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Jesus taught His disciples to be determined like the persistent widow who nagged the judge until he delivered justice on her behalf (Luke 18). He displayed that being insistent would be rewarded when He interacted with a Greek woman from Tyre (Matthew 15). Also known by many as the Syrophoenician woman, she had pleaded with Him to heal her sick daughter. Although it seemed she'd been rejected at first, she persisted, and her daughter was instantly healed.
Jesus went further with this teaching about persistence in Luke 11. He shared a parable about a man who went to a friend's house, banged on the door at midnight and asked for three loaves of bread. No, he wasn't drunk. He'd asked because another friend had shown up unexpectedly. The late arrival may have been because, in those days, people traveled on rough terrain by foot or on the back of four-legged animals. Jesus said that the friend with the bread refused, saying he and his family were asleep. He clearly did not want to be disturbed.Â
However, Jesus ended the parable saying in Luke 11:8 - I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need (NIV). The moral of the story was not to give up but keep asking with shameless audacity because it would produce results.
This lesson is key for Christians, many of whom have given up hope that their prayers will be fulfilled. Be audacious and ask again. Hebrews 4:16 tells us to come boldly before God's throne of grace to receive help in the time of need. If you are anything like me, every moment is a time of need. There is no embarrassment in persisting in our petitions to the Lord. The only one who wins when we slack off is our enemy, satan.Â
That said, there is a caveat. Many may not like this but the reality is that God has and applies conditions that believers must observe. Persistence alone isn't the answer. Persistence combined with righteousness is key. James 5:16 - Therefore, confess your sins to one another [your false steps, your offenses], and pray for one another, that you may be healed and restored. The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) is able to accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power] (AMP).
Persistence requires our righteousness to have the effect we seek. On our own, it is almost impossible to live righteously. This is because our flesh loves sin. We need God's direct intervention to come close to genuine righteousness. Thankfully, He made accommodation for this via His Holy Spirit, and we only receive a deposit of the Spirit when we give our lives to Christ and commit to obey Him. In obeying Jesus, we also obey the Lord because everything Jesus taught was received directly from God (John 14:10).
So yes, be shamelessly audacious as a child of God. But don't forget that His children are those who are led by His Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14). That Spirit will always point you to Jesus, who will always point you to God so that you walk in righteousness and obedience. And then you will see that your prayers for others and yourself have more impact. This is because they are led by the Spirit of God, who teaches you to pray for what is of concern to God instead of what your flesh desires.
By the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, we shall become increasingly bold, persistent, and shamelessly audacious as we lay our prayers at God's feet. Unashamed and trusting that the Lord who filled our hearts and mouths with the petition will answer at His appointed time. IJMN, Amen.
As you wait for fellowship at 12 Noon EST, consider giving your life to Christ with the Altar Call video below and reading the following previous P&P messages:
