The Difference In Praying And Praying Through
Charles Yeakel
After observing the effectual prayer life of Jesus Christ, the disciples said, “Lord, teach us to pray” (Luke 11:1). They never said, “Teach us to preach” or “Teach us to work miracles”; for they realized if could emulate the prayer life of their Lord, everything else would fall into place. In response to their request, Jesus gave a discourse on prayer in verses 2-13. This lesson can be divided into three sections:
• Verses 2-4: The manner of prayer.
• Verses 5-10: The importance of persistence in prayer.
• Verses 11-13: The generosity of God in response to our prayers.
In this article, I would like to draw your attention to the truth conveyed in verses 5-10, the importance of persistence in prayer. The King James Version uses the word importunity in verse eight. Importunity means “an intense desire; a refusal to be denied.” Also, verses nine and ten in the KJV use the words asketh, seeketh, and knocketh. The eth ending signifies continuance and determination; we must continue to ask, continue to seek, and continue to knock until we get an answer. It’s not enough just to say a prayer; we must “pray through” to victory!
The phrase “pray through” is an old-time Pentecostal phrase which means to pray until you get the victory; pray until you get your healing; pray until you receive the Holy Ghost, etc. The key is the word through, which is a preposition that means “from end to end of; going in at one side and out the other; passing between.” For example, “He passed through the room” or “I came through a situation.” You start on one side but you don’t turn around part way and go back; you press on until you come out on the other side!
You start out as a sinner but, you pray through, and come out a child of God! You start out sick, but you pray through and come out healed! You start out depressed, but you pray through and come out uplifted! You stars out empty, but you pray through and come out filled!
Many people pray short, shallow prayers and get nowhere. They turn around and leave the prayer room like they came. If we are going to receive the blessings and promises of God, we must pray through! It’s one thing to pray and quite another to pray through.
Jesus told the Pharisees, “The law and the prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it.” (Luke 16:16) The concept of pressing into the kingdom reminds us of how that the high priest, on the Day of Atonement in the Tabernacle in the Wilderness, would push his way through a heavy, four-inch-thick veil from the Holy Place into the Holiest of Holies. He literally pressed his way into the presence of God! I believe that Jesus was saying that there are barriers we must press our way through to see prayers answered. We must push past the veil of pride, doubt, unbelief, fear, sin, or whatever stands in our way so that God can work on our behalf.
Without a doubt, there are people reading this article that are on the verge of victory, healing, miracles, and deliverance. Don’t be content with just praying — pray through!
The above article, “The Difference in Praying and Praying Through” is written by Charles Yeakel. The article was excerpted from The Illinois District News magazine.
The material is copyrighted and should not be reprinted under any other name or author. However, this material may be freely used for personal study or research purposes.
