The Power of Persistence - When There Is No Fruit

 

Last time, we talked about persisting in doing things that pay off. But what about things that don't? 

My primary example in the article linked above was that of mountaineers climbing Everest. For them, there's an easy metric: whether or not you succeed in the climb. And with my other example, writing a book, it's even easier to track progress—just keep a spreadsheet of your word count, and then you can have pretty graphs.

But what about things that are less measurable? What about things that ultimately aren't under our control? 

There are some areas in my life that are a constant struggle for me, and that I need to persist in. One main one involves praying for people. It's hard to pray if you don't see any fruit, especially over longer periods of time. Often, I'm tempted to wonder if it does any good at all. If it isn't in God's plan, it's not going to happen—no matter how long I pray. And it feels like a waste of years and years of whispered prayers and hidden tears. 

 

In Luke 18, we read of Jesus telling the story of the persistent widow. This widow was trying to get justice against her "adversary," and though we aren't told the nature of the lawsuit, it was clearly important to her. She came to the judge to get justice, but the judge didn't really care about her (or anyone, for that matter) so he refused to grant her request.

But this widow was determined, so she kept coming. Day after day, for weeks, and probably many of them. She wouldn't leave this unjust judge alone until he gave her justice.

Finally, the judge got extremely tired of hearing this woman's petition. The text reads, "For a while he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat me down by her continual coming.'" (Luke 18:4-5)

Wow. Strong language there—he considers himself beat down by this woman, this powerless widow. And he gives her what she wants. 

The parable ends with the question: "And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night?" (Luke 18:7)

The implication, of course, is that God is just. Unlike the unjust judge, he does want what is best for us, and therefore he'll be even more likely to listen to a persistent prayer from one of his people. 

Persistent prayer is not a may-do. If you want justice, if you really have faith that God is listening—and, by the way, he is—then you're going to cast your cares upon him. It's difficult, and it's something we all need to grow in. But it is necessary. 

Do you have this kind of patience? 

 

Long-term prayer requests could be any number of things. Chronic health problems are common, life situations can be tough, and we're all growing in character for our whole lives. One kind that's usually thought of differently, though, is when you're praying for the salvation of someone close to you. 

How can you be sure that your prayers aren't wasted? God has chosen his elect since before the foundation of the world, according to Ephesians 1, and this kind of trial isn't one that bears much fruit. Certainly, we can't do much to change it, other than live our lives as a faithful witness to Christ. What if God doesn't have our loved one's name written in the Book of Life? 

Monica, a Roman noblewoman in the early 300's AD, dealt with many of these same questions. She was a Christian in a time when being a Christian wasn't common. Her husband was unsaved, and so was her son. In fact, her son had gone so far off the rails that when he'd moved away to Carthage (ostensibly to go to school) he'd fallen into a life of parties, immorality, and afternoons spent at the gladiator fights. 

But Monica had faith, and she had a powerful love for her son. Day after day she prayed for him. For weeks, months, years, decades. She never gave up hope that he would be saved, even though she had no real reason to expect that he would. 

And one day, when he and a friend were staying in Milan, her son came to know the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Monica's son was named Augustine, and he became one of the most influential Christian philosophers and theologians of the day. His writings, which include Confessions and City of God, are a gift to the modern church, thousands of years later. 

All because his mother Monica persisted in her prayer to the Lord. 

We may never know the fruit that our prayers have. We'll never know the end of some stories until heaven. But the fruit is real, and they do have an effect. 

Be patient. Persist. You never know when that might be the difference between life and death.