Am I Bugging God When I Continue to Pray about the Same Thing?

Whether or not in the end God says, “Yes” to our prayer request, we can see clearly that persistence is blessed.

Matthew 15:28 says, “‘O woman,’ Jesus answered, ‘your faith is great! Let it be done for you as you desire.’ And her daughter was healed from that very hour.”

After not giving up asking and seeking the Savior, Jesus finally healed this woman’s daughter. Her desperation and her persistence is not dishonored, in fact it is welcomed and encouraged. No matter what the outcome, we are invited to come to God in prayer.

Matthew 7:7-8 says, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Again, this is not a guarantee that we get what we want in the end. If someone asks for a Ferrari every day, their persistence is there, but it likely doesn’t line up with the Father’s will. 1 John 5:14 makes this clear, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (emphasis added).

So yes, we are persistent in prayer, but as we pray, we also need to ask the Holy Spirit to expose our hearts and examine our motives. We need to be surrendered ultimately to the Lord.

Are we bugging God when we pray about the same thing? No. He loves for his children to talk with Him. I think some deeper questions here could be, “Does God hear me if He is not answering my prayers.” “Am I praying for something in line with God’s will?” “What is the Lord cultivating in me through praying?”

Jesus welcomes us to pray to Him. He encourages us to ask Him. He reveals that He will not always answer on our ideal time frames, but He is with us always. If our requests are things that are drawing us closer to God that honor Him, may we keep asking unashamedly and bring our humble prayers to Him.

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Photo credit: Unsplash/Eunice Lituanas

Emma Danzey’s mission in life stems from Ephesians 3:20-21, to embrace the extraordinary. One of her greatest joys is to journey with the Lord in His Scriptures. She is wife to Drew and mom to Graham. Emma serves alongside her husband in ministry, she focuses most of her time in the home, but loves to provide articles on the Bible, life questions, and Christian lifestyle. Her article on Interracial Marriage was the number 1 on Crosswalk in 2021. Most recently, Emma released Treasures for Tots, (Scripture memory songs) and multiple books and devotionals for young children. During her ministry career, Emma has released Wildflower: Blooming Through Singleness, two worship EP albums, founded and led Polished Conference Ministries, and ran the Refined Magazine. You can view her articles on her blog at emmadanzey.wordpress.com and check out her Instagram @Emmadanzey.