Persistently Waiting

We live in time where we can get answers to our questions in just a few seconds. Recently driving through Wyoming my wife wanted to know how many people lived there. So she picked up her phone asked Siri and in five seconds or less she had the answer. We have grown accustomed in our technological world to the quick response. So often when it comes to our prayer life we want a quick answer from our Heavenly Father as well. So in frustration when no split second answer seems to surface we are tempted to give up on praying for it.

The question below was posed during research for Climbing Prayer Mountain; it is a question that I believe most of us have pondered in our prayer life:

How do you keep persistently praying when it feels like God isn’t answering?

I will touch on this in the devotional as well but since it is a reoccurring question I want to share a few more thoughts on this vital subject.

As you and I survey Scripture you will find that at the heart of a true follower of God is persistent waiting. In our Father God’s timing rarely do answers come quickly. Think about Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel, Elisabeth, Anna, Jesus, Paul, etc. All of them did their fair share of persistent waiting on the promises of God in prayer.

Jesus explains how this works in the Father’s economy in Luke 18:1-8 in the Parable of the Persistent Widow. He begins the teaching by saying to His disciples:

“They should always pray and not give up.”

Jesus then goes on to tell about a wicked judge who was daily harassed by a widow who sought justice. This woman was as desperate as a hungry dog in her daily plea before the judge who cared less about God and had no empathy for the widow. But over time she wore the judge out and he knew the woman would never stop nagging him so he gave in to her demands.

The epilogue to this parable by Jesus is key as declares how much more our loving Heavenly Father will “bring justice for His chosen ones, who cry out to Him day and night? Will He keep putting them off? I tell you He will see that they get justice, and quickly, (vs.7-8).

Our Good Father will reward persistent waiting in His perfect timing. My Grandma Spykstra was a persistent waiter in her prayer life. Her prayer journals testify that she never gave up on impossible issues that faced her and her family. Some of her prayers were answered after she went to be with Jesus and I’m sure together they celebrate His faithfulness and her persistent waiting that showed her faith in His promises.

So keep persistently waiting in prayer believing your Good Father is going to act in His perfect time!