Today, we continue our series entitled “Living the Grace Life,” where we will learn to embrace and walk in God’s unmerited, unearned, and often undeserved favor throughout 2025.
As part of this series, I am teaching you how to pray from a position of God’s grace.
Key scriptures for this year:
2 Corinthians? ?9?:?8? ?TPT??
“Yes, God is more than ready to overwhelm you with every form of grace, so that you will have more than enough of everything—every moment and in every way. He will make you overflow with abundance in every good thing you do.”
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??Galatians? ?5?:?4? ?TPT??
“If you want to be made right with God by fulfilling the obligations of the law, you have cut off more than your flesh—you have cut yourselves off from Christ and have fallen away from the revelation of grace!”
Romans? ?6?:?14? ?ERV??
“Sin will not be your master, because you are not under law. You now live under God’s grace.”
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1 Corinthians? ?15?:?10? ?NIV??
“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.”
Additional scriptures for today:
Luke 18:1-8 NIV
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: ‘In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, “Grant me justice against my adversary.” For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, “Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!”‘ And the Lord said, ‘Listen to what the unjust judge says. 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? 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?'”
Hebrews 10:35-36 NIV
“So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised.”
Galatians 6:9 NIV
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.”
Setting the Stage:
Yesterday, we learned about praying FROM victory rather than FOR victory. This shift in perspective is powerful and liberating. However, it raises an important question: “If victory is already secured, why do we need to persist in prayer? Why don’t we just pray once and see immediate results?“
This is where many believers get confused about grace-based prayer. They assume that persistence implies a lack of faith or that somehow they’re trying to convince a reluctant God. That’s not the case at all. Persistence in grace-based prayer isn’t about changing God’s mind or overcoming His reluctance–it’s about positioning ourselves to receive what His grace has already provided and remaining that way until God’s timing shows up. There is a timing component to every promise from God.
So, what does this mean to you today? A few things.
1. Understanding Persistence in Light of Grace.
Persistence in prayer can seem contradictory to grace if not properly understood. Let’s clarify what grace-based persistence really means.
How this applies to you:
— Persistence in prayer is not about convincing God to give you something He’s reluctant or hesitant to provide. It’s about standing firm in faith until what is already true in heaven manifests on earth at just the right time. The Bible says, “There is a right time for everything, and everything on earth will happen at the right time.” (Ecc 3:1 ERV).
— Under grace, persistence isn’t living performance-based. It’s about maintaining your stand in faith, without a doubt, without wavering, believing that what God said will come to pass, regardless of what your circumstances suggest.
— Grace doesn’t eliminate the need for persistence; it transforms the nature of persistence. It’s not anxious begging; it’s confident standing. It’s not about earning; it’s about receiving and living with a posture of expectation.
— Your persistence isn’t changing God’s willingness; it’s demonstrating your readiness. Sometimes we need time to be prepared to receive. I can testify of several things I thought I was ready for, but when it finally happened, I realized that it took time for me to truly be ready to receive.
— Persistence in grace-based prayer is about alignment, not achievement. It’s staying aligned with what God has already done until you see (in your hands) what you have seen (in your heart).
— Grace-based persistence is joyful and expectant, not desperate and doubtful. It’s the confident anticipation of seeing God’s promises unfold in His perfect timing.
— The enemy will try to wear you down and get you to give up on what God has promised. Persistence is your declaration that you refuse to forfeit what grace has already provided. You live with this mindset: THE ONLY WAY I CAN LOSE IS IF I QUIT AND THERE IS NO QUIT IN ME!
2. Biblical Examples of Persistence in Prayer.
Scripture is filled with examples of persistent prayer that led to breakthrough. These weren’t contradictions to grace but demonstrations of how grace operates.
How this applies to you:
— Daniel prayed for 21 days before receiving his answer, even though the angel was dispatched the first day he prayed (Daniel 10:12-13). The persistence wasn’t about convincing God but overcoming spiritual opposition to what God had already granted.
