Bible Discussion Thread

Good day, Richard,

I agree that God knows all that we need and desire. He will act according to His character and will with or without our prayers. But we are to obey Him in developing a prayerful heart. Doing so changes us bit by bit into the person God wills us to become. I am glad you mentioned the widow who continued to ask the king for help. She was persistent in her request, which means that she asked many, many times over many, many days or perhaps years. I think that we are to follow this illustration in situations that God places before us. For example, I continue to persist in praying for my sons. They need deliverance from mental illness, unbelief, and restoration to their way their minds work and to be made joyful people once again. I have been praying almost daily for them for 22 years when the mental illness first appeared after 9/11 (which I think was a factor in their depression as teens). I trust that God always hears my prayers for them and by faith I believe that my prayers will be answered in the best way. So, instead of being steeped in worry or becoming weary of asking God for the same things again and again for years, I am more and more positive that He will do all of these things in my sons' lives. When I do not know, but as I come to know Him more and His will I find Him trustworthy.

Being persistent in prayers faithfully asking for the same things again and again is not "repetitive prayer" as the pagans do by using chants, ritualistic prayers, incantations, etc. to entreat their idols. We know that God heard us the first time we petitioned Him and had already begun to answer before we even asked. But obeying His command to be persistent in what He calls us to pray for again and again, sometimes or years is beneficial to us, since He can save, heal, deliver, and provide for those we pray for with or without our prayers. But by persisting in faithfully praying with confidence to God brings to us good and growth.

cont.