A lifestyle of bold and persistent prayer (Luke 11:1–13)

Have you ever been in a situation where someone kept asking you for something and in the end you gave in to the request? Or have you ever had a parent, sibling, boss, or friend say no to some things you’ve asked for, but you’ve somehow mustered up courage to ask for other things later? In Luke 11:1–13 Jesus gives instructions on prayer and tells a parable of a friend who gives in to a request because of how bold and persistent his friend is in asking of him.

Our Skype conversation was based on this parable. We reflected on whether or not each of us is generally persistent and bold in our prayers and asked ourselves what might be causing us to hold back. Sometimes we think about something and even talk or complain about it with others, but we don’t pray about it, let alone persist. Other times, we ask God once and when we don’t get an answer, we stop asking. Perhaps there are times where we have been bold and persistent with our asking, but God said no or wait. Or the answer may have come in a way that we hadn’t expected and we’ve found ourselves no longer being persistent and bold in our prayers. Another reason could be that we are ‘saving up’ to ask for something really big and feel we are limited in the number of things we can ask God for.

In all of these scenarios, we came to a consensus that when we have held back, it’s not that we think God is unable to do as we ask, but instead we may feel the following:

1) We are unsure if God is willing to grant the ask especially if we don’t get an answerright after one prayer

2) We are uncertain if what we are praying for is actually what we want

3) We think it’s too big an ask

4) We think it’s too minor a matter to bring before God

5) We are simply not challenging ourselves (and each other) to be intentionally bold and persistent in our prayers.

This led to questions on our understanding of, and relationship with God, as well as our faith in Him. We discussed how these things affect our boldness and persistence in prayer.

Firstly, as highlighted in James 4:2c, the simplicity of daring to ask and checking the motives of our request show that God may be willing, but we are not asking or have the wrong motives.

Secondly, how bold and persistent would we be if we understood that our prayers can change God’s mind?

In an article “Does Prayer Change God’s Mind?”, Kim Carroll highlights that, “Scripture describes God’s character as unchanging (Mal 3:6), but it never teaches that God is unable to change in any respect (e.g., his intentions, experiences) … And it teaches that God sometimes chooses not to change his mind (Num 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Ezekiel 24:14; Zechariah 8:14) but never that he cannot change his mind.” One of the examples she highlights of an instance when a bold prayer changed God’s mind is in Exodus 32. Here, Moses intervened and prayed for God to change His mind about a disaster He had said He would bring on the Israelites. Psalms 106:23 says of this instance, ‘Therefore God said He would destroy the Israelites, [And He would have done so] had not Moses, His chosen one, stepped into the gap before Him, To turn away His wrath from destroying them.’

Thirdly, we need to consistently grasp the truth of Eph 3:20 that tells us that God can do beyond what we can ask or imagine. This will help grow our faith to the extent that we will dare to ask even when we are unsure if God is willing to grant “the ask”, or we think “the ask” is too big or too minor. Even when God does not give the answer in the exact form of our original ask, we will know that He hears us and is able to do what we didn’t even think possible. Ps 2:8. After all, what do we have to lose by asking?

Note however, these asks are not about fulfilling selfish ambitions or simply about material things as is sometimes championed in some churches. In fact, as he closes the parable, Jesus’ example of the ultimate good gift we can ask for, and receive from our heavenly father is the gift of the Holy Spirit. Imagine boldly and persistently asking God to enable you to constantly live, think, and operate in the power of the Holy Spirit. That is, life in the same Spirit that rested on Jesus Isaiah 11:2 and that Spirit that raised Him from the dead Rom 8:11. How much growth would you see in your understanding of God? Your relationship with Him? Your faith in Him? And your expectations of Him? Living in this power, what would you be bold and persistent in praying for in your life, your family, your work, community, church and/or country?

Additionally, this addresses a question that arose on whether or not prayers are more effective if they’re specific. The answer is that even when you can’t be specific in your other asks, you can rest assured knowing that ‘…the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot be expressed. Rom 8:26. Thus the Holy Spirit is not limited by the specificity or generality of a prayer.

As we choose to lean not on our own understandings but continue to bring every ask to God, we grow in our dependence on, and trust in Him Prov 3:5–6. Through the cumulative experience of persistent and bold prayers, we learn to yield to God’s sovereignty Isaiah 55:8–9. This lifestyle of boldness and persistence (if approached in faith), will help us grasp the truth that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to his purpose for them Rom 8:28. Consequently, we grow in our relationship with God beyond our asks. Perhaps, like Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, we can also approach life with the bold attitude that ‘my God will do this, but even if He doesn’t, I will still serve Him and only Him’Dan 3:16–20.

Thus it’s not just about the ask, but also the disciplines, lessons and relationship that arise from a lifestyle of bold and persistent prayer. While our discussion focused on these two aspects of prayer, there are other approaches too that are important. For example, prayer with thanksgiving Phil 4:6–7 and prayer with a humble and repentant heart 2 Chron 7:14. As we closed, we shared a ‘big ask’ and ‘big action item’ that each of us would take on in response to the conversation. We discussed the value of keeping a prayer diary and also having prayer partners or some form of support and accountability.

May God continue to help us grow in our understanding of, and relationship with Him as we keep encouraging each other to be bold and persistent in our prayers.