PERSISTENT PRAYING

The Hebrew slaves “groaned because of their difficult labor, and they cried out, and their cry for help because of the difficult labor ascended to God” (Exodus 2:23). They “cried out!”

On the banks of the Red Sea, with the Egyptian army racing forward, “the Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help” (Exodus 14:10). Again, they “cried out.”

The Psalmist repeatedly “cried aloud to the Lord!”

A blind beggar in Jerricho did the same. “Bartimaeus (the son of Timaeus), a blind beggar, was sitting by the road. When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, ‘Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!’ Many warned him to keep quiet, but he was crying out all the more, ‘Have mercy on me, Son of David!’ ” (Mark 10:46-48).

Bartimaeus “began to cry out.” When the crowds told him to sit down and shut up, “he was crying out all the more, ‘Have mercy on me, Son of David!’ ” Bartimaeus knew that Jesus was his only hope. He wanted to see, so he prayed persistently! He refused to stop pleading his case! Jesus graciously and miraculously responded to the blind beggar’s perseverance in prayer.

Jesus told the Parable of the Persistent Widow, “a parable on the need for them to pray always and not give up” (Luke 18:1). In the story, a widow pestered a local judge until she finally received justice. Like the persistent widow, Jesus encourages us to pray persistently.

Jesus also demonstrated persistent praying. In the Garden of Gethsemane, three times, Jesus pleaded with His Father (Mark 14:32-42). Jesus prayed persistently!

How about you? Is your motto “one-and-done”, or, like Bartimaeus, do you “cry out all the more”?

“… think on these things” (Philippians 4:8, KJV).