JesusWalk Bible Study Forum: Q4. Persistence and Praying Through - JesusWalk Bible Study Forum

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence? Why is persistence necessary in prayer? Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like?

Pastor Ralph, on Sep 14 2005, 07:57 PM, said:

As the people of God we must be persistence in our prayer life.

Jesus has taught us in his word to pray with out ceasing.

Prayer is the engine to get us through all the adveristies we face in life.

I have been in many situations that I needed to have my prayer life elevated. I could not make it without prayer

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence? Why is persistence necessary in prayer? Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like?

Abraham intercedes for the righteous by:

1) Appealing to the promises the Lord as has made to those who remain righteous and steadfast.

2) Perserverance in righteousness during intercession reflects the true desire and intent of the heart.

3) The Lord delivers and protects those who are righteous and obedient. The two angels were as watchmen, sent to warn Lot of the coming judgement and to deliver him and his family.

4) It is by grace that we are delivered and protected. He portects those who are obedient.

In praying through, we pray in confidence - we believe that we have received that which we pray for and if we are truly praying within the will of God - it will be so. It is done.

[QUOTE]In what why does Abraham show persistence? Why is presistence necessary in prayer? Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like?

Abraham was presistence in that he went from asking that 50 be saved to 10 be saved.

Presistence is necessary because it shows that you believe in what you are praying about and that you have "Faith" in Yahweh who is righteous and just.

YES!!!! It was awesome.

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence? Why is persistence necessary in prayer? Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like?

Abraham keeps coming back to God with a smaller number. God want to know we are serious about what we ask for. I am in the middle of some prayers now I ask God to give me the faith enough to pray them through.

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence? Why is persistence necessary in prayer? Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like?

He kept coming back to God with a lessor number of righteous. So God can show us our hearts - He knows our hearts - but prayer is so we can know our sincerity sometimes.

Yes - i am currently unemployed only able to secure temporary jobs and i am being persistent in prayer before God - on my face - for His will in my life.

After asking the Lord to spare the city of Sodom for the sake of 50 righteous people, Abraham realized how difficult it would be to find that many in such a wicked place. Five more times he asked God to reduce that number, until it was down to ten. Five times! To keep asking like that really was bold and very persistent!

If Jesus taught us to stay with it and be persistent, then it surely must be important. Sometimes the delay in seeing an answer is a test of my faith. Sometimes it may be interference from the Enemy. Sometimes it may be a matter of timing. Sometimes the Spirit has to change my heart and fine-tune the prayer I am making. Only the Lord knows, but my part is to continually cast everything on Him. Human nature tends to forget after a while and get complacent. In our day, we are used to “instant” everything and we don’t know how to wait. But the Word says to ask, seek, knock, cry out to the Lord day and night, and be bold - without ceasing. He invites us to "keep bothering" Him!

I have experienced “praying through”. There have been prayer requests that were answered relatively quickly and some that took years. It grew my faith and taught me to trust the Lord on a deeper level. And it was glorious when the answer came through!!

1. By continually questioning
2. For if you keep asking and you know it is within Gods will you show that you have faith and you are not giving up

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence? Why is persistence necessary in prayer? Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like?


Abraham shows persistence through the bargaining that he does with the Lord God. From 50 souls down to 10 he goes on bargaining with the Lord. And the best part is, the Lord goes along with him. That shows that our Lord God loves to have two way communication with His children, and that He loves to engage Himself with His children in more ways. Its not a cat and mouse game that the Lord God is playing with Abraham, but He is interested in saving souls as much as Abraham. Though Abraham's main concern was for his relative Lot and his family, the Lord God wants us to intercede for many non Christians who are His creation, thereby giving them a chance to escape the great judgment day.


I am learning to 'pray through'. Its a difficult proposition for we 21st century Christians who want everything in a 'fast food' kind of atmosphere. We want everything in a jiffy, but the Lord says it will be answered in MY TIME. Praying through teaches us (me) patience as well as persevering in prayer through intercession. What a great lesson on perseverance.!!

