How often should we pray for something

In a post about prayer today, Mark Butterworth said this:

Which is just as well. There is a notion in all the major religions that some sort of prayer tank needs to be filled before some concern will be met by God. No one knows how many prayers it will take, but spinning enough wheels or saying rosaries will eventually do the trick.

When asked to pray for someone or on my own initiative for others (like our soldiers and their families), I say one prayer and that's it. I usually say it immediately. I don't care whether it comes across as especially sincere or not. I mean to express my concern, and leave the rest up to God.

I believe in the efficacy of petitionary prayer, but I don't make my faith depend on it.

I certainly agree with Mark that that faith shouldn't depend on the answer to a particular prayer, but that's not what I want to talk about at the moment. Instead I'm concerned with the comparison he draws about the frequency of prayer.

While I don't fall into the "If we can just accumulate enough prayers, God will change his mind" camp, I do tend to petition God for the same thing repeatedly. In fact, I tend to continue to pray to God for something until the matter has been conclusively resolved one way or the other.

I've often wondered if this was the way it was supposed to work. After all, when Paul described praying to have the "thorn" (whatever it was) removed, he said he asked three times and in context it seems like he thought that quite a lot. Of course, Paul also records that God spoke to him directly on the subject so maybe he just stopped praying because God had given him a definitive answer in a more direct way than I'm used.

That's the only passage I can think of that's on point in regard to this subject, and I'm really not sure what it tells us. Does anyone have any other thoughts?

Comments

[Stephen]

You may want to check out 1Sa 7:8 and Luke 18:1-8.

[Kristin]

There's the classic Matt 7:7 where the verbs (ask, seek, knock) are in the present imperative which Zodhiates says means a continued and repeated action.

Paul says he mentions the various churches in prayer often (Phil 1:4; Eph 1:16; Col 1:3; 1 Thes 1:2 Philemon 1:4).

[Bene Diction]

Petitioning also requires listening.
If God is my Father, He is patient with repeated requests and tuned to the singular ones. I think He's just glad to have us come to His throne. It's a relationship, not brownie points to win. Blog on!

[Matt Powell]

There's a lot in the Bible about the subjective purpose of prayer- that is, we pray to change ourselves, to submit our will to God as much as to change any events.

Matt. 6:5-13- The heathen think they'll be heard if they repeat themselves over and over, but God knows what we need already. So we pray, Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, before we pray for anything else.

Luke 22:45-46- Jesus tells his disciples to pray, to avoid temptation. The subjective response is what is in mind.

Phil. 4:6-7- Make all requests known unto God, and the result is "the peace which passeth all understanding".

God is sovereign and immutable. We will never change Him with our prayers. He frequently elects to work through them by His grace, but we pray to submit ourselves to His will, not to change Him.

[Hal Paxton]

These are all very good.

Let me add Luke 18:1-8. It's the parable Jesus tells of the woman and the unjust judge.

Verse one starts out: "Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up."

Of course it certainly is advisable to listen to the Lord, because He may give you what you want despite His having something better for you down the road. Case in point is when Israel went to Samuel and demanded a king because they wanted to be like their neighbors and even worse they were rejecting God as their king.

God told them it would be a bad idea and laid out to them just what would happen. Still they cried for a king and so he gave them Saul.

[bob lambert]

I think a righteous man, who knows God's will can get it in one shot. But a less righteous person may have to repeat the prayer, especially if the prayer is not God's will. In some cases as we repeat, we come to learn His will and the prayer may change. But I sure can appreciate the righteous man who has full confidence and a close relationship with God thinking that one time is enough.
But personally for me I would think myself a little arrogant. I like the idea that if you really want it, it is worth working for.

[Kate]

Yes, but what about the parable about the persistant woman and the judge? She kept asking and eventually her request was granted.

[Jeanne]

Through personal experience I have found that through prayer comes faith and often understanding as to what God's will is in my life. Talking to God about anything and everything is OK. God is our Father and for me it helps to talk to Him.