Ever felt like quitting? Just giving up from discouragement or exhaustion or both?
Perseverance is learning to continue when you feel like stopping.
Jesus told us a parable about the power of persistence in Luke 5:
“Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: ‘Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence.
“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened.”
This is a wonderful, practical story! I think you or I would finally get out of bed and help this person get their bread just like the one in the story! I get the Lord’s point here! You see, the Lord wants us to persist faithfully in bringing our requests before Him. Persistence starts when the desire to quit begins.