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence? Why is persistence necessary in prayer? Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like?

He continued to call on God's help, noting that God's reputation would be faulted if He destroyed the good with the bad, etc. God wants us to know Him well enough to be persistent in praying according to His will. Just willfully demanding that God be a santa and give us what we desire, even though it is not according to His nature, is not being persistent. It is being a willful child, untrained in the knowledge of the Lord!
I'm still praying for my 56 year old daughter who turned her back on the Lord in college. I'll keep praying until she finally returns to Him. "Train up a child in the way he/she should go and when he/she is old, he will not depart from it." I know it is His will that all be saved, so He will bring her back to Him eventually. (It doesn't specify how 'old' the person has to be to return to Him!)

In what way does Abraham show persistence? Why is persistence necessary in prayer? Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like?

Abraham is persistent by coming back to ask God again and again. I think persistence in prayer (if we are praying for the right reasons) shows God we are truely seeking his will. It shows our commitment to whatever we are dealing with. I have experienced "praying through" when we were in the process of making a big land purchase and somethings were not coming together quite right. I remember praying continually tha† everything would work out - and it finally did. I remember one night inparticular when I felt a comforting peace sent by God.

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence?
Abraham asked of God until he felt at peace with his request. He started asking about fifty people, and then, evidently he didn’t feel comfortable with that, and he kept asking until he was at peace with his intercession. He felt confident that he could rely on God to take care of the situation. He prayed it through.

Why is persistence necessary in prayer?
I do rejoice in the fact that God is not like the sleeping, grouchy neighbor (Matthew 11:5-13). God invites us to come anytime before His throne of grace. Could it be that God wants us to be persistent so that the really important things in our life become apparent? Persistence reveals our sincerity. If we care about something we will see it through in prayer.


Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like?
Yes. The words that come to my mind are peace, rejoicing, elation, and, or, praise. In some instances “praying through” is like finishing a very tough job. You sigh, you’re exhausted, but you know that it’s finished. Then sometimes it’s a time of Godly grief, because God didn’t handle things the way you thought He would. Praying though reveals that our perspective when we pray is extremely limited.

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence?

He continues to ask God to be forgiving for the sake of less and less Godly people but in my own mind his prayer is really for his brother Lot and for his own love of Lot. It surprises me that he is not praying for those who might turn to God by some cause or does he not dare to assume that God already has decided all is beyond salvation for these people.

Why is persistence necessary in prayer?

We come to God first in our own mindset, praying amiss and if our hearts are open God will answer us with what we should have been praying for. In this case the actual prayer of Abraham's heart is answered in God allowing him to get Lot out of Sodom.


Have you ever experienced "praying through"? What was it like?

Emotionally debilitating

Abraham asked God to save Sodom if only 50 righteous people can be found. He continues asking until he gets down to 10. Obviously there were not 10 righteous to be found as Sodom was destroyed. But Lot, his wife and two daughters were saved, although Lot’s wife looked back at Sodom and she became a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:26).

God is moved to see our faith worked out by our persistent asking and our diligence in seeking from God until we know we have the answer.

A few years ago we were trying to buy some cottage land. I knew it was for us even when all things seems against us having it. I kept praying until all things came together and we could buy it. It was an awesome experience.

He shows that he is persistent by continually asking God to spare the rightous ( if there is any ) in Sodom.

Being persistent in prayer is extremely important. If you want something that bad, you are determined to get it, it means that you are serious about what you want! God sees this as something that is very important to you.

In my view Abraham's wish to retain the city of Sodom without destruction by God, is understood by his appeal to God for 5 times. Am in a position to think, do I stand before God and appeal for my kith n kin not to be destroyed in the judgement? I dont do so. I learn to do it now.

Moreover God's wish is done though we interfere several times not according to his wish. But He is a loving God who reads our desire and tries to make it accomplished. As per the desire of Abraham God escaped Lot and his family, but Lot's wife overrides that and fell a prey in the destruction.

