Free Art Friday!!

"Three Free Tips on How to Make Meaningful Artwork in Your Home."

So I normally have a heading above each blog post, but do to Blogger's or should I say Booger's inability to upload my heading this am and the other day, you will have to envision it in your head!

For a creative person, this is hard to let go of not having a colorful heading above the post. But you don't want the heading, you want the tips, right! Smile!

Go to my Facebook Page, Joy Treasure, and watch the video for the tips.https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?v=10200361773747198&set=vb.221667614544049&type=2&theater


If you would like to keep up with me and my joyful adventure with God on a more regular basis, please go to the Joy Treasure Page on Facebook and "Like" it. You'll then be able to stay connected to what I am learning and sharing more frequently.

Thanks again for your support here on Joy Treasure.
I blog for Jesus and to encourage YOU!!!!
 

Inside the Head of a Grieving Person- My Story

To all my precious readers who follow my little blog about the JOY of JESUS where I try to encourage you towards a life that passionately pursues Christ as your joy and treasure, this is for you:

So I haven't been blogging for a while. I haven't been able to write or think clearly. I almost even lost my voice to sing and my joy in painting. It's because I lost my father to lung cancer after Thanksgiving.

Time seemed to have stood still the day my father's cancer returned in late summer. I can remember every detail like it were yesterday. It was a nightmare. The worst of the worse I could never have imagined I would have to walk through. Never in my wildest dreams would I ever thought my father, who never smoked a day in his life and took care of his body, would ever be diagnosed with lung cancer. But, I learned that he was exposed as a child to a family of aunts and uncles who smoked all the time and drove him around in a car with all the windows rolled up. It's the reason him having lung cancer came to make sense to me. It's not fair is it? But it's reality dear sister. And I can't change what God has allowed. I have accepted this loss and am walking through the grieving process in a slow and healthy way holding on so tight to the hand of my sweet Jesus. He is so good. I can testify to that truth!

What's Inside the Head of A Grieving Person? 

I can only speak about myself.
I am sharing this information here so if there is anyone out there who doesn't understand what people are going through when it comes to the grieving process, or if someone is grieving over a loss and needs to know they are not alone can be encouraged, this is the reason for this post.

Sometimes I look like I am doing pretty good. But inside, I am grieving. There are a lot of emotions, life changes, grasping new realities, questions, and thoughts that are taking place in my mind. While the world moves on and the sympathy cards stop coming, I am still missing my sweet daddy. I am still trying to wrap my mind around the fact that I will never see my father here on this earth again. That's a hard truth to swallow. I experience good days and laugh. And then I remember the loss of my father and some days are hard. Very Hard. That remembrance can come through seeing his favorite color which was yellow, hearing a Chuck Berry song in a restaurant or smelling the aroma of Polo cologne. It sometimes can come to me when I see my son using my dad's cane in the house because he wants to be close to his "papaw." It changes and I know it will continue to change. For me, I began grieving when it became evident my father was going to die from lung cancer. That his fight he fought so hard was not making a difference anymore. Everyday he worsened felt like a slow walk toward the grave. This kind of death makes you think about eternity in a way you never have thought about it before. Little things you used to get flustered over are meaningless. I remember one morning looking around at everyone I passed at Target and having the thought, "Their life looks great." People in the store were smiling and shopping. Families were enjoying being together. Fathers were holding their children. But my father was dying. My father was struggling for his life. Life seemed good for them. So it seemed. But not for me. Not for my mom. Cancer became the dark cloud hanging over my family for months. And this time daddy was not going to be healed permanently on this earth. This time my prayers shifted from, "God heal him and give him more time on this earth" to, "Lord, please take him away from this cancer and heal him permanently in Heaven." That's a hard prayer to pray when you're loved one is still with you. It's a hard prayer to pray because it is saying, "LORD, I let them go to You." It's a "letting go" prayer that we don't naturally want to pray.

