Message #10 (of 20) from the PrayerPower radio series
"The Deeper Life of Prayer"

by Kaye Johns

Jesus taught about prayer sequentially, from beginning steps [Matthew 6:9-13], to deeper dimensions as His disciples were ready for them. In Luke 11, after presenting the basics of prayer perhaps as much as a year earlier in His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told the parable of the friend at midnight [Luke 11:5-8]. A man’s friend showed up at midnight, hungry. With nothing to feed his friend, he knocked on his neighbor’s door to ask for bread. At first the neighbor refused, but when he kept knocking, the neighbor finally gave him what he needed. The point is that we are to persist in prayer and not give up until we, too, have the answer.

Consider that Jesus introduced perseverance in prayer after He had laid the foundation for a daily prayer life [Matthew 6:9-13], after He had said that He expected His disciples to fast [Matthew 6:16-18; 9:15] and had taught that fasting would increase their faith [Matthew 17:20-21].

To be effective in persisting in prayer, we must follow Jesus’ sequence of prayer. First we must hallow the Father’s name, surrender our lives and will, ask in total dependence for daily bread, confess our sins, and pray for deliverance [Matthew 6:9-13]. If we want our faith to be strong enough to move mountains, we must be willing to fast [Matthew 17:20-21]. Then we will be prepared, when our friends have needs, to knock on our Father’s door with persistence until we are heard.

Pray with me now -- Father, may we be ready to persevere in prayer when we are needed, in Jesus’ name, amen.

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