Previous blog posts have addressed how to pray (How Do You Pray?; February 9, 2026) and how to increase the power of our prayers (The Power of Prayer; August 14, 2026). We learned about three types of prayer (vocal, meditation, and contemplation), to pray from the heart with faith, and to do so in both times of suffering and of gratefulness. This post focuses on how Jesus teaches us to pray persistently. For me, praying persistently has been challenging, because I feel that I am asking for the same things over and over. I also remember that God already knows what we need before we ask for it.
Jesus’ teachings about persistent prayer are found in the Gospel of Luke (OSV Institute). First is the story of a man asking a friend for three loaves of bread to feed a visitor at midnight (Luke 11: 5-8). Jesus said that if the friend didn’t offer the loaves because of friendship, he would offer it because of his persistence. In the Parable of the Persistent Widow (Luke 18: 1-8) Jesus tells us to “pray always without becoming weary,” because God will answer His chosen ones who call out to Him day and night. Last, while Jesus approached Jericho, a blind beggar continuously called out to Him: “have pity on me, and “please let me see” (Luke 18: 35-43). “Jesus restored the man’s sight, and told him, “Have sight; your faith has saved you.”
Jason Shanks (OSV Institute) writes that we must not feel like we are annoying God when we ask persistently, because we are expressing our weakness and demonstrating our dependency on the Lord. Brant Pitre (2021) further clarifies Jesus’ teachings by writing that Jesus taught the disciples to shamelessly ask for what they need, and to be totally focused on what is needed (pp. 237-238). Jesus commands us to pray with confidence of being heard, not because of our effort or worthiness, but because of His promise and God’s goodness to those who pray with faith (p. 238). We must not ask God for material gifts that we want like money, possessions, or health. Instead, we must pray for the supreme gift of the Holy Spirit, which the Father will provide, and is what we need. Jesus “gives his solemn word: I tell you, Ask, and it will be given you” (p. 239).
OSV Institute. Persistent Prayer. Retrieved September 9, 2026 from https://osvinstitute.com/persistent-prayer/
Pitre, B. (2021). Introduction to the Spiritual Life. Image.
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