One day Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray. You can read it here.

Here are a couple principles He taught them:

Be persistent. Don’t quit asking. Pray until God answers you. Jesus tells the story of a man who’s already in bed when a friend comes to him at midnight and asks for food. The man doesn’t want to get out of bed and tells his friend to stop bothering him. Jesus goes on to say that the man will give him food because of his persistence not because of his friendship.

Jesus said to ask, seek and knock. Those who do will receive, find and have an open door. How often do we not get an answer to prayer simply because we stop asking?

Remember God is generous. Jesus went on to say, “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?”

I love giving gifts to my children. How much more good and kind and generous is God? And is there a greater gift than God Himself? If I have the Holy Spirit, then I am never lacking the wisdom, strength and resources I need.

What are you praying for today? Are you willing to stick with it? Even when you don’t receive an answer when you want it? Be persistent. Don’t quit. Wear God out with your asking. And remember that He is abundantly generous. He will not withhold what is good and best for you.