He who gives up praying after one try is like a farmer who plants one seed and abandons the farm. One of the greatest spiritual maladies today is a lack of persistence in prayer. We easily discontinue and give up prayers when our requests are not granted immediately and instantly. Prayers require patience, perseverance, and determination. For example, Abraham pleaded persistently for mercy on the people of Sodom (Genesis 18:16-33); Hannah consistently prayed to have a child and went to the temple to seek the gift of a child (1 Samuel 1); Elijah prayed patiently for rain until the rain came (1 Kings 18). Cornelius was known as a man who prayed constantly and consistently (Acts of the Apostles 10:2-4). Jesus gives a beautiful example of persistence in prayer in a parable about someone who went to his friend at midnight to ask for three loaves of bread, which he would offer to his guest who had just arrived on a journey and was hungry. The friend shouted at the man in need with several strong complaints: ‘Do not bother me’; ‘The door is now shut and my children are in bed with me’; ‘I cannot get up and give you anything.’ The man in need was persistent and would not take ‘no’ for an answer. He kept knocking until the door was opened. A consistent and persistent prayer life is not just an empty routine or making a list of requests. Persistent prayer strengthens our faith, leads to personal growth, and deepens our relationship with God and our neighbours. Do we pray frequently, always, and persistently? Luke 11:5-13; Thursday, 27th Week