Day 161: 2 Chronicles 32-34; John 18:25-40

Persistent prayer has been the theme of my devotional reading. In their persistent prayer, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah and Josiah saw the hand of the LORD at work in delivering and blessing. When they trusted in their own devices, they got into serious trouble. Let's learn the lesson of persistent prayer's priority. As Hezekiah is about to face Assyria's annihilating power, the man who prayed made a statement to his people that takes us back to another prayer warrior by the name of Joshua.  “Be strong and courageous! Don’t be afraid or discouraged before the king of Assyria or before the large army that is with him, for there are more with us than with him. He has only human strength, but we have the LORD our God to help us and to fight our battles.” (2 Chronicles 32:7-8, CSB; see Joshua 1:6,7,9). Persistent prayer invites the power of the Almighty into our present circumstances and reminds us that He is LORD over all!

Referencing the persistent prayer of a Canaanite mother for her daughter, one that you and I might find a little more relatable than kings (Matthew 15:21-28), E.M. Bounds writes: "Hopeful, urgent, and unwearied, she stayed near the Master, insisting and praying till the answer was given...There is no cry as effective as persistent prayer, and there is no prayer to which God surrenders Himself so fully and so freely. The persistence of the distressed mother brought about her request. Instead of being an offense to the Savior, it drew from Him a word of wonder and glad surprise." Pray on! Persist! God is near and He will answer!