MY TREASURE IS THE JOY OF KNOWING JESUS

This has not been a journey I never would have picked nor do I ever wish anyone would have to go through. It is the roughest place I have ever been. And I am not the one who had cancer. Day by day I watched my strong father become weakened by cancer's grip. I watched him willingly submit to the LORD's will without a whimper or curse. Of all things, the LORD has made it evident even as I walked through this hard place that my ministry focus is to teach others about the joy of Jesus. I can tell you dear sister that my greatest test in regards to joy was discovering joy in the midst of a caring for a dying parent. In the hallways of a cold, sterile hospital, I found joy. In the corner of the hospital cafeteria where the food had lost its taste, I found joy. In the hallway of the hospital when a friend called to encourage me over the phone, I found joy. Sitting in the chair next to my father's side, I found joy. On the night my father died and I saw that his spirit was no longer here on earth, that there was no breath coming from his mouth, I found joy. On the day his body was buried in a casket, placed into the ground and I had to say goodbye to the loving face I had known all my life, I FOUND JOY. JOY IN JESUS. I HAVE HAD IT EVER SINCE I WAS A LITTLE GIRL WHO TRUSTED JESUS. AND KNOW IT WAS BECOMING MORE REAL TO ME THAN EVER BEFORE.

HEAVEN IS FOR REAL

God did not create us for death. He created us for life!!! Eternal life!!(John 3:16) And sin has come in and taken over this world. And Jesus IS the only remedy for sin's reconciliation. Jesus is the only way we can get back into a right relationship with God the Father (John 14:6). All my life I have believed this, but now I really know this in a new way. I can sing about heaven now because it is more real to me than ever before. I can read the Bible now with more passion because it is more real to me than ever before. When I think of Heaven now, I used to think about Jesus. But when I think about Heaven now, I think about Jesus and my father. I don't want to live this life on earth anymore in a half-hearted way. I want to live here and go out with a bang and have the Savior say to me when I reach Heaven's gate, "Well done, my good and faithful servant" (Matthew 25:23).

Oh dear sister, what you believe about heaven is true (Revelation 21:3). Don't lose heart. We really leave this earth and go to be with Jesus if we have trusted Him as our Savior.

 

What To Say To Someone Who Is Grieving

There is nothing you can say to someone who has lost a loved but, "I am so sorry" and "How are you." You may feel like you need to talk more to say something meaningful to them, but you can't comfort them. Only God can heal the brokenhearted (Psalm 147:3). You can ask them if they have any needs. You can send them a card when the cards have quit coming. You can bring them flowers when the flowers have stopped coming. You can text them and let them know you prayed for them today. You can go and sit with them or take them to lunch or dinner and let them talk. But there is nothing, nothing you can ever say to make the pain go away. This I believe is where people stumble. It's in our nature to help people and say or do something. But what I want to encourage you to do to those you know who have lost a loved one is to keep them on your radar. To say "hello" to them. To sit by them in church. To walk alongside them and just be. Don't talk. Just listen. And let them know they are still thought about. Still prayed for. Still loved. This is what you can do.

 

So here I am in a place I never chose but God allowed me and my mom to walk through. My daddy is at peace. He is walking again and cancer can never overtake his body again. I imagine he is talking with Abraham and Moses. He is seeing loved ones he lost long ago and so many other people.... I can't even imagine he is talking to!!! Most of all, He is seeing his faith in living reality color. He is seeing Jesus.

 

Prayer:

Oh dear Heavenly Father, YOU are still good. Even when we lose our loved ones here on this earth, You are still good. You are still with us. You are still our help. You are still our joy. You are still our hope. You are still Love. We are always on your mind. Our names are written on your hand. Our inheritance is secure and our hope is eternal. You still have purpose for us here on this earth and you will help us find our way through the grieving process. How I thank you for your precious Word. The WORD that gives Life to these dry bones. The Word that is sweeter than honey. The only Word that rejoices our hearts. Oh thank you for leaving us with Your Word. Your Word is from Your very breath which is from your very heart. Thank you we can know your heart. Thank you we can know your mind. Thank your we can know truth in a world that makes up its own truth. May every person who reads this post be blessed, be encouraged, be enlightened, be hopeful that there is so much more to life than paying bills, going on vacation, and having a nice home. May you awaken hearts to know you more and love you more. In Jesus Name I pray, Amen

 

 

Just for Women Wednesdays-

Women have a longing.
A DEEP longing.
A desire for something more in this life that cannot be quenched by anything else. 
We are unique creatures created by God, and we do a good job trying to fill the void of our hearts. 

Silently, we go on seeking and find that:

Macy's and Bloomingdale's can't soothe it.

A quick run to Target can't dampen it

Black Friday can't diminish it.

Extreme Couponing can quell it.

A nice home can't fill it.

A positive mental attitude can't demolish it.

A wonderful husband and family can't pacify it.

Good dates (if single) can't content it. 

Fabulous vacations can't suppress it.

Promotions at work can't suffice it.

Sweet friends that love Jesus can't be substituted for it. 

And yes, even good hair can't snuff it out.

