Becoming a Bold and Persistent Praying Church

Prayer is not just saying prayers before meals or only praying when trouble hits. Prayer is a back and forth relationship with Creator God, Yahweh himself, and prayer changes more than circumstances. Prayer changes how believers see their family, future, problems, church, and ultimately the trajectory of their lives. The call is to become people who pray boldly, specifically, consistently, and persistently.

Honi’s story gives a picture of faith that keeps praying in the drought. Biblical boldness does not tell God what He has to do. Biblical boldness knows who God is and trusts Him enough to ask. God’s throne is a throne of grace, and Jesus has made a way for God’s children to come with confidence. God is not irritated by repeated prayers, rolling His eyes when the same need keeps coming back.

Joshua 6 puts the picture of circling right into Scripture. Jericho stood between Israel and the promised land, fortified, intimidating, and impossible by human strength. God’s battle plan did not make sense, because God simply told Israel to walk around the wall. Faith does not always understand what God is doing. Faith does what God said even when the reason is not clear.

The question is, what is the Jericho standing between a believer and where God wants that believer to be? Jericho may be a marriage, a child, finances, addiction, unforgiveness, health, a dream, or a person far from Christ. Prayer becomes powerful when it gets specific. Jesus asked two blind men what they wanted Him to do, not because He needed information, but because He invited them to define their faith in Him.

Persistence is the difference between praying for something and praying through something. Jesus told His disciples to always pray and not give up, because a good Father can be trusted far more than an unjust judge. Israel kept walking when nothing seemed to be happening, and believers are called to keep praying when the wall is still standing. Silence is not absence.

A prayer journal can become a record of who God has been through it all. Answered prayers become fuel for future faith, just as David remembered the lion and the bear before facing Goliath. Bold prayer brings honest desires to God while surrendering completely to His wisdom. Jesus prayed specifically in Gethsemane, yet still said, “Not as I will, but as You will.”

The forty-day challenge calls believers to identify a Jericho, write it down, circle it in prayer, and build a new rhythm with God. The goal is not to force God to answer by a deadline. The goal is to become a circle maker who keeps walking, keeps praying, and trusts God before the wall falls.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. God is for His children. God’s love is not earned by saying the right words or bringing enough good works. Jesus has already made a way for God’s children to come confidently to the throne of grace. Confidence in prayer grows when believers stop approaching God as though He is distant, annoyed, or against them. [38:55]
• 2. Name the Jericho specifically. A vague prayer can keep faith vague. Jesus invited the blind men to say plainly, “We want our sight,” and that kind of honesty still matters. Specific prayer gives believers something real to trust God for and something clear to remember when God moves. [47:44]
• 3. Keep walking when nothing changes. Israel did not see the wall fall on lap one, two, or six. God’s instruction was simply to keep walking, even when the plan looked foolish and the results looked absent. Persistent prayer refuses to confuse God’s silence with God’s absence. [52:48]
• 4. Bold prayers surrender to God’s wisdom. Biblical boldness is not demanding that God fit into human plans. Jesus brought His deepest desire to the Father in Gethsemane, then fully submitted to the Father’s will. Mature prayer can say, “God, You are able,” while also saying, “God, I trust You.” [57:46]
• 5. Remember what God has already done. A written prayer record becomes more than a list of requests. God’s past faithfulness becomes strength for the next hard thing, just as David remembered God’s help against the lion and bear before facing Goliath. Answered prayers can fuel future faith when believers take time to remember them.
  
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Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [29:27] - Imperfect People, Perfect God
• [31:02] - Prayer Changes People
• [33:33] - Honi the Circle Maker
• [36:36] - Boldness Without Arrogance
• [38:55] - God Is for You
• [42:09] - Jericho and the Call to Obey
• [44:53] - Identifying Your Jericho
• [46:16] - Specific Prayer and Blind Men
• [49:46] - Praying Through Without Giving Up
• [52:48] - Keep Walking, Keep Praying
• [54:12] - Prayer Journals and Remembering God
• [57:46] - Bold Prayer and Full Surrender
• [61:12] - The Forty-Day Prayer Challenge
• [65:44] - Shouting Before the Wall Falls

