My Journey: Steadfast Faith & Persistent Prayer

   Over the past six weeks or so the Lord has been calling me into deeper trust, steadfast faith, and persistent prayer. It all began as I was laying my heart bare before my Abba one afternoon. I was exposing every fear, every hurt, every insecurity and desire before Him. As I sat in His presence, heart exposed, I heard His voice in the stillness of my spirit whispering, "Baby girl, if you want something start asking Me for it." I know that I am in a season of fulfillment with the Lord. He was inviting me to begin crying out to Him, and to see Him answer big prayers.

   The next morning I sat in worship and opened my Bible to the story of the persistent widow:
 

⁴ "For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, 'Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, ⁵ yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!'"

⁶ And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unjust judge says. ⁷ And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? ⁸ I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" -Luke 18:1-8

    The Lord was speaking again. Not only should I begin asking Him for what I want, but I need to begin praying with persistence displaying a faith that my Father hears me when I cry out to Him and will move on my behalf.

    For the next several weeks every time I opened my Bible, spent time in His presence, or went to a church service, the Lord was speaking on this same topic.

⁷ "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸ For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened." -Matthew 7:7-8

¹⁴ "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. ¹⁵ And if we know that he hears us,"whatever we ask,"we know that we have what we asked of him." -1 John 5:14-15

 

    My Abba told me to begin to ask Him for some very specific things. And so I am. Every morning I'm waking up with my desires alive and present in the forefront of my heart. I cannot run from my desire or hide it away in the recesses of my heart when my Lord has asked me to come and lay it before Him both morning and night (Luke 18:7). It's challenging for me to sit with my desire in this way that I never really have before. But, I'm learning to trust the Lord in deeper ways with the deepest desires of my heart. I'm learning to sit in the depth of my desire, allowing my Abba to hold my heart in His loving hands. I'm learning to walk in a more steadfast faith hearing my Father's voice and choosing to take Him at His word. I am learning to pray with persistence and tenacious faith. I ask my Father to hear my heart's cry. I ask Him to move on behalf of His beloved daughter. And I fully believe that He will.