We have a longing to be filled.
A longing to have enough.
A longing that we try to seek in finding other things.
But our greatest longing is to be known by God and to be satisfied in our hearts by knowing Him.
 
We know Him first by knowing Jesus as our Savior (John 14:6, Romans 10:13), and then by growing in our relationship with Him by reading His Word. Yet, the reading of His Word for some of us believers can be quite boring. Opening the pages of the Bible can at times be tedious and uninteresting. Why?

I am convinced being satisfied in the LORD and being excited about His WORD all goes back to the center of our prayer lives. Do we even pray for God to satisfy our hearts with only Himself?

Listen to the prayer of longing from the Psalmist:

• "Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14

The word "satisfy" in Hebrew means to "became satisfied, drink their fill, get enough, fed to the full, have in excess, abundance." The Psalmist is asking to be filled by God and God alone. He is asking for God's love, grace and mercy to fill him and not the things of this world. 

The Psalmist desired for God to be the satisfaction of his life and that being satisfied in Him would be the foundation of His day. What a great thought! What a wonderful prayer! When was the last time you asked the LORD to fill your mornings with His love? When was the last time you even had a desire to be filled by Him instead of by worldly things?

Begin by praying for God to satisfy you with Himself.
Ask Him to give you a love for His Word and that the Holy Spirit would cause His Word to come alive in your heart.
He will do it.
He will do it!

 

Manna Monday- A Beautiful Mind

One of the things I have been asking the LORD lately is to give me a beautiful mind. "Please give me a mind that is more like Christ, than more like myself, God!" I pray. I desire for my mind to be a reflection of His Word, not my sinful thoughts. I yearn, for His thoughts to become my first thoughts. And, as much I want it, it doesn't happen just by going to Bible study or church each week. It simply does not happen. SIGH. Why? Because I leave my thoughts to well, my own thoughts which are sinful because I am naturally born into sin (Romans 8:5).

 

By the time Monday morning comes along, every thought about the sermon, Sunday school lesson or bible study has left my mind like a balloon floating away into the deep blue sky, taking me back to the comfort of my old habitual thought patterns. UGHHHHH!!!!!

 

"Enough," I said.

 

Recently, I have been resolved, determined, to get back to memorizing Scripture.

It has been an amazing journey this past month. I have memorized five Scriptures.

FIVE!!!!

 

Yes, you CAN memorize Scripture. You just have to do one thing: do it!

 

Here is what I do:

Find a Scripture. Write it down on a note card. Study each word. Ask myself questions about the verse like :

• What does this Scripture mean?
• What new truth am I learning from Scripture that I have never thought about before? 
• What new thing am I learning about God? Is there something I am learning about how my response should be toward Him?
• What is God telling me to do in this Scripture?
• Is there a sin I need to confess?
• What encouragement from Scripture am I receiving this morning?

Then I write a prayer on the back of my scripture praying the Scripture aloud. This is a picture of one of the verses:

 

As I go back through each Scripture, I am in awe of God's love for me, and in awe of how I am changing. The key to changing is discipline. It's not going to happen overnight. But it DOES happen day by day! May we become like the Psalmist in Psalm 119 who was in love with the Word of God:

 

"My soul is consumed with longing for your laws at all times." Psalm 119: 20

Praying this encourages your you wherever you are in your walk with the LORD this Monday!!!





 

Just for Women Wednesdays: Praying Deep

 

This is how I pray everyday.

 

It's hard to be so bold dear sisters, but I have to ask you a question, "Are you praying deep?"

 

Are you praying beyond yourself? Beyond your own limited vocabulary? Have you come to a place where you don't even desire to pray much, or if you do, do your prayers sound stagnant and boring, like a repeat of an old song? Have your prayers become like a two liter bottle of Coca-Cola that looks good on the outside to everyone else in a group setting, but when at home and opened, tastes awful due to it's lack of fizz? Is this your prayer life, dear one? It's OK if it is, because every day you have a new opportunity to come back before the throne of Grace (Hebrews 4:16) and pray.

 

This was the question I asked myself recently because I don't just want to pray words anymore, I want to pray scripture. I had gotten out of the daily discipline of praying God's Word and I wanted to get back to that discipline. I don't want my prayers to be shallow, I want to pray DEEP. I want to pray beyond my fleshly self. I want my prayers to go beyond my limited vocabulary and fleshly will and go deeper into God's vocabulary and will. I want my prayers to speak His language back to Him. I want His words, to become my words. The only way for that to become a reality is for me to pray beyond myself and to pray scripture.

