Prayer is an important part of our Christian life because it is always an opportunity for us to communicate with God and to also hear from him. This communication not only draws us closer to God but helps us to activate the blessings of God in our lives. However, as believers we are instructed not to just pray, but to do so persistently. In 1 st Thessalonians 5v17 (NIV), the scripture tells us to ‘pray continually’, this means that we are not expected to be slack in prayers even when things are working well for us. In other words, a healthy prayer life should always be maintained as a child of God. The bible says in Proverbs 18:21 (NIV) that ‘The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit’. Our prayers carry weight in the spiritual realm, as such we should not cease in prayer because prayer is a problem solver and a powerful weapon.

The story of Hannah shall be used as a case study in this article as she was an example of a woman who was persistent in her prayers. She was one of two wives married to a man called Elkanah and suffered from barrenness. Peninnah, the second wife, mocked Hannah continuously causing Hannah pain which led her to go to a temple and pour out her heart to God. Hannah’s persistence has made her an inspirational character in the bible and we can learn a lot from her story, here are two main reasons why we must persist in prayer:

Shows the strength of our desire

Hannah was someone who was willing to go the extra mile for what she desired. She laboured in prayer holding on to God’s word and this provoked an intervention from God. 1 st Samuel 1v7 (NIV) tells us that ‘Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the Lord, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat’ yet even in the midst of that, Hannah still rendered prayers unto God. The scripture says in 1st Samuel 1v 10 (NIV) that ‘In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord , weeping bitterly.’ Hannah’s response to her situation was to pray, this shows that she has a strong desire to be a mother and highlights us that we must come to a place of desperation to see change. In the following verse 1 st Samuel 1v 11 (NIV) it describes how Hannah changed her way of praying, making a vow unto God saying ‘Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life’. This shows us the power of her persistence, she refused to give up instead she made a vow to God and this provoked a response from God and her prayers were answered.

It shows that we believe that God is faithful and can answer

Hannah’s persistence also reveals how much faith she had in God. She is portrayed as a woman who trusted God and acknowledged that God was able to deliver her from her barrenness. This is revealed in 1 st Samuel 1v 12 (NIV) which states that ‘As she kept on praying to the Lord Eli observed her mouth’. The reference to ‘kept on praying’ is powerful because this shows that Hannah never doubted God’s ability and believed that he could provide her a solution. Hannah preserved in prayer even to the point that her husband assumed she was drunk but in 1 st Samuel 1 v 15 (NIV) she replied “I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the Lord’. One thing that we must learn from this is that Hannah had strong belief in God and had faith in his power, her confidence in God’s ability brought her an answer. Similarly, to Hannah we must also develop the mindset of persisting in prayer if we want to strengthen our faith and see the move of God. To conclude, this story is a powerful illustration of how persistence prayer works, and it teaches us that our faith in God allows him to bless us. Hannah’s life is testament to the fact that God hears and answers the prayers of those who do not give up but preserve in prayer. This is also a reminder that we can come before God with all of our heart desires because God can bring us the solution we need. Your desire may not be for a child, but this principle is applicable in any area of our lives, whether that be for a job, healing, marriage or breakthrough. If you can persist in prayer with confidence in God and in line with God’s will, you can activate the blessing of God in your life. Luke 18v1 (NIV) also emphasises the importance of persistence, it says that ‘Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up’, which shows us that this is also a requirement as true disciples and followers of Christ.