Persevering Prayer

When we talk about perseverance, we often picture pushing through 

difficulty with sheer determination. We persevere through financial 

pressure, sickness, anxiety, relational strain, or professional 

challenges. Perseverance, in our minds, is endurance through hardship. 

Yet throughout Scripture, perseverance is revealed as something deeper 

than human grit. It is a life anchored in faith, abiding, and persistent 

prayer.

The Bible is filled with examples of perseverance in the face of 

impossible circumstances. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, captives in a 

foreign land, were confronted with a stark choice: bow to an idol or 

face death. Their perseverance was not rooted in their strength or 

certainty of deliverance, but in their unwavering faith in God. They 

stood firm, and God met them in the fire.

James reminds us that the one who perseveres under trial is blessed, 

receiving the crown of life promised to those who love God (James 1:12). 

Hebrews calls us to run our race with perseverance by fixing our eyes on 

Jesus, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him (Hebrews 

12:1–2). Paul adds that we must not grow weary in doing good, because a 

harvest will come if we do not give up (Galatians 6:9).

However, perseverance often breaks down when we rely on our own 

strength. We strive, perform, and push ourselves until we hit a 

wall…burnout, discouragement, and loss of joy. Striving is perseverance 

disconnected from God. Biblical perseverance, by contrast, is 

co-laboring with Him. As ambassadors of Christ, God makes His appeal 

through us (2 Corinthians 5:20), but we can only co-labor where faith 

exists. “Without faith it is impossible to please God” (Hebrews 11:6).

Faith expresses itself through abiding. Jesus teaches in John 15 that 

fruitfulness flows from remaining connected to Him. Abiding is 

relational dependence, not performance. When we do not abide, we strive. 

When we do not abide, our efforts wither.

One of the clearest expressions of abiding is persistent prayer. In Luke 

18:1–8, Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow to show that we 

“ought always to pray and not lose heart.” The widow’s perseverance was 

not in her power but in her refusal to stop asking for justice. Jesus 

contrasts the unjust judge with a loving Father who responds to His 

children’s cries. Persistent prayer keeps us connected to God, 

strengthens our faith, and guards us from shrinking back.

True perseverance is sustained not by willpower, but by faith-filled, 

abiding prayer. As we continually come to God, we are renewed in 

strength, anchored in hope, and empowered to endure until the 

breakthrough comes.