Pray, and Don’t Give Up!

Pray, and Don’t Give Up!
By Don Vess

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Scripture Focus

Luke 18:1–8 (NKJV)
“Now He was telling them a parable to show that at all times they ought to pray and not lose heart…”

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Devotional

Jesus was very intentional when He taught the parable of the persistent widow. He didn’t tell it to teach technique—He told it to shape our heart. The purpose was clear: pray always and don’t lose heart.

Many of us have been praying for people, situations, families, healing, or breakthrough for a long time, and it may feel like nothing has changed. But let me assure you—things have moved, even when you can’t see it yet. God is faithful, and as He told Jeremiah, “I am watching over My word to perform it” (Jer. 1:12).

The widow kept coming. The unjust judge eventually responded—not because he was righteous, but because her persistence wore him down. Jesus contrasts this with our Father: If an unrighteous judge responds, how much more will a righteous God bring justice for His elect who cry out day and night?

Paul echoes this truth in Ephesians 6:18, urging believers to pray at all times with perseverance. Prayer is not passive—it’s active warfare. When we pray, we align our hearts with God’s heart. When we have the mind of Christ (Phil. 2:5), we begin to care about what He cares about.

Jesus modeled intercession Himself in John 17, praying for our protection, our sanctification, our unity, and that the world would see the Father’s love through us. To intercede means to stand in the gap—to appeal to God on behalf of others.

Scripture calls us to intercede for:
•Leaders and those in authority (1 Tim. 2:1–4)
•All the saints, who are under constant spiritual attack
•Families, cities, and nations

We do not fight with human weapons. As 2 Corinthians 10:3–5 reminds us, our weapons are divinely powerful—capable of tearing down strongholds and taking thoughts captive to Christ.

God has also given us the Holy Spirit—our Paraclete, the One who comes alongside to help us. When we don’t know how to pray, the Spirit Himself intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26–28), praying according to the will of God.

Throughout Scripture, God honors persistent prayer:
•Daniel prayed consistently and saw favor with ungodly kings.
•Aaron stood between the living and the dead, and the plague stopped.
•The prayers of the saints rise before God like incense (Rev. 5:8).

God is always working—even when you can’t see it. Your prayers matter. They move mountains. Heaven responds.

So don’t stop praying. Persevere. Be persistent. Your answer is on the way.

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Application
•Identify one situation you’ve been tempted to stop praying about—commit to bring it before God again today.
•Spend time praying in the Spirit, trusting the Holy Spirit to guide your prayers.
•Intercede intentionally for leaders, your church family, and those under spiritual attack.
•Remember: prayer isn’t preparation for the battle—it is the battle.

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Prayer

Father, we come before You today with humble and trusting hearts. Teach us to pray and not lose heart. Strengthen us to persevere when answers seem delayed. Holy Spirit, help us when we don’t know how to pray—intercede through us according to the will of God. We stand in the gap for our families, our leaders, our church, and our nation. We declare that Your purposes will prevail. We choose faith over discouragement and persistence over weariness. In Jesus’ name, Amen. ?