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Silence that Echoes




Today God reminded me that there are things that I began praying for and never saw through.  I was in worship this morning and thought to myself, "gee, it would really be awesome if (insert old prayer request)." I felt like God replied, "Why did you stop praying?" So I immediately replied, "Nothing happened!" And then I heard it again... "Why did you stop praying?"

I discussed it with Adam on the way home from church and said a phrase that didn't seem to make sense initially that just kind of jumped out of my mouth without my thinking it through.  Then I kept talking and realized the phrase made perfect sense.  I told Adam, "I have gotten tired of hearing the silence so I stopped praying. It's the kind of silence that echoes!" Silence that echoes? Did I just say that? What on earth does that mean? And then I continued.  "It's like a hall full of doors and I have been banging on them for so long with no answer.  I am tired of hearing the silence.  The knocking without answer.  It's like the knocking just echoes in the hall. So instead of continuing to knock, I have given up because I don't want to hear the silence."  I'm not sure if it made sense to anyone but me but Adam seemed to understand me. 

We all have things we have given up on. 

There is a school of thought that believes that if God doesn't answer immediately, it must have not been His will and maybe we should stop asking.  This is not Biblical and Luke 18 makes a good point to that.  God wants us to keep knocking.  Get the Lord's heart on a situation and pray His will.  But if the answer does not come immediately, do NOT give up! Keep praying!! Sometimes God tarries in His answering.  I love the story of the widow and the unjust judge in the beginning of Luke 18 - the continual "Give me justice!" An interesting book end to Luke 18 is the story that ends the chapter - the blind beggar, "Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!"  Both stories show persistence.  Both were initially ignored.  Both kept pleading.  They weren't silent.  And the blind beggar "cried out all the more." And both got an answer.  The widow got justice and the blind beggar was healed.  Why? A little word that I discovered in my readings on prayer. 

Importunity.

im·por·tu·ni·ty
[im-pawr-too-ni-tee, -tyoo-]  noun,
1.  the state or quality of being importunate;  persistence in solicitation.

im·por·tu·nate
[im-pawr-chuh-nit] adjective
1. urgent or persistent in solicitation, sometimes annoyingly so.
2. pertinacious, as solicitations or demands.

I read this word initially in reading E.M. Bounds.  He stated that it was a quality to have in prayer so I looked it up, not knowing what it meant.  Even recently, in reading George Mueller, I saw it again.  Importunity.  Are you persistent in your solicitation in prayer? Do you keep knocking even in silence? God loves when we talk to Him.  Even if He doesn't seem to respond in our own view.  It moves His heart.  He loves hearing us ask Him.  Do not mistake the silence of God for a no.  He may simply want your persistence in asking.  For eventually when the answer comes, what a glorious day that will be.  And the you will have learned perseverance, patience, and endurance in the waiting. 

Don't give up.  If there are things you have prayed before and given up because there didn't seem to be an answer, pick it up again! Keep knocking! Keep asking! Learn importunity.  Start knocking again.  Even when the silence seems to echo. 

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