The Prayer of Persistence – Part 2
Is. 45:11 – Command ye Me concerning the works of My hands.
Holding God’s Word accountable to its promise standing on His covenant bringing God into remembrance of His Word [Is. 43:26]. He also has opened His book of the covenant for us that speaks to Him as a reminder of what He has spoken to us [Mal. 3:16]. Why does God need to be reminded? He wants to see where your faith is!
When Jesus took the cup, He said to remember. He was saying something had to work in your thoughts to bring forth the content of knowledge gained. A process had to take place. It was not just I say something, and you repeat it back! The renewing of the mind had to take place like a cow chewing the cud. Had to bring forth the processed grass from the stomach and chew it again to produce milk. It had to finish the process of production. Remembering is the same process. When Jesus was saying remember, He was saying the Holy Spirit [Spirit of remembrance] is going help you. When you take the bread, you are taking the Word. And He will help you process the Word. When you drink the wine, He was saying – you drink ALL of who I am IN REDEMPTION! The Spirit of remembrance will teach you the Spirit of the anointing that made Jesus, Jesus!
He wants to see where your faith is!
Is your faith – assiduous, indefatigable, indomitable, pertinacious, steadfast, stubborn, tenacious, unremitting, untiring? Are you persisting in your faith? Continuing to do or achieve something despite difficulties, failure, or opposition: the action or condition or an instance of persevering: steadfastness. Being single-minded to achieve the desired result! Abraham gave Glory to God not wavering in the promise but was empowered by faith being fully convinced that which God had said He was able to do [Rom. 4:20,21]. Paul says I have the same spirit of faith I believe therefore I speak. He was saying whatever I have gone through the spirit of faith has caused me to come through to victory on the other side [2 Cor.4:1-18]. According to the power OF THIS INDESTRUCTIBLE LIFE, nothing can dissolve. This endless life, eternal, divine, uncreated life, this resurrection life which passed through the test of death and hades. This life saves to the uttermost as High Priest. Jesus now is the guarantee of the better covenant established on better promises sealed by the blood. Paul says that all these afflictions that come against him cause him to persist and persevere – the Glory of God creates a path of thanksgiving and makes a way!
Other examples of Persistence
- Elisha served Elijah for 12 years and got a double portion (2 Kings 2:6-15)
- Woman with the issue of blood persisted for 12 years (Mark 5:25-34)
- Friend at Midnight because of the man’s boldness (Luke 11:5-13)
- Parable of the Persistent Widow keeps bothering me (Luke 18:1-8)
- Blind Bartimaeus his faith speaks (Mark 10:46-52)
- Canaanite woman even the dogs eat the crumbs great faith (Matt. 15:21-28)
- Abraham persisted in his prayer God saved the righteous (Gen. 18:16-33)
- Hannah prayed until the Lord heard her cry (1 Sam. 1:9-28)
- Daniel prayed 3 times a day and saw visions and the future (Dan.6:10)
Faith is persistent because it has the Word as its foundation and cannot be moved by the wind, rain, and storm! Out of persistence comes faithfulness that produces steadfastness being able to stand and having done all to stand! Jude encourages believers to contend for the faith, fighting fervently and competing for a prize overcoming any adversity. We fight the good fight of faith knowing we always win we the righteous always live in victory we live by faith. Hebrews chapter 11 talks about all the heroes of faith and how they overcame through persistence to persevere! We must stand on our covenant rights and confess what the Word says about Who we are IN CHRIST for if you lack wisdom you must ASK.
Be imitators of those who through faith and patience are inheriting the promises (Heb. 6:12). It is interesting that the word patience does not mean to be patient but is a strong word declaring endurance, constancy, steadfastness, and perseverance! It is one of the fruits of our born-again human spirit and must be developed through character, faithfulness, and obedience. Prayer perseverance comes through a lifestyle of consecration and commitment. The Love of God protects us against legalism, but the fear of God protects us against lawlessness. When we walk in God’s Holy reverence, we will honour and obey Him not because we must but because we want to. Our desire to be more like what the Word says is the more we become like unto Him in His image and are being changed from glory to glory!
God does not want us to keep the law by the flesh, He wants us to live Christ by the Spirit. To live by the Spirit is to have our life dependent upon and regulated by the Spirit. To be persistent in my prayer and discipline is not my self-effort but allows the Holy Spirit through my born-again human spirit to live His life through me. If I do not develop my spirit and do not grow spiritually and have negligent my spiritual understanding and stumped my spirit until it is blunt. When I become carnally minded and do not have the mind of the Spirit, I become spiritually deadened. Your conscience is the voice of your spirit, and the Holy Spirit deposits His thoughts into your inside, and you by renewing your mind pick up those thoughts by being conscious of Him, and as you do those thoughts begin to infiltrate your mind, will and emotions that it starts the process of transformation of persistence!
For you know that when your faith succeeds in facing such trails, the result is the ability to endure or persevere. Make sure that your endurance carries you all the way without failing, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing – James 1:3&4 GNB
