Question 1

How is persistence an important character quality?

Accepted Answer

Genesis 18:32Finally, Abraham said, “Lord, please don’t be angry with me if I speak one more time. Suppose only ten are found there?” And the Lord replied, “Then I will not destroy it for the sake of the ten.”Luke 18:1-5One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”Persistence in prayer is vital for effective intercession. The more persistent your prayers, the more hope you have that God will answer. We never have to be ashamed of being tenacious in asking God to do what is right because he is just.Genesis 32:26-29Then the man said, “Let me go, for the dawn is breaking!” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” “What is your name?” the man asked. He replied, “Jacob.” “Your name will no longer be Jacob,” the man told him. “From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won.” . . . Then he blessed Jacob there.Luke 11:8“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.”Persistence is often the key to getting what you want. Just make sure that what you want is in line with God’s will for you. Trust in God is refined when we are persistent in prayer about certain key desires that we know only he can supply.Luke 9:62Jesus told him, “Anyone who puts a hand to the plow and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God.”Acts 14:22They [Paul and Barnabas] encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.Revelation 3:14-16“Write this letter to the angel of the church in Laodicea. This is the message from the one who is the Amen—the faithful and true witness, the beginning of God’s new creation: I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water, neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”Persistence in following, learning, and growing is necessary in your walk with Christ. It is the key to consistent growth of character. Those who drift and are apathetic in following Jesus actually are not following Jesus and are, as was the church of Laodicea, a disappointment to him.

Question 2

How do I develop greater persistence?

Accepted Answer

1 Chronicles 16:11Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him.Proverbs 3:5-6Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.Continue steadfastly in prayer and seek the Lord’s desire for your life. Establish a regular habit of attention to what God is doing around you as well as in you. Acknowledging God should be a daily, continual practice. The best way to develop persistence is to persist at it.Proverbs 4:27Don’t get sidetracked; keep your feet from following evil.Galatians 6:9So 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.Philippians 3:13No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead,1 Peter 1:13So prepare your minds for action and exercise self-control. Put all your hope in the gracious salvation that will come to you when Jesus Christ is revealed to the world.Focus on the task at hand and we can trust God to fulfill his promised future blessings. Apply Paul’s “this one thing” approach to living to help you set your priorities. This is the way to reach your goals, and more importantly, the goals God has for you.Ephesians 6:18Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.Rely on the power of the Holy Spirit to guide your thoughts, actions, and prayers. Persistence in prayer brings power in prayer.Hebrews 12:1-2Since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith.Keep your eyes on Jesus and take courage from the examples of those who have gone before. When you take your eyes off Jesus, you will wander down side roads that take you away from him. The question isn’t how fast you are running but are you still on the track following in Jesus’ steps?

Question 3

What happens when I pray persistently?

Accepted Answer

Luke 18:1-5One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. “There was a judge in a certain city,” he said, “who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, ‘Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.’ The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, ‘I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!’”Jesus did not tell this parable to indicate that we can wear God out with our persistent prayers. He wanted to make the point that if evil people will eventually answer a repeated request, how much more will our loving God answer us. When it doesn’t seem that God is answering you, don’t give up! Keep on praying! God has reasons for making you wait, but the Bible is also clear that persistence in prayer is important and gets results. God may give you a no rather than a yes, but an answer will come as you persist. But persistent prayer is about more than just getting an answer. Praying persistently shows your faith in God by continually bringing your needs before him each day. Sometimes it is through expressing your concerns over and over to God that your true motives and desires are revealed. Through persistent prayer we are not only demonstrating our trust in God; we are also learning to wait for his answers.