— Elijah prayed seven times for rain before seeing the first cloud (1 Kings 18:41-45). God had already promised the rain; Elijah’s persistence demonstrated his faith in that promise.
— The Syrophoenician woman persisted in asking Jesus to heal her daughter, even when Jesus initially said “No” (Mark 7:25-30). Her persistence revealed her faith, not her attempt to manipulate.
— Jesus Himself prayed three times in Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46). His persistence wasn’t about changing the Father’s mind but about aligning His humanity with the Father’s will.
— Paul prayed three times for his “thorn in the flesh” to be removed (2 Corinthians 12:7-9). His persistence led not to the removal but to a greater revelation of God’s grace.
— The persistent widow in Jesus’ parable (Luke 18:1-8) wasn’t presented as a model of how to change God’s mind but as an example of persistent faith that God honors.
3. Why Persistence is Necessary Even Under Grace.
There are specific reasons why God values and honors persistence in prayer, even though His grace has already provided everything we need.
How this applies to you:
— Persistence develops spiritual maturity. Like physical exercise strengthens muscles, persistent prayer strengthens your faith. It’s not earning God’s response; it’s developing your capacity to receive it.
— Persistence reveals what’s truly in your heart. It’s easy to pray for something once, but if you truly value it, you will keep your heart open to receive it FOR THE LONG HAUL.
— Persistence helps you to overcome one of satan’s key tactics: delays. Satan often attacks your faith through delays, hoping you’ll give up before receiving what grace has provided. Your persistence is part of your spiritual warfare.
— Persistence aligns your perspective with God’s timing. What seems like a delay to you is perfect timing to God. Persistence helps you synchronize with His divine calendar. I have told you before that your watch of expectation must be in sync with God’s clock of manifestation.
— Persistence keeps you engaged with God relationally, not just transactionally. It’s not just about getting something from God, but about walking with Him through the process.
— Persistence creates testimonies that glorify God. When others see how you persevered in faith and finally received, it strengthens their faith in God’s faithfulness.
4. Practical Keys to Persistent, Grace-Based Prayer.
Let’s get practical about how to maintain persistence in prayer without falling into legalism or striving.
How this applies to you:
— Base your persistence on God’s promises. You must nurse and rehearse what God said to you, especially when your circumstances are painting a different picture. In other words, you must SET YOUR MIND on God’s promise.
— Celebrate small signs of progress. Like Elijah looking for a cloud the size of a man’s hand, learn to recognize and thank God for incremental movement toward the complete answer.
— Surround yourself with people of faith. Persistence is easier when you have others encouraging you to keep believing and praying. This is why being part of a church family is so vital.
— Journal your prayer journey. Recording both your requests and God’s responses provides evidence of His faithfulness. This will help fuel your faith when facing new challenges.
— Distinguish between persistence and repetition. Jesus warned against “vain repetitions” (Matthew 6:7). Grace-based persistence isn’t mechanically repeating the same words but maintaining consistent faith. So, you learn to THANK GOD for hearing your prayer and for the manifestation of it, instead of asking Him for the same thing over and over.
— Include thanksgiving in your prayer requests. Paul taught us to present our requests “with thanksgiving” (Philippians 4:6). This attitude recognizes that the answer is already granted by grace.
— Remember that persistence isn’t about length but faith. A short, faith-filled prayer prayed consistently carries more power than long, doubt-filled prayers prayed occasionally.
That’s enough for today.
Declaration of Faith:
Father, I thank for giving me the grace to be persistent in prayer. I remain in faith for the long haul without striving or anxiety.
I declare that my persistence in prayer is not about changing Your mind but aligning myself with what You’ve already provided.
I stand firm in faith, confident that what You’ve promised is already done in the spiritual realm.
I refuse to let temporary delays convince me to abandon what You said! If I am delayed, I remind myself that I will not be denied!
I will not throw away my confidence, knowing it will be richly rewarded in due season.
I am growing stronger through persistence, not desperate through stress or striving.
I am living THE GRACE LIFE in 2025, demonstrating faith-filled persistence that accesses what grace has already provided!
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and prosper!????????????????
