THE POWER OF PERSISTENCE

KEY TEXT: Luke 11:5-13 (KJ21) – “⁵ And He said unto them, “Which of you shall have a friend and shall go unto him at midnight and say unto him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves, ⁶ for a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him’; ⁷ and he from within shall answer and say, ‘Trouble me not; the door is now shut and my children are with me in bed, and I cannot rise and give to thee’? ⁸ I say unto you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth. ⁹ And I say unto you: ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. ¹⁰ For every one that asketh receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. ¹¹ “If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? ¹² Or if he shall ask for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? ¹³ If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the holy Spirit to them that ask Him?””

Luke 11:5-13 talks about the parable of the friend at midnight. In verses 5 & 6, a friend goes out at midnight to ask for three loaves of bread from his friend/neighbor because he has an emergency visitor and has nothing to offer him to eat. In verse 7, the man answers from inside, saying, “Do not trouble me; the door is shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you.” (He expresses reluctance due to the inconvenience.) However, in verse 8, Jesus explains: “I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence, he will rise and give him as many as he needs.” This shows that while the man may hesitate at first, he ultimately grants the request due to the petitioner’s persistence (importunity).

The Greek word used for persistence/importunity in this text (Luke 11:8) is ἀναίδεια (anaideia). Anaideia literally means “without shame” or “lack of sensitivity to social conventions.”

In the ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman culture, hospitality was a sacred duty. If a guest arrived, you were expected to provide food, even at personal inconvenience. But waking up a friend at midnight to ask for bread was socially unacceptable and could be seen as shamelessly audacious. Yet, Jesus praises this kind of boldness.

Let’s try to picture this scenario: No one can easily go to his neighbour’s house to ask for food at midnight. The fact that this man did that meant that he had a pressing need.

Why did the man lack food to give his random visitor? The following scenarios might have been possible:

• He might have had food in the morning and eaten it, knowing that he is going to buy food the next day.
• He might have been poor, living hand to mouth, and therefore didn’t have food for the day.
• He might have had food that would last him two days, but maybe someone during the day borrowed it, and he gave it to him.
• He might have had food, but someone stole it.

Whichever scenario might have been possible, the bottom line is that he did not expect the visitor to visit him at midnight. When was the last time someone visited you at midnight? This case shows that we live in an imperfect world full of emergencies, not knowing what will happen in the future because God is the only one who has the future in His hands.

This parable implies that we should expect anything. No matter how meticulous we can be in planning, there are emergencies we cannot resist. For example, COVID-19, which halted everything from education to work. Other emergencies can be medical emergencies and emergencies from family and friends. The list is endless.

Verse 8 emphasizes the power of persistence. Persistence is very powerful in all areas of life.

Persistence is tremendous and often bears results in the success journey; Hebrews 11:6 (KJV) – “But without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he that cometh to Him must believe that He is and is a rewarder to them that diligently seek Him.”  The keyword in this verse is diligent.

Many Christians are not diligent enough while seeking God. A couple of us seek God half-heartedly. Some of us seek God to fulfil a mere tradition. The same way you would study for an exam is the same way you should study the Bible.

The following verse, verse 9, says, “So I say unto you, ask, and it will be given to you, seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you. For everyone who seeks finds, and to him who knocks, it will be opened.”

You will highly likely get whatever you want if you are persistent and consistent. Robert B. Cialdini, in his book The Psychology of Persuasion, lists consistency as one of the most significant facets of persuasion. Any successful person will tell you how beneficial consistency is.

The parable of the lost sheep Luke 15:4 (KJV) – “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost until he finds it?” The keyword in this verse is until meaning the shepherd would not stop until he finds it.

In the story of the tower of Babel, Genesis 11:1-9, the people started building a tower that would reach heaven (have in mind that heaven is too far beyond the sky and beyond space), Genesis 11:6 – “And the Lord said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined doing.” God had to stop them because he knew they could achieve their goal with determination and unity.

We can also see the power of persistence in the Parable of the unjust judge. Luke 18:1-8 (KJV) – “¹ And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; ² Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: ³ And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. ⁴ And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; ⁵ Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. ⁶ And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. ⁷ And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? ⁸ I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?”

