Pray continually.
Cameron and I have two nephews in India, and they both have different ways of getting what they want. The oldest one, when you tell him “no,” will pout, cross his arms in frustration and shout “but I want it!” 😤
Whereas the younger one takes a more emotional approach. He usually responds to a “no” with puppy eyes, a head tilt and the cutest “Pweeeeeeeaaaaassssseeeee???” 🥺
It always cracks me up how different they are, but the one thing they both have in common is persistence.
When it comes to our approach to God and asking Him for things in prayer, childlike persistence is sometimes exactly what we need.
It reminds me of the story of Bartimaeus in the Bible (Mark 10:46-52 NIV).
He was a blind man who, when he heard Jesus was passing by, began to shout repeatedly like an insistent little child, “Jesus, Son of David have mercy on me!”
Though people rebuked him and tried to silence him, he shouted all the more. He was so insistent that Jesus, almost like a badgered parent, could not help but stop and address his need. He said, “Go, your faith has healed you” (Mark 10:52 NIV).
Jesus shared a similar story to teach his disciples about persistent prayer, in Luke 18:1-8 NIV.
He ends by saying:
“Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?”
What do you need from God today? Bring it to Him in prayer. Not just today, but over and over again like a persistent child.
