The Power of Persistent Prayer Parables on prayer…What is prayer? • Prayer is communication with God- talking with Him- having a conversation. Psalm 91:15 (NKJV) 15He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him. Isaiah 65:24 (NKJV) 24“It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. Philippians 4:6–7 (NKJV) 6Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. John 10:27 (NKJV) 27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. • Prayer is not wishing, conjuring, or nagging to get something, but an intentional action of drawing close to God’s heart as you share your honest heart with Him. o Prayer is an act of aligning your heart with God’s heart, then praying in faith what God leads you to pray and speak. James 4:8 (NKJV) 8Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. • An active prayer life is essential to an abiding relationship with Christ. o The cornerstone of any relationship is communication! • Prayer is vital in sharing the Gospel, loving people how Jesus did, and staying anchored during the storms of life. o We need to be persistent in prayer and not give up too soon. • Persistent- “firm or obstinate continuance in a course of action in spite of difficulty or opposition.” o We all have things we are praying for God to do in our lives- salvation, healing, miracles, restoration, redemption, wisdom, and more. It will take persistent prayer to see these things come to pass. Five Key Elements of Persistent Prayer (Big Ideas) • Being Audacious • Being Assured • Being Attuned • Being Authentic • Being Assertive Being Audacious: Luke 11:5–8 (NKJV) 5And He said to them, “Which of you shall have a friend, and go to him at midnight and say to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves; 6for a friend of mine has come to me on his journey, and I have nothing to set before him’; 7and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? 8I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. • Audacious- “showing a willingness to take surprisingly bold risks.” o This man was audacious, and his persistence was rewarded—not because of the relationship, but because of his persistence. • We have not because we prequalify ourselves without asking God about it or we are going to use what we gain wrong. James 4:2–3 (NKJV) 2You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. • We find the guidelines for how to ask and what to ask in Scripture with the guidance of the Holy Spirit. John 15:7(NKJV) 7If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. Romans 8:26–27 (NKJV) 26Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. 27Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. Being Assured: Luke 18:1–8 (NKJV) 1Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, 2saying: “There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God nor regard man. 3Now there was a widow in that city; and she came to him, saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary.’ 4And he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, 5yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ ” 6Then the Lord said, “Hear what the unjust judge said. 7And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? 8I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” • Assured- “confident;characterized by certainty or security” o The ending of “will He really find faith on earth” lingers. • We gain assurance in our prayers through faith in Jesus. Hebrews 11:1 (NKJV) 1Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. 1 John 5:14–15 (NKJV) 14Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. 15And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him. Being Attuned: • The power of persistent prayer is to continue to pray and not give up— it’s in the waiting! o In both parables, there was a process of time, persistence, and waiting.  We wouldn’t need to be persistent if it was immediate once we prayed. • Waiting is a tool the Lord uses to disciple us and reveal our hearts. o Waiting Attunes our heart to God’s heart. • Attune- “make receptive or aware; make harmonious.” Romans 5:3–5 (NKJV) 3And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. James 1:2–4 (NKJV) 2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. • As we wait and are persistent in prayer, is greater faith or self-desire revealed? 2 Corinthians 5:7 (NKJV) 7For we walk by faith, not by sight. Isaiah 40:29–31 (NKJV) 29He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength. 30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, And the young men shall utterly fall, 31But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint. • What’s growing and developing in your life as you wait upon the Lord? o We grow and develop our faith as we abide in God’s Word, listen to the Spirit, and act on it. Romans 10:17 (NKJV) 17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. • Remember, prayer is processing with God through communication. o Waiting can build steadfastness in Christ or show the cracking foundation of self-reliance, self-will, and selfish desires. • We can become discouraged when our prayers don’t seem to be doing anything. That’s when we need to lean in and seek His face more than His hand. 1 Chronicles 16:11 (NKJV) 11Seek the Lord and His strength; Seek His face evermore! • This type of prayer isn’t bargaining or needless begging like you would with an idol of old, but an intentional pursuit of the Lord until you hear from Him. o God tends to answer in a few ways- these are broad- “Yes”, “No”, “Maybe”, “Not now”, or silence. "Don't mistake God's patience or silence for His absence. His timing is perfect and His presence is constant. He's always with you!" Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV) 6Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.” • When you wait well and trust the Lord, you will reap in due season. Galatians 6:9 (NKJV) 9And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. 2 John 8 (NKJV) 8Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward. Being Authentic: Luke 18:9–14 (NKJV) 9Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10“Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’ 14I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” • Authentic- “Real, true to one's own personality, spirit, or character; being honest about oneself.” • The arrogant and prideful will not receive from God but the humble will. o God desires us to have honest and open hearts • Sins cause us not to be open with God and to run and hide versus running to the arms of the Father. Psalm 139:23–24 (NKJV) 23Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; 24And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting. • God may want to answer your questions and prayers, but sin stands in the way. Psalm 66:18–20 (NKJV) 18If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear. 19But certainly God has heard me; He has attended to the voice of my prayer. 20Blessed be God, Who has not turned away my prayer, Nor His mercy from me! 1 Peter 3:12 (NKJV) 12For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.” • Repent and see what God will do. Acts 3:19 (NKJV) 19Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 1 John 1:9 (NKJV) 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. • All the persistence, self-sacrifice, and religious activity will never cover your sins- only the blood of Jesus will. Being Assertive: Luke 18:15–17 (NLT) 15One day some parents brought their little children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded the parents for bothering him. 16Then Jesus called for the children and said to the disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. 17I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” • Assertive-”having or showing a confident and forceful personality.” o Little kids have great faith and are assertive about what they desire.  Are we the same with the Lord? Luke 11:9–13 (NKJV) 9“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 10For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. 11If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? 12Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” • Did you notice that Ask, Seek, and Knock are all active words, not passive? o Persistent prayer will act on the belief that God will answer according to His Word, not our desires. • Have faith in God, not faith in your desired outcome. o Faith in Who and let Who do what only He can do. Take Away Questions: • How have I seen prayer as a duty instead of a two-way conversation with God? • Does my life echo persistence or immediate gratification when it comes to prayer? How does my mindset need to change? • Which areas do I need to grow in persistent prayer- Being Audacious, Being Assured, Being Attuned, Being Authentic, or Being Assertive? What are some practical steps I can take to develop in that area? 2 Chronicles 16:9a (NKJV) 9For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him. Jeremiah 33:3 (NKJV) 3‘Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.’ • Talk to God about things in your life, He is looking forward to the conversation. Psalm 27:13–14 (NKJV) 13I would have lost heart, unless I had believed That I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living. 14Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!