Persist in Prayer
How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long shall I take counsel in my soul, having sorrow in my heart all the day? How long will my enemy be exalted over me?
Psalm 13: 1, 2 NASB
David laments his circumstances and cries out to God. His enemy rejoices over him in victory. Where is God? Fear and despair cripple him until he recalls God’s loving kindness. David remembers his salvation and trusts in God’s deliverance; and so, he breaks out in song.
When trials overcome us, it’s easy to focus on the problem and cycle with the debris and anticipated fallout. We often forget God’s promises. However, God is near; and He longs to help us. Like David, we must pray!
Jesus teaches us how to pray in Luke 11. For starters, we are to pray in His powerful name. He encourages us to ask for our daily bread, our physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. God created us with needs: love, intimacy, respect, rest, peace, physical well-being, acceptance, and security are just a few. He alone will meet our needs.
God also desires our humble confession and repentance from sin; and promises to forgive us; but we must forgive others as well. Then again, we are to pray that we not be led into temptation. Our sin originates in our thought life. We must stop the trash train before it leaves the station.
Jesus provides two parables about prayer in Luke 11, the Persistent Friend and Good Father. How long do we persist in prayer? We pray with urgency, like a famished beggar at nightfall. The friend finally opens the door and gives the caller what he wants, not because of their friendship, but because his friend is relentless.
Finally, the Good Father challenges us to ask, seek, and knock, and the door will be opened. Children of God can expect and trust in the help of the Holy Spirit. He is our Helper. Counselor. Guide. With prayer, we invite Him into our lives—our loss, hurts, heartache, physical pain, work, ministry, and home. Any kingdom divided against itself will fall, and any home wrought with strife, anger and bitterness, will come to ruin. Therefore, we must ask for the Holy Spirit’s help.
The Holy Spirit is a good gift from the Father!
David was weary and felt abandoned until He cried out for mercy and enlightenment. With fresh vision he remembered the Lord’s loving kindness and began to sing. Maybe you can relate; if so, persist in prayer. Tell the Lord what you need and pray in Jesus’ name. Welcome the Holy Spirit and sing praises to the Lord for His good gift.
Lord, we welcome your presence. We confess our doubt and tendency toward self-sufficiency. We wait on you and trust in your goodness until we see a breakthrough. In your precious, holy name, Jesus! Amen
Choosing to sing,
Lily Mae
My adversaries will rejoice when I am shaken. But I have trusted in Your loving kindness; my heart shall rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because He has dealt bountifully with me. Psalm 13: 4-6 NASB
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