In our walk with God, perseverance is one of the essential things. It certainly applies to a time of fasting, where we have to stick with our commitment and not give up. Jesus also illustrates the importance of perseverance as it relates to our prayer life in the following scripture;
Luke 18:1-8
“And He spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary. And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”
Sometimes God’s timetable is very different from ours(2). But if we will continue seeking God, the answer will always come. The determining factor that Jesus mentions at the end of this passage is faith. When faith is lacking, we fail to continue, and God’s answer remains unfulfilled. However, when faith is present, we continue seeking God even though the answer takes time. We don’t give up, we continue to pray and seek God, and in the end the answer comes; in God’s way and at God’s time.
The ability to persevere requires our hearts to be rooted securely in God’s goodness and faithfulness. He loves us, and He has our best interests in mind. His intentions toward us are always loving and gentle. With that understanding we rest assured in Him, and in rest our faith is most active(3).
Time is the training ground for your faith. The ability to stick with something day in and day out proves to God that you are serious about it, and God always chooses to get involved in those things that His children take seriously. He doesn’t move independent of us, and we cannot move independent of Him(4). This is why prayer and fasting, and perseverant devotion are so vital. It is the invitation for which God awaits.
(2) 2 Peter 3:8, James 5:7
(3) Hebrews 4:3
(4) John 15:5
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