The Purpose of Persistence in Prayer

 The following is taken from Paul E. Billheimer's book Destined to Overcome:

"When God lays a burden of prayer upon you, it is His way of revealing His purpose and will in a particular situation.  By this burden God is telling you that He is already mobilizing circumstances to accomplish the purpose of the burden.  It is, therefore, a substantial encouragement to faith.

"If you are convinced that the object represented by your burden is truly of God, since He is all powerful and since He answers all prayer offered in His name, the answer to such a prayer is never in doubt.  The only question is your persistence in prayer.  If you do not give up, you may be assured that the answer is certain.

"I once thought that a burden of prayer meant I was seeking to persuade God to do something He was reluctant to do.  Importunity is never to persuade God to do something He has urged you to pray for.

"The purpose of importunity is to give you exercise in overcoming satanic opposition and to teach you rulership in preparation for the throne.  God's purpose in ordaining prayer is not to help Him but to give you training in the exercise of authority over Satan.

"When you have learned a new lesson, when you have prayed through to another place of spiritual maturity, then the Holy Spirit is released to bind Satan and the prayer is answered.  This is why God seeks for a man, and why Jesus said in Luke 10:19, 'Behold, I give unto you power [authority] . . . over all the power of the enemy.'

"Satan's every act, trick, and device is under God's control.  He could not move an eyelash without God.  He cannot act independently.

"The reason he is permitted to continue his resistance and opposition is not because God cannot control him; God permits this only so long as it serves His purpose for our growth, development, and maturity.

"When we understand that Satan can attack us only with God's permission, and that God's purpose in permitting it is to teach us authority, then we know there is no necessity for our defeat.  We know that victory is ours no matter how long and desperate the conflict.  We may be assured that as soon as we have learned the new lesson in overcoming, God will take care of Satan."