What Does the Bible Say About Persistent Faith

What Does the Bible Say About Persistent Faith?

You don’t need to read much of the Bible before you come across stories of persistent faith.

When you want to see results, persistence is one of the key ingredients. This is true in every area of our life, including our faith and trust in God. If you want to learn a new skill, land a new job, improve a relationship, or do anything else significant, you’ll need a bit of grit. 

There are countless examples of persistent faith throughout the Scriptures.

One of the first that comes to mind is Noah. He was persistent in building the ark. And just as persistent when he was on the ark for an entire year. I’m sure his faith and trust in God was tested, but he remained persistent. I think that’s why 2 Peter says Noah was a preacher of righteousness. His life preached about God.

Abraham is another great example of persistence. 

Him and Sarah waited many, many years before they saw their promise from God fulfilled. Romans 4 gives us some insight into Abraham’s trust and belief that God would fulfill His promise:

“Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” Without weakening in his faith, he faced the fact that his body was as good as dead—since he was about a hundred years old—and that Sarah’s womb was also dead. Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.”
Romans 4:18-21 NIV

Persistent faith doesn’t deny your current reality

I love the story of Abraham because he didn’t deny his current reality. Romans 4 tells us that he faced the facts. The facts were him and Sarah were well beyond child-bearing age. His body was as good as dead. There was no real chance of them getting pregnant. But, despite those facts, he still believed that God could do anything. 

Having persistent faith doesn’t mean you pretend that facts or reality don’t exist. 

You can accept the facts of whatever you’re dealing with– your current health, your finances, your relationship issues, your job status, etc. Those are all very real problems, and God doesn’t want you to pretend they don’t exist. 

Persistent faith is trusting God and believing He can change anything in an instant.

Download: 3 Printable Bible Study Lessons On Faith

Romans 4:20-21

Testing your faith is a privledge

We get frustrated when things don’t change as quickly as we want them to. I remember praying earnestly for a new job opportunity that would help me make more money. I prayed and prayed and prayed some more for my finances. I wanted something to happen as soon as I finished praying. 

I wanted a millionaire to call me and offer me a job. 

Unfortunately, that didn’t happen. And even a week later, nothing had changed. 

I could’ve decided that God didn’t care about me, or even that God didn’t exist because my situation didn’t change immediately. Why didn’t the all-powerful God of the Universe answer my desperate plea!

That’s a very complicated question, and not the purpose of this article. There are many different reasons why God may not answer your prayer right away. I don’t have all of the answers. 

But, I do know that persistence produces good things. If you think about it, if we got everything we asked for right away, it would be bad for us. We would all become spoiled brats. Listen to what James says about persistence and patience:

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
James 1:2-4 NIV

I don’t know about you, but joy is the last emotion I’m feeling when I face trials. 

The process is never fun, but look at the results. The end result of our faith being tested is maturity and completion.

God will use the testing of our faith to help us mature and grow.

Don’t give up. Don’t stop praying.

“So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.”
Luke 11:9-10 NKJV

Jesus is teaching His disciples how they should pray. He tells us that is we ask for something, it will be given to us. And if we seek something, we’ll find it. When we knock, the door will be opened. 

Jesus is telling us that when we spend time praying, it’s effective. We ought to expect something to happen. 

That’s great news! 

The bad news is Jesus doesn’t give us a timeline for any of these things. He didn’t say, “ask and it will be given to you in 15 minutes. Knock and the door will be opened right away.”

We can be assured that it will happen, but we don’t know exactly when it will happen. 

More Bible verses about persistent faith

“And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.”
Hebrews 12:1-2 NIV

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.”
Ephesians 6:18 NKJV

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless.”
1 Corinthians 15:58 NLT

“I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 3:14 NKJV

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.”
Hebrews 10:23 NKJV

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 NLT

“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.”
Romans 5:3-4 ESV

“We want each of you to show this same diligence to the very end, so that what you hope for may be fully realized. 12 We do not want you to become lazy, but to imitate those who through faith and patience inherit what has been promised.”
Hebrews 6:11-12 NIV


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