Importance of Importunate Prayer

@carol_mcclain

I diet regularly, but never seem to lose weight because I give up when I’m hungry.

And then, I regularly decide I’m going to train for a marathon. Usually, around mile two, I decide a 5K is more than enough.

Worse than the above, in all my art, being fearful of ruining the final product, the finishing is left undone. Thus, my oil paintings never get beyond the primitive stage.

For the same reason, our prayers go unanswered.

Don’t believe me? Look at the following examples

Examples of answered, importunate prayer

1. The unjust judge. (Luke 18:1-8) Here we see the stereotypical Jewish mamma. She needed the judge to rule against her enemy. He didn’t want to be bothered because he didn’t much care about people, let alone God. She didn’t quit. She persisted. Finally, I can hear the judge, “Oy vay. All right already. I’ll give to you. Go home now.” God’s not unjust. Sometimes we just need to be persistent.
2. TheSyrophoenician woman. (Matt. 15: 21-28). Her daughter was demon possessed, and the mother needed healing for her child. Jesus said something that always shocked me. He said, ” “It is not ^[c]good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs. (vs. 26). We’ve all been insulted, (fortunately, not by God) but what do we do with it? If we give up and skulk away, we lose. This woman had chutzpah. “Even the dogs get to eat scraps.” Guess what? Jesus answered her.
3. Jacob wrestling with the angel. (Gen. 32:22-31). Jacob, that deceiving scoundrel, was about to meet his irate brother. He needed help. All night long he wrestled with an angel.  Nearing dawn, the angel had enough and said, “Let go of me.” Jacob didn’t say, “Well, I tried.” Instead he proclaimed, “I will not let you go unless you bless me (vs. 26).” It cost him something as he limped ever after–but he got his request.
4. The neighbor and the loaves of bread. (Luke 11:5) The neighbor got the bread.
5. Abraham and the plea for Sodom and Gomorrah. (Gen. 18: 16-33) Lot and his family had been delivered from the fire and brimstone that rained down on Sodom. However, had Abraham persisted in prayer to save fewer than ten righteous people, perhaps we’d be touring Sodom and Gomorrah during our mid-east vacations..
6. Moses saves Israel.  (Ex. 32: 12-14) He plead with God to deliver the stubborn people. Guess who lives in Israel today?

Persistent prayer pays off. Try it for yourself.