Waiting on God – Persistence in Prayer
When faced with a decision, many people say they are waiting for God. But I understand, in most cases, God is waiting for me. Andy Andrews
Waiting ………... It would seem we are all in this perpetual state of waiting. We wait to be rescued from a dead-end job. We wait for God to bring the perfect spouse into our lives. We wait for our proverbial ship to come in. We wait for Him to bring restoration and breakthrough in different areas of our lives. We wait. But what do we do while we wait? Waiting on God should not be a call to passivity, but instead a call to action. A call to, firstly, pray because while we are waiting for God, He is waiting for us. He is waiting for us to come to His throne of grace so that we can find help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16).
Pray with Urgency and Intensity
I have found in my own life that when I’m facing a difficult situation that seems to overshadow everything else, I sense God urging me to be persistent in prayer. In fact, Jesus encourages us to do this in the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18. Verse 1 (NLT) says, “One day, Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.” He then tells the story of the widow who approached an apathetic judge to seek justice in a dispute with her enemy. Her persistence causes the judge to relent and grant her the justice she requested. Jesus then goes on to say that we ought to learn a lesson from this unjust judge. If this judge gave the defenceless widow what she needed, then surely God will answer our prayers when we cry out to Him day and night (Luke 18:1-8).
The parable of the widow teaches us not only to be persistent in prayer, but it also illustrates the urgency and intensity with which we need to approach God’s throne. This is what E.M. Bounds, in his book on prayer, calls “importune prayer.” This is what He says about importune prayer,
“We must not only pray, but we must also pray with great urgency, with intensity and with repetition. We must not get tired of praying. We must be thoroughly in earnest, deeply concerned about the things for which we ask, for Jesus made it very plain that the secret of prayer and its success lies in its urgency. We must press our prayer on God.”
Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 (ESV)
Reflection
Will you commit to taking time each day to cry out to God with urgency and intensity for the things that are weighing heavily on your heart?
Prayer
Thank You, Lord, that I can approach Your throne of grace with confidence. Thank you for hearing my cry for help. Help me to pray with urgency and intensity for the things that are weighing heavily on my heart. I surrender them to You. Help me to trust and believe that You are breaking through in my situation. I pray for your peace and patience as I wait upon You. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