 

The prayer I prayed today is Psalm 31:3. It's in the picture above this post. I write it down, search it out in study and then memorize it. It's my journey back from praying with fizzle to praying with fire.

 

As a student of the Bible, I love to understand each word. My question this morning was, "what is the difference between 'lead' and 'guide.'" There is a difference. Did you know that?

 

lead- "bring, put, to go in a direction of, turn eyes toward."

guide- "to lead or guide to a watering place, bring to a place of rest, refresh. "

 

Like David, my prayer is that God would lead me in His direction, not my own, and that He would guide me to a place of refreshment. I am so desperate for Him, for his rest, for His Words to water my dry life. Aren't you?

 

If you find yourself  today just like me, I pray that you too, would be encouraged in your heart that there is a better way to pray.

 

Pray beyond yourself.

Pray God's Word.

 

I am so thankful for being able to serve you as I write this post. I am praying this blog continues to inspire, encourage and bring you much joy in the faith.

 Thank you for coming by today! I love you in the LORD!!!!

What's a Woman to do with Jealousy?

How do you deal with jealousy? Do you quickly recognize it and give it God or do you let it find a comfortable place in your heart and take up residency? Listen girls, jealousy is a destructive pit that if you don't get a handle on it quickly, can overtake your mind, attitude and actions. Jealousy can move from a temptation to a new way of life. It can ruin your daily thinking and keep you from praying. It can lead to a deep root of bitterness that comes out in everything you say and do. It can be the foundation where other sins are birthed. Don't discount jealousy today and pass up this post. We all need to be reminded of this treacherous temptation. 

 

I still remember a girl from high school that I was so jealous of. I didn't want to be jealous of her because she was so nice, but I was. She was pretty, smart, wore cute clothes, seemed to never have a bad day, was liked by everyone, and every teacher adored her. Every time I would see her, I would just feel so awful about myself. So my natural mind would say, "I wish I was like her."

 

Can anybody relate? Anybody?

 

 

Here's today's truth: God did not create you to dislike yourself.

Get that into your head even if you have to say out loud. He is pleased with "you" His creation. There is NO other YOU!!!

 

When you and I take our eyes off of God and His Word and place our sole focus on what we "wish" we were like, (that we see in other women) our natural mind will take us into the disastrous pit of jealousy every time. We will wallow in the mucky mire and feel awful about ourselves. That awful feeling will turn into hatred towards another woman for making us feel that way. So then this jealousy has birthed another sin, the sin of hatred. We will not be able to get out of the pit of jealousy unless we determine to come back to God. Until we decide we want to be with Him instead of being with our jealousy. If we choose to stay in the pit of jealousy, our minds will naturally begin to adjust to a new normal, and jealous thoughts will have its way and ruin our thought processes.  

 

What I have come to find out as an adult who loves and follows Christ, is that jealousy is always going to be lurking in the least unexpected places. That's why we've got to be watchful and let God's wisdom be the pursuit of our thought lives. The wise woman, the woman who places her aim on learning God's Word in her mind, learns how to recognize the temptation to be jealous and quickly seeks to stomp it out with prayer and truth. Otherwise, the natural mind aims at raising jealousy to the new normal. And what happens then is that we begin to live in defeat instead of in the victory of Christ.

 

Remember the Life of Joseph

Think back to Joseph and his brothers (Genesis 37:4). The more his brothers kept their eyes on the favor Joseph received from their father, jealousy overtook their minds. Their minds changed  their attitude and their attitude took over their actions. For we know that they sold their very own brother into slavery (Genesis 37:28).

 

A Real Life Jealousy Plan:

1. Confess who you are jealous of to God.

2. Pray for that woman.

3. Find Scripture to help strengthen the natural state of your mind.

4. Do it over and over again until God has broken you free.

 

Manna Monday- Three "I Will's" of God

Isn't it easy to forget the promises of God?

One day, you are praising Him for each of His promises, and a few weeks later life has thrown you for a loop and you are struggling to remember where each promise you once held on to so dearly is found in the Bible. I am convinced if we will keep God's Word in front of us, we will have more peace, more strength, more joy, more clarity, and more wisdom if we will just open our Bibles. It's all there, in God's written Word. The one obstacle between us and our Bibles is, well... our own selves. We all struggle to keep God's Word at the forfront of our hearts and minds.

 

This Monday, we focus on the "I Will's" of God. Will does not mean "might" or "maybe." It is a word grounded in certainty.

 

Say this verse aloud today.

