24. Revelation 2:2-3 I know your deeds, your hard work and your perseverance. I know that you cannot tolerate wicked people, that you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them false. You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary.
25. James 5:11 As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job’s perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.
Bonus
2 Corinthians 4:17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.
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