Building a Prayer Life that Perseveres

What happens to your prayer life when life gets hard? It is easy to pray when everything is going well. But what about when the answers do not come quickly? When one obstacle follows another? When you have prayed before, but now you find yourself wondering if you have the faith to keep going?

How do you develop a prayer life that does not quit?  You have to tenaciously persevere like the widow woman did in Luke 18.  

One of the great qualities of my husband was perseverance. He was truly a man of perseverance. He persevered in prayer. He persevered in faith. He persevered in relationships and in whatever job he was doing, whether it was difficult or not. He simply did not allow the word quit to enter into his life.

One of the greatest lessons we can learn from my husband’s life is the importance of continuing to seek the Lord in persevering prayer, even when circumstances are difficult.

The verse that was his life’s verse and the one that he wrote in every Bible he signed was Hebrews 11:6—and it tells us:

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Notice those last words: “that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

Prayer is not simply something we do when we have a need or when life becomes overwhelming. It is part of our daily walk with the Lord. We come to Him because we believe He is who He says He is. We trust His character, His wisdom, and His promises, even when we cannot understand what He is doing.

Persevering in prayer does not mean that we never grow weary, experience discouragement, or struggle to understand God's plan. It means that we continue to bring our needs to Him. We continue to trust His Word. And when we stumble or become discouraged, we turn our hearts back to Him.

Sometimes we may not see the answer we are praying for. Sometimes the circumstances may grow more difficult instead of easier. But our confidence and trust must rest in the Lord, not in how quickly our circumstances change. The following poem has been a tremendous encouragement and reminder to me of that, and I would like to share it with you.

"The heart that trusts forever sings,And feels as light as it had wings,A well of peace within it springs,—Come good or ill,Whatever to-day, to-morrow brings,It is His will."

Isaac Williams

My husband’s life was not free from heartache, hardship, or uncertainty. Yet through it all, he continued to look to the Lord in persevering prayer.

Galatians 6:9 reminds us:

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

We must not allow discouragement to cause us to abandon the things God has called us to do. Whether in prayer, in our relationships, in our service to the Lord, or in the daily responsibilities He has given us, we need His grace to keep going.

As you think about my husband's life of perseverance, I want to challenge you with one question:

What is the area of your life where you are most tempted to quit?

Maybe it is your prayer life. Perhaps you have prayed about something for a long time and have yet to see the answer you desire. Whatever it is, take it to the Lord today.

Ask Him for the grace and strength to persevere. You do not have to figure everything out today. You do not have to know how every difficulty will end. You simply need to keep turning to the One who knows the way ahead.

Perseverance is not about having a life without obstacles. It is about continuing to walk with the Lord through those obstacles by persevering prayer and faith.

May we each develop a prayer life that does not quit—a life that continues to seek the Lord diligently, even when the road is difficult.

How can you develop a prayer life that perseveres through life’s difficulties? In Episode 2 of Still Facing Tomorrow, I continue my conversation with Dave Smith about the importance of consistent prayer and the lessons he learned from Dr. Tom Williams.

Listen as we share encouragement for continuing to seek the Lord, even when life gets hard.

Listen to Still Facing Tomorrow: Learning to Pray — Episode 2.