31 Days of Prayer: Persistence is key

"Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you."

 - Matthew 7:7 (Amplified Bible).

When you pray to God, persistence is key. Just take it from Matthew 7:7 in the Amplified version of the Bible (see quoted text above). The Bible has been translated into many languages and writing styles which is why you'll see certain texts attributed to different versions of the Bible, even when its written in the same language. For example, English language versions of the Bible include: The Amplified Bible, The English Standard Version, The Message Bible and The New International Version.

Let's talk about persistence and why it's key to your prayer life. Have you ever wanted something so bad that you asked for it every day, every hour or even every minute? When you truly want something whether its a dream job or a dream guy/girl or the best car or the most beautiful house or even a pay raise you have to go after it and you have to ask for it. You can't just dream about it and do nothing to achieve your dream. You have to work to make your dream a reality.

The Bible says, God wants to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11). But it also says that without faith it is impossible to please the Lord (Hebrews 11:6). So if you ask but do not believe, you will not receive. Here's where persistence comes in. The English Standard Version of the Bible passage Matthew 7:7-8 reads, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." Simply said, right? But if you really want what you're praying for, you need to keep asking God just like the Amplified Bible reads- ask and KEEP ON ASKING, seek and KEEP ON SEEKING, knock and KEEP ON KNOCKING and God will open doors to your desire according to His will. And I say "according to His will" because if you're praying to inflict harm on somebody that you're mad at, God is not your personal wish list so do not expect Him to grant that request. He is a God of love. God loves all of his creation, even the people you're mad at so don't expect Him to carry out your agenda of revenge. Remember, God tells us to love our enemies and bless those who curse us (Matthew 5:44). But be encouraged because God also says, "vengeance is mine" which means He will handle the situation but in his own time and in the best way.

But back to persistence. If you have not already, practice persistence in your prayers. They say positive results start with positive thoughts. So maybe if you've been experiencing a rough time in your life that makes you feel negative, you can apply persistence in your prayers by asking God every day to help you to think positive. Every day, pray to God for the strength to start each morning before you roll out of bed, with a positive thought. It could be, "Thank you God for waking me up this morning" or quote a Bible verse of affirmation such as Philippians 4:13 which says,"I can do all things through Christ" and then believe it! And if you immediately start having positive results because of your prayers, then great! But if not, well that's all the more reason to stay persistent! Ask and keep on asking, Seek and keep on seeking, Knock and keep on knocking and believe God will open doors for you!

And when God does open those doors for you, please share your experience in the comment section of this blog post so people may be encouraged by your testimony about what God has done in your life. Can't wait to hear it! :)