Persevere in Prayer

READ

The strength of any relationship can often be measured by the health and consistency of the communication shared between two people. Strong marriages, for example, are characterized by regular, clear, vulnerable conversations. 

In the same way, if we are devoted to following God, we will talk with Him often—and not only about what feels easy or comfortable. We won’t attempt to hide our true feelings or sweep our struggles under the rug.

Real intimacy with God requires us to bring our raw, unfiltered thoughts, emotions, and desires before Him, trusting that He wants to hear from us. True devotion to Him means coming before Him authentically again and again—bringing our disappointment, disillusion, and doubt to His feet, rather than trying to keep up appearances. 

Devotion means continually praying for the things He has put on our hearts, even when doing so feels futile. 

Let’s take a moment to read Romans 12:12c: 

“Persevere in prayer.”

REFLECT

Persevering in prayer can feel incredibly difficult—especially when it seems like we’ve had the same conversation with God a thousand times. It is easy to grow weary after lifting up the same desperate pleas day after day, year after year. It is easy to want to throw in the towel when our prayers sound like a broken record.

Yet just because God does not bring deliverance in the way we desire does not mean He is not listening. And just because our prayers are not answered according to our timeline does not mean He does not hear our cries.

And just because our circumstances do not change does not mean that prayer is not effective.

Contrary to how we often approach it, prayer is less about controlling our environment and more about reaffirming our trust in God’s sovereignty and love. It is less about changing our situation and more about allowing God to shape our hearts. It is less about results and more about relationship.

God invites us to continue bringing our requests before Him, even when we are exhausted from asking for healing and restoration. He dares us to trust in how He cares deeply about us, even when He appears unresponsive and disengaged. He reminds us that even though He may seem apathetic to our cause, He hears every prayer and is faithfully working all things together for our good. 

Persevering in prayer teaches us how to trust in God’s character more than our circumstances. When we continue praying—even for requests that remain unanswered—we cultivate a faith rooted not in outcomes, but in God’s steadfast love and faithfulness.

Persistence in prayer also strengthens our trust in God’s power and sovereignty. When we pray for what feels like a “lost cause,” we grow our confidence that God can do the impossible. Praying for breakthroughs and miracles is not a waste of time—rather, it is a bold declaration that the God who created all things is able to accomplish all things.

Praying for real change—especially that which seems unlikely or improbable—builds our trust in the God Who wishes to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:7-11). 

RESPOND

Take a moment to process what God might be leading you to do in light of what you read. 

• Is there something in your life you’ve stopped praying for? What might it look like to bring that request before God again—trusting in His care, even if your circumstances don’t change?

REST

Take a moment to rest in God’s presence and consider one thing you can take away from your time reading, then close your devotional experience by praying: 

Abba, thank You for inviting us to pray to You. Thank You for always listening and always making Yourself available to us. Help us to speak with You regularly, so that we might learn about Your heart and desires for us. Help us to be persistent in our prayers, trusting that You hear us when we cry out to You. Empower us to bring our requests to You again and again, even when it seems as though You are unmoved. Remind us that You care deeply about us and our circumstances, even when our prayers go unanswered. Restore our trust that You want to give us the desires of our hearts. Remind us that You honor our persistence in prayer. You are the God Who invites us to ask, seek, and knock. Lord, give us the resilience and discipline to come to You in prayer continually, even with our disappointments, doubts, and disillusionment. Amen.

Port City writer Kate Redenbaugh wrote today’s devotional.