Persistence

Last evening we talked about Persistence.  The two parables of The Persistent Widow and The Friend at Midnight, from Luke 18 and Luke 11 were the main text of our study.  We saw how persistence works and we learned that we should be persistence in our prayers and in doing good works in our lives.  God will answer our prayers and will provide for our needs; therefore, we should continue to ask Him in prayer to bless us and not become weary in doing good.

These are the notes of our discussion. 

March 21, 2011

Persistence

Opening question: What is something you have achieved, which has taken a lot of persistence?

Many things in life, especially important ones, require a lot of determination and persistence.  Time, effort, energies and often money are all requirements for achieving success in whatever you are trying to accomplish.

What does the Bible say about persistence?  Today, we are going to look at a couple of stories from the Bible which illustrate the importance of being persistent and learning and applying the word of God.

1.         The Persistent Widow

In the book of Luke 18, verses 1-8: 1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.  2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought.  3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’  4 “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think,  5 yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”  6 And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says.  7 And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off?  8 I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”

According to these verses, what does Jesus say about persistence?

The purpose of this parable is explained in verse 1, “that Jesus’ disciples should always pray and not give up.”

What does it mean to give up?  What happens when you give up?

In verse 2, we see that the judge was not a God-fearing man.  But, still this man realized that he had to give the woman justice if for nothing else so that she would leave him alone.  So, in her case persistence paid off.

What did the woman want?  What was her need?

She realized what she needed, justice, and she was not shy about working in order to fulfill the need and get what she needed.

What does it mean to be persistent in prayer?

Why do people give up praying and seeking God?

The same is true with us, because as we read in verses 7-8, God will bring justice to Christians, his chosen ones.  He will pay attention to their prayers and will give them what they need.

2.         The Friend at Midnight

Again in Luke, this time in chapter 11, verses 5-8, we read:  5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread;  6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.’  7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’  8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity he will surely get up and give you as much as you need.

What did this friend want?

The friend knew he needed three loaves of bread to feed his other friend.  And he knew where to get them and was persistent about it.  Or as the verse 8 says, “shameless audacity.”

Have you ever refused something a friend asked you, only to change your mind and give in to their requests?

Persistence shows us that the request is not based upon an impulse, a spur of the moment, but that the man or the woman that is asking for something truly thinks and believes that it is needed and is willing to ask over and over again.

What are the reasons that we need to be persistent in prayer?

Persistence helps us understand and express what we truly need.  If we determine that something is not worth having in our life, we will stop pursuing it and move on to something else, or, if we are not persistent, we will stop praying to God about it. 

3.         Persistence Pays Off

Jesus told us that God listens to our prayers and that He will answer with those things that we truly need.  In Matthew 7:7-11, Jesus says: 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

Persistence is not something that we should do when praying, but also when we are acting upon the beliefs that we have.  There are many teachings in the New Testament about the importance of continuing and persisting in good works, serving people and teaching them about the Word of God.

Our final verses come from Galatians 6:9-10: Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

We should never stop doing good to all people.

Conclusions

Persistence is very important in many aspects of our life.  We need to be persistence in searching the Word of God, in learning it to find its meaning for our life, in praying to God about what we need and in doing good to everyone in our lives.

Campus Bible Talk 2011