Persistence Pays

Bible Reading: Luke 11:5–13

“Oh, wow! A chemistry set!” exclaimed Carlos when he opened the birthday present from his parents. “It’s just what I wanted!”

His parents chuckled. “We know,” said Mom. “How could we help but know after all the hints you’ve given?”

“Hints?” asked Carlos innocently.

Dad laughed. “Well, when I walked into the bathroom one day, I found pictures of chemistry sets taped to the mirror. I kinda took that to be a hint.”

“And when I picked up my grocery list before going to the store, I found that another item—‘Chemistry Set’—had been added,” said Mom.

Carlos grinned. “I hope you’re not mad at me.”

“Of course not,” said Dad. “You weren’t rude about it, just persistent. Actually, we’ve told you before that we like it when you let us know what you really want, even though we don’t always give it to you right away—or at all.”

“I can’t wait to show this to Damon. Can I go call him?” Carlos asked eagerly.

“Okay,” said Dad, “but that reminds me, you were praying for a chance to talk to Damon about Jesus. How did that turn out?”

Carlos looked uncomfortable. “Uh, well, nothing seemed to happen, so I kinda forgot about it.”

“Oh, that’s too bad,” said Mom. “How about the tough time Damon is having with his parents’ divorce? Are you still praying about that?”

Carlos shook his head. “No . . . I forgot to pray about that too.”

“Hmm,” murmured Dad. “You’ve learned to be persistent when it comes to asking your earthly parents for birthday presents, but it seems like you haven’t been doing the same thing with your heavenly Father. Too often we say a half-hearted prayer about something, and then we forget all about it. The Bible teaches us that God wants us to pray persistently. He loves us and wants us to continually bring our needs to Him. Even when He doesn’t answer the way we want, we can trust Him to hear us and do what’s best.”

“So does that mean I should start praying about those things again?” Carlos asked.

“I think that’s a good idea,” Dad said. “This time, don’t give up!” •Sherry L. Kuyt

How About You?

Is there something you’ve been praying about? A friend or relative who is sick? Someone who needs Jesus? Schoolwork? Whatever it is, be sure to keep on praying. In the Bible, God teaches us how to pray as His children, and one of the things He emphasizes is persistence. So keep on asking and trusting Him to answer the way He knows is best.

Today’s Key Verse: 1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing. (NKJV)

Today’s Key Thought:

Keep praying