You will find it a great encouragement as I have found encouragement.

 

"The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing." Zephaniah 3:17

 

This Monday is a new day with new opportunities. A new day to receive a new Word from the LORD as you read the Bible. Think about how the God of the universe delights in you. Think about how he quiets your heart with His love. Think about how rejoices over you, His creation.
This is solid truth for our minds to be focused on today. Turning our hearts and minds towards God's promises instead of on our impossible problems nourishes our soul unlike any soul food.
This Monday, rejoice over God's promises of "I will."He is a God of certainty, not uncertainty.
That brings me great comfort and I hope it brings you great comfort too!
 

Manna Monday-Is Your Joy Shallow?

 

Is your joy shaky? Shallow? Stunted by your life circumstances? These are the questions I asked myself recently as I read a book by the late, great pastor Charles Spurgeon, "How to Have Real Joy." Great title isn't it! It's what everyone wants to know. People want to be happy. They want to know joy. They want to know how to get it and keep it. Spurgeon defines what the believer already has in his heart throughout the book. What's interesting to me is joy is not what you think it is.  His thoughts about joy given by Jesus to the heart of a believer gives me so much to think about. I wanted to share one of his thoughts with you today. Have  you ever thought about someone having shallow joy? Listen to how he describes shallow joy. I think you too will find it quite thought provoking. 

"This joy of the LORD in our spirits springs from an assurance that our entire future, regardless of what may happen, is guaranteed by divine goodness. We are joyful when we know that, as children of God, the love of God toward us never changes. The believer feels complete satisfaction in leaving himself in the hands of eternal and unchangeable love. However happy I may be today, if I am in doubt about tomorrow, there is a worm in the root of my peace. Although the past may now be pleasant in retrospect, and the present satisfying and enjoyable, if the future looks gloomy and frightening, my joy is shallow." 

(Source: How to Have Real Joy, Charles Spurgeon, pg.72-73, Whitaker House)
 

This thought about shallow joy makes sense. God gives us His Joy. Because joy is a fruit of the Spirit, the way for it to grow is spending time with Jesus (John 15:1-11). But when we turn away from Jesus and let doubt come in and takeover out thoughts about our future, our joy is not growing. It is not deeply rooted in Jesus. It is deeply rooted in our circumstances. If I believe that God is over all things (Ephesians 1:22), is working for my good (Romans 8:28) and has a plan for my life (Jeremiah 29:11), I need not worry (Matthew 6:34). My joy is shallow when I turn my heart and mind away from believing God's Word. My joy is shallow when something happens and I think God is against me. When I think that nothing good will come out of a bad situation, my joy is shallow. 

Dear sister, when the storms come and we find ourselves thinking this way, our joy IS shallow. It reveals our joy is not deeply rooted in the promises and truths of Christ but in our own control. It reveals that we have not been abiding in Christ like we should.

You have the joy of Jesus in your heart.
Grow the joy God gives you by spending time with Him and reading of His Word (John 15:10-11). When the storms of life come, the joy of the LORD will be your strength (Nehemiah 8:10). 

 

Manna Monday- Life is Fragile, Live Joyfully

 

Have you ever stopped to think about how fragile life is?

One minute, and your life can change. One word, and a relationship can be broken. One thought, and a sin can be birthed. One wrong decision, and a lifetime consequence becomes a reality. One glance toward an invitation of discouragement, and your attitude can head south. One turn, and an accident can happen. Life is fragile.

 

Each minute is a moment

So why not live joyfully?

  

James 4:14 says, "How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog--it's here a little while, then it's gone." What are you doing with the minutes of your life? What are you doing with those "one" things that can take you away from living in the joy of Jesus?

 

My challenge to myself and to you is to take each day, each moment and live in the full measure of the joy of Jesus. How do you do that? I am going to tell you a secret that you already know. And it's not my opinion, it's the very words of Jesus. The joyful life is experienced to the fullest by spending time in His Word and by obeying His Word (John 15:10-11).  Jesus deposits HIS JOY inside your heart upon salvation in Him..... and it is always there in your heart. The problem with joy is that we let sin cover it up, turn away from spending time with Jesus and in turn, our hearts don't treasure His JOY. As a fruit of the Spirit, joy is produced more in our lives when we spend more time WITH CHRIST!!  (John 15:11; John 16:24; John 17:13).

