Importunity In Prayer

(part 3 of a continuing series of posts from reading "Mighty Prevailing Prayer")

Importunity might prove to be the most awkward quality of prevailing prayer, but it seems to be essential.

"It means utter shamelessness. It includes the concept of great boldness, of urgency, of pressing your request, claim, or demand to the very limits, and it includes determination to persist in that urgent boldness until it receives the answer."

To have such boldness and determination in our prayer means that we must know the mind and heart of God on the matter. Sometimes this comes from a promise in scripture, sometimes from His whisper to your heart, and sometimes from just knowing the heart and nature of our God.

Does it seem strange that we should have to pray so hard and long for something we know God wants to do? We have to remember that we are in a spiritual battle and that we humans aren't robots - God doesn't always get what He wants. But there is a refining process that takes place in the delay. It may not be the right time, or maybe our motives aren't completely pure, or maybe we need to learn patience.

"Importunity in prayer is prayer for God's will to be done. It must be wholly unselfish . . . Importunate praying does not yield to discouragement, weariness, fear, or impatience. It is dead earnest."

I thought this following quote was interesting . . . Especially since I am "guilty" of having told the girls at camp that praying to God is as easy as talking to the person next to you . . .

"P.T. Forsyth warns that we dare not reduce prayer to talking to God or even dialogue with God, "mere walking with God in friendly talk". We will not only lose the aspect of spiritual conflict, of wrestling and prevailing, but we may lose prayer's ultimate reality. We make it conversation, rather than the soul's great action."

I'm not sure exactly what to think. There certainly is some truth there. Maybe conversation with God needs another name, rather than prayer. It seems that prayer is more of a partnership with God and Him praying His prayers through you.

I'll close with these two quotes about importunate prayer ~

"God delights in your holy boldness that will not take no for an answer. God counts it "great faith", and then counts you His friend, for you understand His heart."

"When God's will, name, and glory are at stake, nothing should stop us."

Lord, I want to be Your friend!