If at First You Don’t Succeed…

PERSISTENCE (Part 2)

2 Kings 4:35 – “Elisha turned away and walked back and forth in the room and then got on the bed and stretched out on him once more. The boy sneezed seven times and opened his eyes.” (For the full story, read 2 Kings 4:8-37).

1Kings 18:42b-43 – And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; then he bowed down on the ground, and put his face between his knees, and said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea. So he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And seven times he said, “Go again.” (For the full story, read 1 Kings 18:41-44).

Reflections: History shows us time and again that persistence pays off. The Bible is filled with examples of men and women who kept going, kept trying, despite the odds; and in the end, proved victorious. In stories about both Elisha and Elijah, for example, we see situations where these two amazing prophets of God failed to see visible answers to their prayers after the first or second time they made their petitions. For Elijah, this situation occurred as he prayed for rain to end a drought (1 Kings 18:41-19:8). It was only after the SEVENTH time that he prayed and asked his servant to search for a rain cloud that he began to see the fruit of his labor. Elisha, on the other hand, had to try three times before he could bring the Shunammite women’s son back to life (2 Kings 4:8-37).

These are both amazing stories that give us hope and faith in God’s ability to accomplish miraculous works through his people. The persistence of these men eventually paid off, and ultimately serves as a testimony to the power of prayer, persistence, and faith.

But what if things had gone differently? What if either of them had grown weary and discouraged after their first, second, or in Elijah’s case, sixth try? Lives would have been lost and lands may have perished if they had chosen not to try one more time. Instead, their faith that God heard them and would eventually answer their prayer compelled them to keep petitioning until they saw a response.

What about you? Have you been seeking God for something that has not yet begun to manifest? Have you been praying for a response that has not yet come? If you are beginning to grow weary of the waiting, take heart and have hope. God HAS heard your plea, and He WILL answer—in His time and in His own way. It may take days, weeks, months, or even years for you to see or hear the response; but know that there is always a purpose in the waiting. Continue to seek Him, continue to have faith that He hears you. Don’t give up! You may be just one prayer away from God’s answer.

See Also:

Daniel 10:12-13 – “Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them. But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.’”

1 John 5:14-15 – “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.”

Thoughts, reactions, or testimonies? Leave a comment below. I look forward to hearing from you!

Shine Your Light!