DAILY DEVOTION: "Persistence and Patience in Prayer"

Day 31: Persistence and Patience in Prayer

Scripture: (Romans 12:12) Rejoice in hope; be patient in affliction; be persistent in prayer.

Author: Kevin White

As a parent, we have tried to instill in our children the fruits of the spirit. (Galatians 5:22-23) One of those that we seem like we are constantly reminding our children about is patience. My daughter reminds me to this day, that apparently one of those phrases I said an exhaustive amount of times when she was growing up was “patience is a virtue”. She will kindly remind me of this phrase when she sees I am running out of patience. Patience is one of those characteristics that we want other people to give us, but it is often hard to observe ourselves. Especially, in this day and time when we have instant access to so many things.

Looking at Romans 12:12, we are given three action commands. The definitions of the last two of those actions, patient and persistent, seem counterintuitive to each other. 

Persistent: continuing firmly or obstinately in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.

Patient: able to accept or tolerate delays, problems, or suffering without becoming annoyed or anxious.

God is commanding us to constantly seek Him with persistence, but at the same time be patient for Him to answer, no matter how tough our situation. I know I struggle with praying with persistence. I may pray for something once and then leave it and do not continue firmly in my prayers. However, God is telling me to constantly come to Him with prayer requests repeatedly. Then, through our affliction, we are supposed to be patient. So often, my prayers had been answered in a way I never imagined and could not see until many years separated from the event.  God is always working in the background working things together for His will. It may be years until we see how He has knit everything together with an answered prayer and we must be patient for His response because it will be perfect in timing and results. Be persistent in the actions we can control; praying and be patient in the things we cannot control; His response.

Finally, rejoice in the hope that we know God listens to us and answers prayers. He is our Lord and Savior!

I pray that we as a church are able to be persistent in prayer this year and patient for God’s glory and His will to be made known to us.