Several years ago, I recall singing a hymn that included a phrase about prayer, “Take it to the Lord and leave it there.” For some time, I assumed it meant that having prayed about something once, it was no longer necessary to ask God again.
This misunderstanding came to mind during a recent daily Bible reading from Ephesians 1 that included verse 17: “I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.” This “keep asking” further reminded me of Jesus’ story, entitled in some versions as “The Parable of the Persistent Widow” in Luke 18.
I feel challenged sometimes as to whether or not I should keep praying for people and situations, especially when I no longer have up-to-date information. An elderly Christian was shocked to find that he had been praying consistently for his brother-in-law, but unknown to him, he had been involved in a car accident and was in the hospital and subsequently died.
After reading about a retired missionary who prayed for 400 people every day, I wrote to express my admiration for the time he spent in prayer for others. He replied, advising that he had added my name to his list!
Perhaps we have to accept that we continue to “keep asking” until we have more information and trust God to deal with any out-of-date requests.
PRAYER – Heavenly Father, we pray that we may receive and utilise the Spirit of wisdom and revelation so that our prayer life may be guided by You. AMEN