Prayer is one of the most important issues in the life of a believer, since that is the way we have to communicate with our God. We no longer need to look for a goat to sacrifice or follow a long ritual to approach Him. Through Christ we have free access to the Heavenly Father, without appointments, without intermediaries, without restrictions. He is always ready to listen to us, and this is a grace that we should treasure deeply. Because of this, it is necessary to value prayer and to be persevering in it every day of our lives.
The word perseverance appears many times in the Scriptures, and this is no coincidence. The Christian life is a life of perseverance—persevering in holiness, in obedience, in faith, and especially in prayer. To follow Christ means to deny ourselves, to fight against our flesh, and to cling to the spiritual disciplines that strengthen our soul. Among them, prayer stands as a divine gift, a legacy given to us by God Himself. Yet, even knowing this, every Christian has experienced the challenge of maintaining perseverance in prayer. Distractions, tiredness, spiritual warfare, and the pressures of daily life often try to rob us of prayer. But this should not discourage us. Instead, we should renew our strength each day and make our best effort to seek God with persistence.
The apostle Paul wrote:
2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
Colossians 4:2-3
Notice that Paul uses the imperative word “continue.” He does not say “try to pray” or “pray when you feel like it.” He commands perseverance. Prayer is not optional for the believer; it is essential. It is not something we can negotiate or replace with other good deeds. We must persevere in prayer because prayer not only moves the hand of God but also transforms our hearts. It molds our character, aligns our desires with His will, gives us spiritual discernment, and keeps our soul firm in moments of trial.
Paul also reminds us that prayer is not only for asking. Many people reduce prayer to a list of petitions, but biblical prayer goes far beyond that. Paul says, “watch in the same with thanksgiving.” Gratitude must accompany our prayers. We should thank God for His mercy, for His providence, for His forgiveness, for His love, and for the countless blessings He gives us daily—many of which we do not even notice. A grateful heart maintains a healthy prayer life.
He also asks the church to pray for him: not for personal comfort, but for boldness to preach the gospel. This teaches us that our prayers must also focus on the advancement of the kingdom of God, on the growth of the church, on open doors for the gospel, and on strengthening our brothers and spiritual leaders.
Is it hard to pray? Yes, sometimes it is. But the more we immerse ourselves in spiritual things—reading the Bible, congregating, fasting, worshiping—the more our spiritual appetite grows. Prayer becomes more natural when we cultivate spiritual discipline. And even when it feels difficult, we must remember that God helps us. The Holy Spirit strengthens us, intercedes for us, and teaches us to pray as we should.
Beloved, perseverance in prayer is not achieved by human strength but by depending on God. If you feel weak, pray. If you feel strong, pray. If you feel discouraged, pray. If you feel joyful, pray. Prayer is the believer’s breath. With God we can achieve it, and through prayer we will grow in faith, intimacy, and spiritual maturity.
2 comments on “Persevere in prayer”
Persevere in prayer
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In spite of the enormous importance for us, as believers, of having fellowship with our Lord Jesus Christ, and through Him continue in prayer to the Father God, we are not always ready to do it.
Every day we need to remind ourselves of that; otherwise we are prone to forget and neglect our prayers to the Lord.
Sometimes we are taken over by daily routine, to the point that other activities take the place of talking—sometimes about the same things—to the Lord.
If we are drawn into things of this world, like maybe travelling or meeting with some friends, we can forget prayer and then our conscience tells us: “Your God must be first”.
We need the Lord God to be with us. Our soul thirsts for God, and in difficult times or when we have troubles, we long to be in the presence of the Lord.
Jesus himself, our Lord, said to people that they “ought always to pray, and not to faint”
(Luke 18:1)
On other occasions, Jesus said to his disciples they needed to pray so that they would not fall into temptation.
The apostle Paul was, as we know, a man of prayer at all times. So we read in some epistle of his. In part of his teaching, hr asks the church:
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds” Colossians 4:2-3
It’s a sure fact that our Lord knows perfectly what things we need. It’s also true that, if we want more people to be attracted to God’s kingdom, we need to speak to them about the mystery of Christ. But Paul, and we also, need doors to be opened so we can speak; we need the power of the Holy Spirit to be manifested through (or with) our words. Paul is definitely ready, as he said: “for necessity is laid on me; yes, woe is to me, if I preach not the gospel!”
(1 Corinthians 9:16)
Prayer is necessary since we depend on the power and the grace of God.
May the Lord God impress on us such a feeling of dependence on him that, at any time, we do not neglect our prayer but seek his fellowship.
AMEN. AMEN