Persistence requires Faith

Have you been praying for something for a long time? Something specific? I have. For many years, in fact. Every morning I kneel before God and say "Lord here I am again. You know what I'm going to ask!" I picture Him gazing down at me smiling and nodding and motioning for me to continue. Though He's heard my request a million times, He still listens.

Jesus told a parable about a woman who continually went before a judge here on earth--a wicked judge who really didn't care about her or her problems. He ignored her over and over again but finally he decided to grant her justice just to get rid of her!
Then the Lord said, “Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?”  Luke 18:6-8 NLT

This passage brings me such hope! It says two things to me. God doesn't mind that I continually come before Him with the same request. He's just happy that I come before Him! And two, God will answer my request. Maybe it won't be exactly what I'm asking for. But it will be just. It will be for my good.

But another thing that really stood out to me was Jesus's last statement about faith. Where did that come from? He hadn't been talking about faith in the story. And then it dawned on me. Persistence = faith.  For if you didn't believe God was real and that He could answer your request, you wouldn't bother coming before Him day after day, right? But because you do believe, that faith empowers you to continue to ask. So, persistence = faith!

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him  Hebrews 11:6

So keep on knocking, keep on seeking, keep on asking. And believe!