PERSEVERANCE LEADS TO PREVALENCE IN PRAYER

To effectively pray for missions, we ought to grow in prayer and continue to educate ourselves about missions. But do you sometimes get tired of praying or feel too tired to pray? C. H. Spurgeon has the following words to encourage us to persevere because prayers don’t happen without our making an effort to pray, as fruit comes only after regular watering and nurturing.

“No doubt by praying we learn to pray, and the more we pray the oftener we can pray, and the better we can pray. He who prays in fits and starts is never likely to attain to that effectual, fervent prayer which availeth much. (Jas. 5:16b)

“Great power in prayer is within our reach, but we must go to work to obtain it. Let us never imagine that Abraham could have interceded so successfully for Sodom if he had not been all his lifetime in the practice of communion with God.

“Jacob’s all-night at Peniel was not the first occasion upon which he had met his God. We may even look upon our Lord’s most choice and wonderful prayer with his disciples before His Passion as the flower and fruit of His many nights of devotion, and of His often rising up a great while before day to pray.

“If a man dreams that he can become mighty in prayer just as he pleases, he labors under a great mistake. The prayer of Elias which shut up heaven and afterwards opened its floodgates, was one of a long series of mighty prevailings with God. Oh, that Christen men would remember this! Perseverance in prayer is necessary to prevalence in prayer.

“Those great intercessors, who are not so often mentioned as they ought to be in connection with confessors and martyrs, were nevertheless the grandest benefactors of the church; but it was only abiding at the mercy-seat that they attained to be such channels of mercy to men. We must pray to pray and continue in prayer that our prayers may continue.”

Don't Stop Praying For

·      The fulfillment of His commission to His followers (Mt. 28), which would usher in

·      Christ’s second coming (Mt. 24), which would be the ultimate panacea for the world and

·      As many as your loved ones as well as other unreached peoples to put their trust in God before then (2 Pe. 3:9) plus

·      Our prayers to pave the way and bear lasting fruit (Jn. 15)

Never stop praying. (1 Thess 5:17, NLT)  And this is the confidence that we have toward Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us. (1 Jn 5:14, ESV)