Healing can be instantaneous, but it can also take place over a period of minutes, hours, days, months, years, or decades. Healing can be complete or can be partial. All healing whether partial or temporary is healing. Perseverance means we do not give up praying when we don’t see immediate healing. Jesus declared healing over a man who was blind and he experienced partial healing at first as he saw people who looked like trees. Jesus then spoke over him again and he was fully healed.
While the time frame between these two healings was short, it can be much longer. Also, it is important to persevere when we experience no healing because we know that it is only a matter of time before every believer will be healed fully in heaven.
Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. 2 He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. 3 And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ 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
Answer Questions
- What thoughts and questions came to your mind as you watched the video and read through the Scriptures?
- Why do we stop praying? What can we do to increase our trust that God will answer our persistent prayers for healing?
- What are ways you can guard against the temptation to give up praying when you do not see immediate results?
- What changes in your daily routine can you make to enable you to pray more persistently and persevere in faith?
The Practice of Persevering Prayer
- This week, commit to praying for someone who is in need of healing but has not
been healed yet. Name ________________________ - Who can help hold you accountable for praying more persistently? Name _________________________
- What is your plan to increase prayer and persistence? What is the frequency you
desire to pray? I will pray for ____________________ (when and how many times) _________________________.
The Power of Two - Who can you get to join you in praying for the person you chose? Name ___________________________
- Pray
Heavenly Father,
Thank you for being the Great Physician. I know that you already know what is on my heart–It is so hard to watch suffer. It doesn’t seem fair for him/her to have to endure so much pain. Even though I am powerless, I believe that you are powerful and capable of stepping into this situation and complete healing. You say in your Word to keep asking and in faith, I am responding to the promises in your word that you listen to our prayers and those prayers can make him/her well. So, I am bringing _ before you to ask for your healing touch in her life. Thank you for the forgiveness of sin and the promise of eternal healing, but I am asking you to provide healing for him/her on this side of heaven right now in Jesus’ name. May your kingdom come and your will be done today. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