Bible Reading

Joshua 6:1-20
“Now the gates of Jericho were tightly shut because the people were afraid of the Israelites. No one was allowed to go out or in. But the Lord said to Joshua, 'I have given you Jericho, its king, and all its strong warriors. You and your fighting men should march around the town once a day for six days. Seven priests will walk ahead of the Ark, each carrying a ram’s horn. On the seventh day you are to march around the town seven times, with the priests blowing the horns. When you hear the priests give one long blast on the rams’ horns, have all the people shout as loud as they can. Then the walls of the town will collapse, and the people can charge straight into the town.” [42:19]

Matthew 20:29-34
“As Jesus and the disciples left the town of Jericho, a large crowd followed behind. Two blind men were sitting beside the road. When they heard that Jesus was coming that way, they began shouting, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!' 'Be quiet!' the crowd yelled at them. But they only shouted louder, 'Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!' When Jesus heard them, he stopped and called, 'What do you want me to do for you?' 'Lord,' they said, 'we want to see!' Jesus felt sorry for them and touched their eyes. Instantly they could see! Then they followed him.” [46:28]

Luke 18:1-8
“One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up. 'There was a judge in a certain city,' he said, 'who neither feared God nor cared about people. A widow of that city came to him repeatedly, saying, 'Give me justice in this dispute with my enemy.' The judge ignored her for a while, but finally he said to himself, 'I don’t fear God or care about people, but this woman is driving me crazy. I’m going to see that she gets justice, because she is wearing me out with her constant requests!'' Then the Lord said, 'Learn a lesson from this unjust judge. Even he rendered a just decision in the end. So don’t you think God will surely give justice to his chosen people who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will grant justice to them quickly! But when the Son of Man returns, how many will he find on the earth who have faith?” [51:11]

Observation questions

1. In Joshua 6, what made Jericho such a serious obstacle for Israel, and what instructions did God give the people instead of a normal battle plan? [43:06]
2. In Matthew 20:29-34, how did the two blind men respond when the crowd told them to be quiet, and how did they answer Jesus’ question?
3. In Luke 18:1-8, what does the widow repeatedly ask the judge for, and what finally moves the judge to respond? [51:26]
4. What contrast is made between praying only when trouble comes and having an ongoing, back-and-forth relationship with God? [31:07]

Interpretation questions

1. Why might God have asked Israel to keep walking around Jericho for days before the wall fell? What does this reveal about obeying God when the outcome is not yet visible? [44:29]
2. Jesus asked the blind men to state what they wanted Him to do, even though He already knew their need. How can naming a need clearly help a believer express faith rather than merely make a vague request? [47:35]
3. In Luke 18, Jesus contrasts the unjust judge with God the Father. How does that contrast shape the way believers should understand persistence in prayer? [51:45]
4. How can a believer pray boldly for a desired outcome while still trusting God’s wisdom and surrendering to His will? [57:46]

Application questions

1. What is one “Jericho” currently standing between you and where you believe God wants you to be—perhaps in a relationship, health concern, finances, freedom from sin, or someone’s relationship with Christ? How could you name it more specifically before God? [45:04]
2. Is there a prayer you have stopped praying because nothing seemed to change? What would it look like to keep walking and keep praying without treating God’s silence as God’s absence? [53:13]
3. When you pray, do you tend to be vague, timid, demanding, or specific? What is one request you could begin praying clearly and honestly this week? [48:02]
4. What makes it difficult for you to believe that God is for you and welcomes you to come to Him? How might that belief change the way you approach prayer? [38:55]
5. What would a realistic prayer rhythm look like for you over the next forty days—considering a regular time, place, and simple way to stay consistent? [01:02:31]
6. Would a written prayer journal help you remember God’s faithfulness? What prayers or answers from your past would be worth recording so they can strengthen your faith for the next hard thing? [55:51]
7. What is one bold prayer you may be afraid to ask because you fear disappointment? How can you bring that desire honestly to God while also saying, “I trust Your wisdom and Your will”? [01:00:47]