Have you Beaten Down God in prayer?
If you believe in God, do you believe in prayer? Do you think you have a way to get help from a source stronger and mightier than human intervention? What is prayer? In its basic definition, it means to ask.
How long should someone pray? Some people pray and then stop asking because their prayers are not answered in a certain amount of time. Some may pray for weeks, months, or years. The question that probes my heart is, when do I stop asking for help? Another question I have is if I stop asking, will it stop the process of receiving my help? Hundreds of teachings on prayer are recited with formulas, examples, and outlines of the best method to pray and receive an answer. Many teachings on prayer will rely on personal testimonials on answered prayer. I believe a person should pray until the prayer is answered to the satisfaction of the person praying.
Persistence in prayer has a foundation in the scriptures. Luke 18:1- 8 has been used to teach persistence in prayer, but it's much more than persistence in this parable that the Lord is trying to convey. "And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. He said, "In a certain city there was a judge who neither feared God nor respected man. And there was a widow in that city who kept coming to him and saying, 'Give me justice against my adversary.' For a while, he refused, but afterward he said to himself, 'Though I neither fear God nor respect man, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will give her justice, so that she will not beat (KJV weary) me down by her continual coming.'" ESV
The Message translation reads like this, "Jesus told them a story showing that it was necessary for them to pray consistently and never quit. He said, "There was once a judge in some city who never gave God a thought and cared nothing for people. A widow in that city kept after him: 'My rights are being violated. Protect me!' 4-5 "He never gave her the time of day. But after this went on and on he said to himself, 'I care nothing what God thinks, even less what people think. But because this widow won't quit badgering me, I'd better do something and see that she gets justice—otherwise I'm going to end up beaten black-and-blue by her pounding.'"
Now, before you begin to ponder that the message bible is not an accurate translation, take a look at what the root word is for weary from the King James Version below:
"to strike under the eye" (from hupopion, "the part of the face below the eye;" hupo, "under," ops, "an eye"), hence, to beat the face black and blue (to give a black eye), is used metaphorically, and translated "buffet" in 1Cr 9:27 (AV, "keep under"), (RV marg., "bruise"); so RV marg. in Luk 18:5, of the persistent widow, text, "wear out" (AV, "weary").
See KEEP, WEAR, WEARY.
signifies "to strike with clenched hands, to buffet with the fist"
to beat black and blue, to smite so as to cause bruises and livid spots
to give one intolerable annoyance
beat one out, wear one out
by entreaties
that part of the face that is under the eyes
Strong's Definitions [?](Strong's Definitions Legend) ὑπωπιάζω hupōpiazō, hoop-o-pee-ad'-zo; from a compound of G5259 and a derivative of G3700; to hit under the eye (buffet or disable an antagonist as a pugilist), i.e. (figuratively) to tease or annoy (into compliance), subdue (one's passions):—keep under, weary.
According to these scriptures and the definition of approaching God, is he saying to come boldly and forcefully to me? Get my attention! Beat me down! At the very least, as children of God, we should be passionate and forceful in our asking and fully understand our rights as daughters or sons of God. Does God want us to fight him? How badly do we want our prayers answered? Jacob got down and wrestled with God till he blessed him. Why do we think we shouldn't do the same? How badly do you want to be blessed and have your prayers answered? I suggest going to the mat with your father and not letting up until you beat him in the match. That may take some time and effort, but the only thing you have to lose is your answered prayer.