The Determination of Persistent Faith

Throughout the book of Luke, Jesus speaks about the importance of having persistent faith. This faith is honored by God because of its nature; it persists even in the midst of challenges, discouragement, or moments when it seems like God isn’t answering our prayers. It’s a beautiful thing in the eyes of the Lord! One of the best examples of persistent faith is in Luke 18:35-43. A blind, roadside beggar heard that Jesus would be passing by. The man had obviously heard of Jesus and His power to heal. He wasted no time and immediately began crying out to Jesus! Despite the efforts of the crowd to silence him, the beggar refused to give up. He cried even louder! The persistent cry wasn’t just a plea for physical healing, it was actually a declaration that the beggar believed Jesus to be the promised Messiah, capable of transforming his own broken life. He wasn’t about to let the distractions, the crowd, or any doubts silence him. His actions showed a beautiful determination, which prompted Jesus to stop amid the giant crowd and have the beggar brought before Him.

A lot of us have conflicting feelings when it comes to praying for the same thing over and over. For whatever reason, we feel that if our first prayer isn’t answered then “that’s that”, God isn’t going to answer it. Jesus Himself has told us that’s not true, and we see proof of this in the story of the blind beggar! Jesus didn’t respond to the beggar just because he was loud. Remember, Jesus was in the middle of a giant crowd, and everyone was probably loud. He responded because the beggar was determined and unwavering in believing that Jesus could heal him. You see, what persistent faith doesn’t do is give up in the face of challenge or discouragement and what it does do is display a determination of belief that Jesus can heal and restore! Be encouraged by this story and adopt the persistent faith of the beggar!

Questions to ask yourself:

1. When challenges arise, do I continue to seek God with unwavering trust, or do I let doubts and distractions hold me back?

2. What practical steps can I take to strengthen my faith and remain persistent in seeking Jesus daily, regardless of the circumstances?

What’s next?

1. Just as the blind beggar refused to be silenced, you should persist in your prayers, even when it feels like God isn’t answering or when circumstances seem impossible. Keep seeking, keep asking, and keep trusting that God hears you.

Pray this prayer

Jesus, you are the great physician, the one who is capable of healing my every ailment. Strengthen my faith so that I can boldly and persistently seek you, knowing you will respond to my needs. Heal me where I am blind, whether physically, spiritually, or emotionally, and open my eyes to see you more clearly.