I keep on praying for my friend to be blessed by a baby for years. I dont know when God will answer my prayer. By Abraham's prayer I've learnt that I should continue to pray for others and also need to try to understand God's wish by persistent prayers.

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence?
Abraham had ask God not just once to save Sodom for the sake of the righteous but he went from 50 righteous men to the number of 10. He had already took an army and went and saved Lot from destruction and now he did not desire to see God wipe out the place where he lived. He loved Lot as a nephew more than most love even their children today. People just do not spend time in prayer talking and listening to God they way we should and the way Abraham did.


Why is persistence necessary in prayer?
God does not forget what we pray the first time. But there are times when we take a prayer half hearted before God. Maybe a church member is sick and we would like to see God heal them. How many times a day, a week or even a month do we bring their name before the throne of God. He knows our hearts better than we do. If we persist then he knows we truly are doing intercessory prayer for that person.

Have you ever experienced "praying through"?
Yes

What was it like?
Awesome feeling when you have ask God for a soul to be saved and in your mind you think they are so evil what if even God can't reach them. Then to see them in an alter praying. WOW God can do all things even the ones we think might be the hardest. That is the ones that he will show us by doing for us. We need to stay in prayer for our families, friend and those that we are around daily. For all the ones we go to church with that need healing. That is another sorry that would take way to long for me to go into on here. But I will say this God still heals opens blind eyes and makes the lame to walk again still today. Thank you Jesus.

Abraham found that he had favour with God to make a request for his nephew Lot. This gave him courage to keep on until he was sure that enough righteous people could be found to save Sodom, and his own family. He did not perceive that God was seeing something else. God saw Abraham's heart to save his nephew from the fire of Sodom. He answered Abraham's heart, not his stated prayer to save the city for the few righteous. He didn't actually answer Abraham's prayer in the form that he prayed it, yet he fully answered that prayer and saved the righteous from death.

But Abraham persisted in prayer until he felt that his nephew was safe. We too must persist in prayer until we have knowledge of God's answers. Then we can give Him the glory.

Probably the best experience of praying through I have had was when I bought my home and recognised instantly when I'd found it. It was very peaceful - I felt utter peace! When I finally moved in and found that I had wonderful neighbours as well as the right house I knew that God was taking great care of me.

Q4. In what way does Abraham show persistence?
ABRAHAM SHOWS PERSISTENCE BY NOT JUST EXCEPTING A NO ANSWER.
Why is persistence necessary in prayer?
PERSISTENCE IS NECESSARY IN PRAYER FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS:
(1) IT DEMSONSTRATES A STRONG DESIRE TO SEE THINGS THROUGH.
(2) IT SHOWS FAITH FOR WHAT ONE BELIEVES IN.
(3) IT SHOWS COMMITMENT.
(4) IT ILLUSTRATES A STRONG WILL.
(5) IT CONFIRMS A YEARNING OF PASSION FOR THE ISSUE.

Have you ever experienced "praying through"?
YES, I HAVE EXPERIENCED PRAYING THROUGH.
What was it like?
PRAYING THROUGH IS LIKE HAVING SOMEONE AROUND TO TALK TO THAT REALLY UNDERSTANDS YOU.

PRAYING THROUGH HAS BROUGHT MIRACLE IN MY LIFE. IT WAS OPENING A DOOR WITH A MAGNET AND WATCHING GOD DO HIS WORK.


PRAY WITHOUT CEASING. PRAY DAY AND NIGHT....I DID IT NOT REALLY ON PURPOSE BUT AFTER WARDS I UNDERSTOOD THAT NOW WE MUST NEVER GIVE UP IN OUR PRAYER BELEIVE IN YOUR HEART AND HOLD FAST.

FAITH IS BUILD WHEN WE PRAY. ABRAHMAN KNOW THAT GOD WOULD HEAR HIM AND HE ACTED ON THAT