ByIn the Gospel of Luke, Jesus shared a powerful message about the significance of persistent prayers. Through a thought-provoking analogy, He conveyed the importance of perseverance and unwavering faith when seeking God, especially to sort out an issue in our lives.
Where is it? It’s in Luke 11:5-10, where Jesus ministered about a persistent friend who went to a neighbour at midnight to ask for bread for his visitor. This article examines that Bible text and delves into the deeper lessons we can learn from it on cultivating a consistent and resilient prayer life. Read along as you explore the three levels of persistent prayer and its profound impacts on your spiritual journey in Christ.
The violent takes it by force
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” – Matthew 11:12 KJV
The phrase “the violent take it by force” can be understood to mean that those who are fervent and persistent in their pursuit of packages in the gift of salvation in the kingdom of heaven are the ones who ultimately obtain it. This being said, please be intentional and persistent about your prayers. Let’s look at three levels of persistent prayers in Christ.
Level #1 – Ask, and it will be given to you
In Matthew 7:7 KJV, Jesus said, “Ask, and it shall be given you”. With this verse, Jesus encourages Christians to approach God with their needs and desires, trusting He will provide. So coming before God with a specific need, as well as the right motive will trigger an effect from God to give unto you. It is in asking God that your heart desires are poured out before Him. Do not grieve over that circumstance. Do not cry over that hopeless and helpless situation of yours. Carry it to God. Ask Him in prayer.
Level #2 – Seek, and you will find.
To seek something is to actively search, pursue, or strive to find or attain it. Seeking requires deeper work on searching. Seeking goes beyond searching or looking for. In searching, you try finding something (if only there is a probability of finding it). Seeking, on the other hand, entails trying and being determined to uncover and unearth whatever is hidden. In seeking, “no ” is not taken for an answer until there are results. Jesus affirms this when He added, “…and you will find”. You might be shown the way to carry about what you’ve asked God for at this level.
Imagine a person who is facing a challenging situation and is seeking guidance. Such a person might turn to the Bible for wisdom, diligently studying its teachings and wanting to apply them to his own life. Through this active seeking, he will discover insights and guidance that will help him navigate through this difficulty and find a sense of direction towards a solution. Indeed, in seeking, there is no giving up until something is found. Don’t give up yet, friend. Seek what you desire from the Lord, and you will find!
Level #3 – Knock, and it will be opened to you.
After seeking and finding, knock. Check the content of what you found, whether it contains the things you were looking for or not. The contents of an answered prayer can only be opened up for confirmation when it is unlocked. That you saw a job offer after praying for a breakthrough does not mean it is the actual answer to that prayer request you made before God. When it seems that all things are beginning to turn around, knock to see which door contains that which the Lord has prepared for you.
The three levels of persistent prayer are one of the illustrations of how Jesus expects us as believers to be relentless in prayer. First, we ask to make our requests known to God. We put our petitions before God in asking. We seek to know the mind of God on how He wants us to receive that which we asked for. Does it please the Lord? And finally, we knock to check on the content of our supposed answered prayer. Not all opened doors are blessings. Knock, and if it is of the Lord, it will be opened unto you. Do not relax in prayer until you see that door opening.
Shalom, Child of God!
