Question: “Is it appropriate to continue asking things of the Lord, such as increase of faith or conversion of relatives, or, when these requests have once been made, leave them in His hands?”
Answer: God exercises our hearts and our faith in delaying, at times, answers to our prayers. The earnestness of our prayer will be according to the [felt need] and the consciousness that He alone can give the answer. Our hearts are kept in exercise and dependence, waiting on Him, and faith is kept alive.
Prayer is a mighty engine, a fitting expression of the newborn soul’s dependence on God and contrasted with the flesh which would ever be independent of Him. Continuing in prayer shows that we are not indifferent to the result, when the heart can, in earnest entreaty, wait upon God.
In the midst of our cares and conflicts we have to “be careful for nothing,” but to “let [our] requests be made known unto God.” He who has no cares—God—keeps our hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. But we also are to “continue in prayer,” “watch in the same” and that “with thanksgiving,” for His ear is ever an opened ear.
One of the exhortations in Romans 12:1212Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer; (Romans 12:12) is “continuing instant in prayer,” which might be rendered “pursuing” or “persevering in prayer.”
There are times when there is consciousness that we can but cry to God until the heart is at rest concerning the petition. He will not give it until His own time, and meanwhile the soul is kept exercised.
F. G. Patterson (adapted)