Is it okay to keep praying for the same thing over and over? That’s a common question in Christianity. Some preach “No.” Faith, they say, is asking once, and then believing you’ve received it. Yet I think about Jesus, in Luke 11: 9, 10, preaching “Ask, seek, and knock.” That implies persistence to me.

Persistence has got to be a key requirement in prayer. After all, it’s underscored by a parable Jesus tells in Luke 18: 1-7. In it, He speaks of a widow repeatedly visiting an unjust judge to grant her protection from an enemy doing wrong to her. It’s her persistence that finally causes the judge to relent and take up her case. Jesus’ point to the story is that if an unjust judge will respond positively to perseverance; God, who is just, will certainly do so.

There’s another persistent prayer illustration given in Luke 11: 5-8. In it, there’s a neighbor feeling put upon and inconvenienced. Nevertheless, because of his friend’s pushy neediness, the neighbor provides what the friend asks for. Jesus’ point for this telling is similar to the other parable. That is, we can bank on God being much more willing to help us. It’s not an inconvenience for Him to grant our requests because He tells us to lean on Him.

To me, these two parables are proof that it’s okay to repeatedly ask the Lord for a particular thing. However, I throw this caution into the mix. The messages’ promise is not that we’ll receive whatever we ask just by repeatedly asking for it.

Contextually, the promise is that the Lord will acknowledge and reward our persistence when our requests are within His will. For instance, in the one example, He’ll do it by serving justice in terms of righting wrongs. He’ll deliver us from our enemies and vindicate our trust in Him.

In the other example, the promise is that our needs, not necessarily our wants, will be met. Again, the parables suggest that it’s okay to repeatedly pray for the same thing when our requests are within God’s will. We persist with the understanding that, yes, we have received what we ask for—His forthcoming promises. 1 John 5: 14, 15.

God encourages perseverance, I believe, so that while waiting for Him to deliver His promises in His perfect timing; we will, for the sake of growth, have the opportunity to not only experience, but accept the holiness of patience.