When to Persist and When to Let Go

When to Persist and When to Let Go
Various Passages March 31, 2019

Introduction:
A. In Luke 18:1 Jesus says we out to pray and not lose heart!
1. Does that mean we should persist until we get our answer?
B. Last week we learned that when God does not answer prayer it could mean not
now, no for about five different reasons or more often, than we think simply, we
do not know why!
• This morning I want to try to answer the question, “When do I persist in prayer and
when should I let go?” I want to answer this by looking at three passages where we
see Paul, Jesus and David persisting in prayer and then just some pastoral counsel!
I. Paul, Jesus and David!
A. Turn to 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 regarding Paul
1. Context – Paul in his humility speaks of himself and the great revelations he
received from the Lord when he was years earlier caught up into heaven. He
says here he will not speak of himself regarding this but he will speak about
his weaknesses.
2. So listen to what he says from here. Read v7-8
a) Paul said he received a thorn in the flesh, a messenger from Satan to
keep him humble because of these great revelations.
b) He said this tormented him so much that three times he asked the Lord
earnestly to remove it.
3. Note what happened. Read v9a
a) God spoke to him – “He has said to me”
b) Note what He said – Read 9b-d
4. Now look at the new disposition that Paul learned as a part of this prayer
experience – Read v10
5. His prayers changed, he stopped asking for deliverance from his tormenting
problem, when God spoke to him.
6. I remember a time a long while back that I was praying repeatedly and
intensely about one of my daughters who was just not doing well at that time.
I was begging with God to change my daughter and as clear as a bell God
spoke to my heart, no outward voice but that still small voice in my heart –
the problem was not my daughter but her father. That moment my prayers
changed as I let go of asking God to change my daughter and began to pray
about Him changing me!
B. Now let’s consider the prayer of Jesus in Gethsemane. Turn to Luke 22
1. I think you remember the story – It was right before the cross and Jesus went
to the Garden of Gethsemane along with Peter, James and John to pray about
it.
a) That prayer time was very intense – Listen to v44.
b) Three times He prayed about this cup of the cross being removed but He
wanted God’s will not His own
2. He persisted in that prayer that night but there is no record of God speaking
to Him as He did with Paul. But God did use that time of prayer to prepare
him for the cross.
a) Listen to v43 – He was strengthened by angels as He prayed
b) Then in v47-48 when the betrayal came He calmly walked right into it
having been strengthen in prayer.
3. Jesus came out of that prayer “just knowing” what was God’s answer to that
prayer. Sometimes as we pray on we “just know” in our hearts, a
strengthening to face, a sureness, an understanding in our hearts and minds
that this prayer is done and it is time to move on.
4. Sometimes God uses that persistent prayer to change us as we pray. God not
only uses prayer to answer our request but also to do things in us as we pray.
Jesus’ baptism as he prayed Holy Spirit came upon Him, transfiguration – as
he prayed he was transfigured. Garden – as he prayed angels ministered to
him. All this happened as he prayed!
5. So during the 21 days of prayer we should expect that God will not only
answer many prayers, not only that MVC will have a greater impact for Jesus
as a result of these 21 days but also that God will do something inside of us
as we pray! That’s transformation.
C. Remember the story in 2 Samuel 12 where David’s son was very sick and God
sent word through the prophet Nathan that his son was going to die.
1. David knowing God was a gracious God he still prayed to God for the
healing of his son. He fasted and prayed with his face to the ground for
seven days for his son to live but on the seventh day, he died.
2. When that happened David got up washed himself up, changed his clothes,
went to the house of the Lord, and worshiped!
3. In this case, the circumstances put an end to the persistent prayer. No need to
continue because the circumstances made it clear that the Sovereign God is
doing something else. Not a time to persist but to let go.
• Let me add a fourth way with just a word of pastoral advice.
II. Pastoral Counsel
A. I put two verses of Scripture together.
1. Psalm 37:4– says, “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the
desires of your heart”.
a) It means that as I delight myself in the Lord, He will shape within me the
desires of my heart. Delighting in the Lord will cause godly desires to
be shaped and birthed within you by God.
2. Philippians 4:6 – says, “Let your request be known to God.”
a) We should not just pray the right things but we should pray the real
things. What is your real heart desire at this moment? God wants to
hear that from us.
B. Here is my answer when I put those two verse together – “As long as you have
the desire for it keep on praying for it, but keep your heart open for God to change
or remove that desire.”
C. So we get insight into whether to persist in our prayer or to let it go. When either
God speaks to us directly about it, or we just know by what God is doing in my
heart to prepare me to face this situation, or the circumstances clearly bring an
end to that prayer or when God changes or removes that desire!
D. If none of those happens to you, I recommend you keep on persisting in that
prayer.
E. And right now you have a once in a lifetime opportunity to have your church join
you in your request for next 21 days