Reading the above parable of the unjust judge, we can see the judge gave the widow what she wanted despite him not fearing God or man. How much more will a righteous God do if we persist in worshipping Him and presenting our desires to Him? God will do a lot for us if we are determined.

“Whether for GOOD or for EVIL, determination is a powerful quality to possess. Nothing can STOP a determined mind.” – Pastor Randy Skeete.

Do you feel you have tried everything possible, and nothing seems to work out, so you feel like giving up?

Do you feel that what you are looking for is not meant for you because it seems so hard to get?

Are you at the end of the road?

DON’T STOP UNTIL YOU FIND IT.

Be persistent and seek earnestly to BENEFIT OTHERS, as the man in the parable of the friend at midnight was not persistent for his benefit but for the benefit of another person and, as a result, ended up getting more for himself than he had expected.

Seek not your own always but have it in your heart to benefit others, and the LORD will open the windows of heaven that you shall not have room enough to receive His blessings. On Sabbath as well as other days of the week, try to reach out to as many people as you can to present to them the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In other words, persist in your efforts of evangelism.

“Persevering prayer has been made a condition of receiving. We must pray always if we would grow in faith and experience. We are to be instant in prayer,—“to continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Peter exhorts believers to be “sober, and watch unto prayer.” Paul directs: “In everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God.” “But ye, beloved,” says Jude, “praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God.” Unceasing prayer is the unbroken union of the soul with God, so that life from God flows into our life, and from our life purity and holiness flow back to God.” – The Signs of the Times, August 21, 1884, par. 10, Ellen G. White.

“There is necessity of diligence in prayer; let nothing hinder you. You will obtain the blessing you desire if you faint not. Keep your wants, your joys, your sorrows, your cares, and your fears before God. You cannot burden Him; you cannot weary Him. He who numbers the hairs of your head, who notices the fall of a sparrow, is not indifferent to the wants of His people. “The Lord is very pitiful, and of tender mercy.” He is affected by our sorrows, and even by our utterance of them. Take everything to Him that perplexes the mind. Nothing is too great for Him to bear; for He holds up worlds; He rules over all the affairs of the universe. Nothing is too small for Him to notice that in any way disturbs our peace. There is no chapter in our experience too dark for Him to read; there is no perplexity too sore for Him to unravel. No calamity can befall the least of his people, no anxiety harass the soul, no joy cheer, no sincere, contrite prayer escape the lips, of which our heavenly Father is unobservant, or in which He takes no immediate interest. “He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.”” – The Signs of the Times, August 21, 1884, par. 11, Ellen G. White.

Persist in asking God your heart’s desire.

GOD BLESS YOU!

Prayer

Heavenly Father,
Thank You for Your endless love and mercy. I come before You today with a heart full of trust, knowing that You hear my every cry. Help me to be persistent in prayer, to never give up when faced with challenges, and to always seek Your will in my life. Just as the man at midnight was persistent, give me the strength to persevere, knowing that You are always ready to give good gifts to those who ask. Teach me to be diligent in my faith and to trust in Your timing. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Activity

• Choose one prayer request you have been holding in your heart.
• Pray earnestly for that request. During this time, focus on expressing your persistence and trust in God’s ability to answer.
• After prayer, pause and reflect: How did it feel to spend this focused time in prayer? Were there any new thoughts or feelings you experienced during this time?
• Continue to pray for that request daily, remembering the power of persistence as illustrated in Luke 11:5-13. Each day, thank God for His provision and timing, no matter how long it takes.
• After a week, reflect on the experience. Have you seen any changes in your request or your faith? How has persistence shaped your prayer life?
• Share this message with someone.

Author: Mark Alex   

BUY MY EBOOK: A FAITH FUELED LIFE: I RUN ON FAITH AND I’M NEVER RUNNING LOW

A FAITH FUELED LIFE: I RUN ON FAITH AND I’M NEVER RUNNING LOW (Amazon): https://amzn.to/4atSjuO

A FAITH FUELED LIFE: I RUN ON FAITH AND I’M NEVER RUNNING LOW (Google Play): https://bit.ly/4i9fXQp

Email: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com 

Phone Number: +254710633247   

My LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-alex-0b87a9109/

PayPal: gettruthgetlife@gmail.com  

Revolut: revolut.me/markalex92