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bigmike

Persistent Praying
And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaketh. And he said, I will not let thee go, except thou bless me. And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.
Genesis 32:25-28
Jacob spent his early life under the influence of two men who knew God—his grandfather Abraham and his father Isaac. Yet despite that, Jacob lived by deceit and trickery and ended up having to run for his life as a result.
Even on the run, however, he did not forget the God his father and grandfather worshiped. Although his worship was inconsistent through the next twenty years, as Jacob returned to the land God had promised them, he made a commitment to worship God alone. Jacob instructed his large family to do the same. “Then Jacob said unto his household, and to all that were with him, Put away the strange gods that are among you, and be clean, and change your garments” (Genesis 35:2). That night, in an unusual encounter, Jacob expressed his complete dependence on God's help and was persistent in prayer until he received the blessing he sought.
Though God sometimes does answer prayers immediately, it is often the case that we must pray again and again. If we are haphazard and sporadic in our praying or if we give up before the answer has come, it is unlikely we will ever see God work in a great way. George Müller said, “We must then continue in prayer until the blessing is given to us. Furthermore, we have to believe that God does hear us and will answer our prayers. Frequently we fail in not continuing in prayer until the blessing is obtained and in not expecting the blessing.”
Do not miss the blessing God has in store by failing to continue seeking it from Him until it arrives.
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