When To Stop Praying

[Coliseum]

In the parable of the judge and the old widow, Jesus gives us a template to not give up. If I have an adversary (problem), I am encouraged to beseech Jesus for an answer. "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."

Yet with Paul,

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NIV)
7  To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
8  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
9  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

So, should I believe that with each person, God's answer, or not, is conditional? What basis in Scripture should the parable not apply to all men that are "his chosen ones"?

Thx guys and gals.

[Behold]

45 minutes ago, Coliseum said:

In the parable of the judge and the old widow, Jesus gives us a template to not give up. If I have an adversary (problem), I am encouraged to beseech Jesus for an answer. "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."

Yet with Paul,

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NIV)
7  To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
8  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
9  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

So, should I believe that with each person, God's answer, or not, is conditional? What basis in Scripture should the parable not apply to all men that are "his chosen ones"?

Thx guys and gals.

The only condition that God set regarding getting a prayer answered is BELIEVE IT.

Can God's answer be NO.   It sure can.   This happens because you are praying in the spirit of greed.  "to heap upon your lust"... that'll get you a NO.

So, how do you get a prayer answered?  You give your prayer request to God, and you leave it there.   You dont need to ask Him 3467 more times with tears.   You need to ask him ONCE in faith, and leave it with God.  You step away and then stay in expectation.

Faith, regarding a prayer, means, .... to EXPECT God to answer it.  That is BELIEVING.  

You dont have to keep asking as if God is "out there somewhere and can't hear you"........Saint, God is IN YOU.... and not only that, He knew you were about to ask Him, as God knows everything before it happens.    = FOREKNOWLEDGE

The NT says to "come BOLDLY to God in full assurance of faith"....to come boldly to your FATHER knowing He wants to HELP.   You are to praise Him, and thank Him for His goodness, then give him your need list and then step away expecting Him to do it...  That is FAITH......and you stay there.  You just live in expectancy.  That is walking BY Faith.

You live in THIS knowledge... = >"God says...>Is there anything too difficult for me"? "didn't i send my Son for you"???  "so can you now see that i will always want to help you"? ?????

Edited April 29, 2020 by Behold

[LonerAndy]

14 hours ago, Coliseum said:

In the parable of the judge and the old widow, Jesus gives us a template to not give up. If I have an adversary (problem), I am encouraged to beseech Jesus for an answer. "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."

Yet with Paul,

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NIV)
7  To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
8  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
9  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

So, should I believe that with each person, God's answer, or not, is conditional? What basis in Scripture should the parable not apply to all men that are "his chosen ones"?

Thx guys and gals.

Well I was taught that all of G-d's answers are either "Yes", "No", or "Later".

Are they conditional?  All promises are conditional.   There isn't a single promise I can think of, where there was not a condition involved.

I would need more clarification of what you mean, but generally yes all are conditional.

[Billiards Ball]

18 hours ago, Coliseum said:

In the parable of the judge and the old widow, Jesus gives us a template to not give up. If I have an adversary (problem), I am encouraged to beseech Jesus for an answer. "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."

Yet with Paul,

2 Corinthians 12:7-9 (NIV)
7  To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me.
8  Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
9  But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

So, should I believe that with each person, God's answer, or not, is conditional? What basis in Scripture should the parable not apply to all men that are "his chosen ones"?

Thx guys and gals.

Sometimes God wants you to persist in prayer and sometimes you need only ask once or twice. How will you come to know the difference?

[missmuffet]

God's answer to pray is yes or no, I have a better plan for you. Christians may pray for what they want but it is not always going to turn out the way they want it to turn out.

[Behold]

19 hours ago, anynmsfmly said:

Kind of the same, concept,.. In what i am speaking, in my relationships.  Once i hav e drawn, a clear line in the sand with someone,

There's no need to come back, 875 times, With tears when i don't get the person to respond in the way i had hoped. That',s not faith, either.

Th is is kind of the same concep t i am speaking of,.....

The man pursues the woman..... The man, mess es up,.... When the woman realizes this if she didn't, and confronts him,

There is no need to send, 850 emails, begging and pleading and crying,

For him to break his faulty ways. Lol. O r going back to "check o n him" to see if he has. Lol.

I have to show faith, I ha v e to show the same faith I am expressing to him,

And live it myself. Thanks. This is what i needed to have said. In a way.

God has the perfect one for us..

Pray about that, if anyone needs it.

[Behold]

9 hours ago, anynmsfmly said:

Well, in all honesty, tel ling him how i felt also, helped me, in some way.. as well as allowing myself to cry over it..............

Im sorry you have this pain.  

"Jesus came to heal the broken hearted"..

[Debp]

1 minute ago, Behold said:

Im sorry you have this pain.  

"Jesus came to heal the broken hearted"..

 

9 hours ago, anynmsfmly said:

Well, in all honesty, tel ling him how i felt also, helped me, in some way.. as well as allowing myself to cry over it..............

[Kristin]

Interesting. My instinct is to always keep praying. I’m not a bible scholar tho. 

[Coliseum]

Thank you all for your comments. I left my own out until I kind of thought the subject might be exhausted somewhat. I was a little surprised. No one I was aware of drew attention to the Parable of the Unjust Judge and the persistent widow. Here is the parable:

18 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?”

It was as Jesus said, "...they should always pray and not give up." That is the essence of this parable. Many of you shared that once is enough. I am not disagreeing. Why then is drastic difference?