Among the instructions Paul gave to the church in Colossae was the need for prayer. He wrote, “Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving; meanwhile praying also for us, that God would open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in chains, that I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak” (Colossians 4:2-4).
Persistence in prayer is a teaching consistently emphasized in scripture. One example of this is a parable Jesus taught, recorded by Luke in his gospel. It is commonly called the Parable of the Persistent Widow. A woman makes an appeal to an unjust judge who initially had no desire to help her, but because of her persistent petitions, was eventually moved to do as she asked. “…He said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.’ Then the Lord said, ’Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him, though He bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily’” (Luke 18:4-8).
The lesson here is simple, the Almighty God of heaven is much more responsive to our petitions that any unjust judge. When we pray to Him it is true that we do not always get the answer we want when we want, but it is not because He does not hear or does not care. It is that we do not know God’s will for us, nor are we astute enough to always know what is best! God answers prayer according to His own purposes. We rejoice that those purposes include the welfare of His people, and so we continue earnestly in our prayers to Him.
Paul wrote that he was given a thorn in the flesh. This unpleasant physical circumstance troubled him, and three times he asked the Lord to take it away. On the third occasion the Lord answered, and told him NO! “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” (2 Corinthians 12:9). The answer was not the one Paul wanted, but it was the right answer, the one he needed. He learned a great lesson. He wrote to the Corinthians, “Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).
Continue earnestly in prayer. You will get what you need!
