Pray and Have Faith
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by: BabesTan-Magkalas
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Word Count: 732
You may think you should do nothing because if you continue praying, God may think you lack faith. Or you may think that God is teaching you the virtue of patience so you should just accept His silence with stoic resignation.
You continue to pray longer and harder hoping that God will eventually answer your prayers. Jesus implied persistence in the parable of the man who kept knocking on his neighbor's door in the middle of the night asking for bread, until the neighbor got up and gave him the bread to make him go away (Luke 11: 5-8). His persistent action produced the desired response. In the parable about the widow, she kept returning to an unjust judge begging for justice. She wore away at him until he relented and granted justice (Luke 18: 2-5).
Sometimes praying seems to leave you feeling like the nagging wife. You hope for an answer to your heart's desires. Pray persistently and you will get what you want. But is that really what Jesus was saying? Will God grant your request just to get rid of you therefore allowing him to attend to countless others so demanding of His attention?
Surely, you know God is not like that. Jesus personifies the character of God in the flesh. The Bible shows various accounts of Him being prepared to help the needy and showing compassion towards them. God always hears and answers prayers. Sometimes, the immediate response to a prayer is a resounding 'Yes.' At other times He responds negatively despite persistent praying and patience you exhibit as the wait continues.
Have no doubt. God wants you to pray continually with faith. Why? The life of the apostle Paul is an example of faith. Paul was believed to have "a thorn in the flesh" (2 Corinthians 12:7). There is no description but readers believe the "thorn" was a chronic and debilitating health issue that kept him from doing his work. He prayed many times asking for God to take the 'thorn' away and waited in patience and faith for an answer. Yet, his prayer was not granted.
Yet, Paul got something better. Because he persistently prayed, he heard God's voice and found out God's will. He heard God say to him, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness."(2 Corinthians: 9) Further, Paul realized that his 'thorn in the flesh' kept him from being conceited. He had such wonderful spiritual experiences and preaching prowess that it would have been hard not to brag about them. His 'thorn' kept him humble, however. He was always aware of his weakness and knew that whatever he achieved was God's doing, not his.
Returning to God in prayer keeps the lines of communication open. It allows God the opportunity to communicate with you. The silence of prayer provides the opportunity for you to hear God speak. Many times it is after praying that the words no longer come. This is the time, when you stop talking, that you will hear God in the silence.
Praying persistently is a way to rely on God for His solution to a problem. You may think that you know the solution so you pray and pray for it, but your solution may not be God's. There are times when God has to bend your will to match His and it is only when you pray persistently that you begin to realize that you have to let go of your own solutions and let God work in your life. Oftentimes, our first prayers are not the best ones and so sometimes, God makes us wait. If we keep on praying, God will reshape our desires until they match His desires.
Pray persistently because you know the communications lines are open and God is listening. Actively speak with God to open the way for resolutions to come back to you. Do not lose heart. Keep praying and hold onto your faith. Hold on to the greatest opportunity by allowing God to work through you, in you and with you.
Pray with persistence for the right reasons. Experience God's presence, goodness, mercy and power as He takes charge of your life!
About the Author
Wondering why your prayers are not granted? Do you want to know how to pray so that your prayers will be granted? Visit www.how-to-pray-effectively.com and find out how to make your prayers more powerful and effective.
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