Persistent Prayer
Bible Readings
Take a few minutes to read the Bible verses listed and ask the Holy Spirit to lead you in how this verse applies to you this week.
Luke 18:1-8, Matthew 26:39-44, Matthew 11:28
1 Jesus told his disciples a story about how they should keep on praying and never give up: 2 In a town there was once a judge who didn't fear God or care about people. 3 In that same town there was a widow who kept going to the judge and saying, “Make sure that I get fair treatment in court.” 4 For a while the judge refused to do anything. Finally, he said to himself, “Even though I don't fear God or care about people, 5 I will help this widow because she keeps on bothering me. If I don't help her, she will wear me out.” 6 The Lord said: Think about what that crooked judge said. 7 Won't God protect his chosen ones who pray to him day and night? Won't he be concerned for them? 8 He will surely hurry and help them. But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith?
Luke 18:1-8
39 Jesus walked on a little way. Then he knelt with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don't make me suffer by drinking from this cup. But do what you want, and not what I want.” 40 He came back and found his disciples sleeping. So he said to Peter, “Can't any of you stay awake with me for just one hour? 41 Stay awake and pray that you won't be tested. You want to do what is right, but you are weak.” 42 Again Jesus went to pray and said, “My Father, if there is no other way, and I must suffer, I will still do what you want.” 43 Jesus came back and found them sleeping again. They simply could not keep their eyes open. 44 He left them and prayed the same prayer once more.
Matthew 26:39-44
28 If you are tired from carrying heavy burdens, come to me and I will give you rest.
Matthew 11:28
Memory Verse
Matthew 7:7-8
7 Ask, and you will receive. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened for you. 8 Everyone who asks will receive. Everyone who searches will find. And the door will be opened for everyone who knocks.
What would you do if you fell off your bike and got hurt? You’d call someone like a parent, teacher, or friend, right? Would you call only once? No, you’d probably keep calling, trusting that someone would come. What about an inside hurt, like sadness, anger, or fear? Who would you talk to when those emotions show up? Of course, you can call on the same trusted people in your life for these kinds of pain, but could you also call on God for help?
Absolutely! God wants you to talk to him about your big feelings all the time. Just like the widow in Jesus’ story who kept asking the judge for fairness, Jesus wants you to pray without giving up, and unlike the judge who made the widow wait, Jesus said that God would “surely hurry and help” us (Luke 18:8). What’s more is that Jesus himself felt big feelings and cried out in the Garden of Gethsemane. He persistently prayed about the hardship ahead while trusting his Father’s will. The Bible tells us he prayed the same prayer three times. And his Heavenly Father answered by giving him the inner strength and peace to do God’s will here on earth, as it is in heaven.
Like Jesus, you can pray persistently about the big, scary things in the world and how they make you feel. Big feelings do not scare God. He welcomes you to talk to him about them and to keep talking about them. He wants you to trust him.
Prayer
Lord, I praise you because you are fair and just. Sometimes, I think I should carry all my heavy feelings alone rather than trust others and you. I am sorry about that. Thank you, Jesus, for understanding what human emotions feel like. Please help me to keep calling you and trusting that you will do your will here on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus’ name, Amen.Related Resources
Amanda Smith
Amanda Smith is a high school English teacher, writer, and poet. She lives in Massachusetts with her husband and two children. When she is not teaching or writing, she likes to do pottery, read loads of books, and bike the tree-lined roads of her town. You can find more of Amanda’s writing at https://www.amandasmithwrites.com and her blogs about the craft of writing for children at http://www.24carrotwriting.com.