 

 

As you begin this new week, think about how fragile life is. Think about how each minute is a moment. What are you doing with the minutes of your life?  Are you living in constant drama, constant discouragement, constant frustration over the circumstances of your life? You don't have to dear sister! Although life is fragile, the joy of Jesus is stable and secure and can help you move through any storm with confidence. Joy is finding deep satisfaction in God's promises which never change. His Word can be trusted. The more we choose to live in the chaos of life instead of in Christ's joy, we will miss the fullness of the joy of Jesus. It will be covered up because of our sin. Because He is the source of joy, we have to remain where He is. That's why trying to draw near to Him through the reading of His Word is vitally important. Try to memorize a scripture or read a passage a few minutes a day and see how that time well spent can produce more joy in your life than you can ever imagine.

 

Each minute is a moment. Live joyfully!

 

 

 

The Prayer that Really Matters

All prayers matter, right?  YES!!!
But what is the prayer that really matters?
Is there a prayer that really matters? And if so, what is it about the prayer that matters?

Over the past year, this question has captivated my heart as I have been praying consistently over the same thing. "What is it about prayer that really matters?"

The Prayer Path

I come humbly to God.
I lay my burden (that I cannot bear) down at His feet.
I wait. wait. wait.
I feel confident that I have laid the burden down at His feet.

Silence.
Nothing has changed.

A few days later, the request comes rushing back to my mind.
I see no answer.
I doubt.
I become anxious fearing the future.
Discouraged.
Filled with a little disbelief. Hating the disbelief but knowing I need to fight the disbelief.
So I turn.... I turn back to the Holy Scriptures.
I read.
My heart is encouraged.
My mind is filled with truth instead of emotions.
I come humbly back again to God believing that He hears me.
I lay my burden (that I cannot bear) down at His feet.

Silence.
I pray.
I wait.
I pray.
I wait.

Days pass.
Months pass.

Silence.

I begin to question God again like a sheep that has gone astray.
"God, do you hear me?" I say. "Where are you? I need you!!"
I turn to read the words of the prophet Micah, "But as for me, I watch in hope for the LORD, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me." Micah 7:7
Micah is confident. Me,....not so confident.
My heart rejoices in his confidence in the LORD. I want the same confidence for my own heart.

Still Silence.
Days later, nothing has changed,

I turn to read the words of the Psalmist, "Know that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself; the LORD will hear when I call to him" Psalm 4:3

I believe the LORD hears me but I still don't see an answer.
Reflection.
I am sorry LORD. I have been acting like an impatient child who calls out his mother's name 11 times in the grocery store. But am I really impatient, OR am I becoming more dependent on my heavenly Father instead of myself?

Persistence in prayer matters. The Bible says so.

More reflection with a question.
"What does God really want from me?" I question myself.
Dependence. Half- hearted dependence? No.
Total, complete dependence. Everyday, all the time. YES!!

You see, the more we don't see Him answer, the more we come seeking Him. The more we come searching for Him. Calling out His promises to Him. Believing He WILL answer just like His Word says He will.

Webster's Dictionary describes this as persistence: Inclined to persist; having staying qualities; tenacious of position or purpose.

Listen to Luke 11:8 when Jesus is talking about the prayer that really matters:
"if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence." (NLT)

"yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs." Luke 11:8 9 (NASB)

Then I am reminded of Romans 12:12:
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (also means persistent in prayer.)

Listen to the words of the commentary on Luke chapter 11 verse 8.

He does not promise to give blessings "at once." He promises only that he will do it, or "will answer" prayer. But he often causes his people long to wait. He tries their faith. He leaves them to persevere for months or years, until they "feel" entirely their dependence on him, until they see that they can obtain the blessing in no other way, and until they are "prepared" to receive it. Often they are not prepared to receive it when they ask it at first. They may be proud, or have no just sense of their dependence, or they would not value the blessing, or it may "at that time" not be best for them to obtain it. But let no one despair. If the thing is for "our" good, and if it is proper that it "should" be granted, God will give it. Let us first ask aright; let us see that our minds are in a proper state; let us feel our need of the blessing; let us inquire whether God has "promised such" a blessing, and "then" let us persevere until God gives it. (Source: Barnes Commentary http://bible.cc/luke/11-8.htm)

Thank you God that you tell us in your Word over and over again that persistence is the key that matters in all praying. Thank you that persistence leads to dependence on You. Help us to be a people, fixed on your will and purposes and not our own. Help us learn through prayer how to depend on you for everything. Grow our faith in the waiting and help us to cling closely to your promises in your truth that believe that you hear us. Thank you for being the God who sees and hears!
                                                                                                           In Jesus Name, Amen.