To Persist or To Quit: Prayer

I don’t write a lot about prayer; but tonight that needs to change. Prayer is one of our greatest privileges as God's children, and even if God doesn't seem to answer your prayers at first, don't stop praying. Prayer is one of the most selfless and amazing things you can do for a person, especially someone that you love dearly.

Over the past 3 years, since I left the local school district, I have been praying for a former friend, coworker and one that I believe(d) is a sister in Faith. My friends even tonight, told me, when Rachel prays, especially for someone that she loves, but severely dislikes her; she is praying for someone, she is performing a selfless act of hoping someone will be better, healthy, happy, and always be blessed. Not many people are willing to pray for other people. However, things can be a little different when it comes to people you love. We are willing to sacrifice and do something more for the ones that we love.

What a lot of people don’t understand, is that when pray for this person is that I am praying that the Lord will be with them. I pray that God is with this person and that he watches over them wherever they are. That God will guide them and show them direction and lead them to a healthy life. Second, I pray for the person to start working in their lives. I try to have the faith and prayer strength that God will start working on their lives. I may not see it immediately—I may never see it, but I have to believe that something deep within is slowly changing and that person will eventually change and lead a new and better life. Furthermore, I pray for God to open their heart, mind, and spirit to the love, grace, and healing that only He can bring. And third, I pray as if it has already come to pass. We must have the faith and believe that God is already working on that person and is guiding him or her to a brighter life. Give God the praise and the glory for the victory over the person’s life as if it has already happened. 

This week, I have felt like quitting praying for this person. So much to the point that it’s really bothered my spirit. Then as I read the Bible, I realized that I am not following the teaching of 2nd Corinthians 5:7, “For we walk by faith, not by sight.” If we pray and then quit because God didn't answer our prayer, or not soon enough to satisfy our apparent demands, then we are merely proving to our self that we are walking by sight instead of by faith. Proverbs 3:5-7, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.” You see at this point I am praying and leaning or depending on my own understanding and not waiting on the Lord. 

But at this point, since my prayer hasn’t been answered I wonder if God is even caring about what I am praying for. But Romans 8:28 says “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28 NIV

We can trust God is working on our behalf for our good even if it doesn't feel like it. The truth is if it's not good, then God's not done. And if God's not done then neither are we. So let's hold on to God's truth over our feelings and wait patiently on Him.

I have started to think that possibly God is absent, but then I began to think of the fact that just because God is silent, it doesn’t mean He is absent. I find that God works in the quiet ordinariness of our prayers. Think of Daniel from the Bible. For three weeks Daniel prayed and fasted for God to answer his prayer and he did not stop praying until he received an answer. In Daniel chapter 9 we read that God sent and angel to give Daniel understanding about his prayer the first time he prayed. 

Prayer goes beyond asking for something and waiting for results. Prayer changes lives. However, it does not always change our circumstance. Many times prayer changes our perspective and how we respond to our circumstance well before anything in our lives actually changes. Prayer goes far beyond making requests to God. It's about connecting with Him and aligning our will to His.

Prayer works! “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” – James 5:16 NIV and prayer helps us focus on God! 

And even if I feel like quitting doesn’t mean I have to quit. “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” – Galatians 6:9 NIV

John Piper, states Jesus said in Matthew 7:6, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” So there seems to be a kind of hardness, and resistance, and cynical attitude that you should not share the most precious truths with. People are so utterly hard and cynical that they will only trample your gospel words under their feet. How do we know when that is? I mean, Paul spoke to people who then threw him in prison and chanted songs for two hours to false gods (Acts 19:34). That is a lot of trampling going on in response to Paul’s preaching. And Jesus spoke, and people killed him. That is trampling the pearl of great price.

However there are three sure fire times that we can stop praying.

We should stop praying when God has clearly answered No. 

If you’ve been praying about a relationship with a guy, and he gets married, you can safely stop praying. God has closed that door. If you interviewed for a job, and they hired someone else, it’s time to redirect your petitions. Banging our heads against doors God has unequivocally closed is futile and foolish. It reveals a stubborn heart that thinks we know better than God what’s best for us. 

We should stop praying when God removes our desire for the object of our prayers. 

Many times I’ve begun praying for something, only to find that after a few days, weeks, or months, I don’t really want it any more. Maybe I discover more information about what I thought would make me happy and realize it’s not best after all. Other times my desire just wanes and fades. When this happens, I can confidently stop praying about it. 

Psalm 37:4 promises that when we delight ourselves in the Lord, he will give us the desires of my heart. While this sometimes means he will give us what our heart desires, it usually means that he will give our heart the desires he wants it to have.

We could stop praying when God shows us a greater purpose for our situation. 

While my list continues to get longer, I feel like John Piper said “I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t bring myself to stop praying for her conversion. So I have never come to a situation where I have said, That person is beyond my prayers.” Equally I am reminded of the prayers of George Mueller One day George Muller began praying for five of his friends. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Muller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Muller's funeral the fifth friend was saved. (Our Daily Bread)