30 Bible Verses about Prayer, Persistence In

[To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.] I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

[A Song or Psalm for the Sons of Karah. To the Chief Musician upon mahanath leannoth. A maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.] O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you:

Seek the LORD and his strength, seek his face continually.

Because he has inclined his ear unto me, therefore will I call upon him as long as I live.

And he spoke a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint; Saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, neither regarded man: And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary.read more.
And he would not for awhile: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; Yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she wearies me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall not God avenge his own elect, who cry day and night unto him, though he bears long with them? I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man comes, shall he find faith on the earth?

And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him? And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give you.read more.
I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give to him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needs. And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.

And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thus with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;

Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; constant in prayer;

Pray without ceasing.

And Abraham drew near, and said, will you also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Suppose there be fifty righteous within the city: will you also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are there? That be far from you to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from you: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?read more.
And the LORD said, If I find in Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will spare all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, who am but dust and ashes: Suppose there shall lack five of the fifty righteous: will you destroy all the city for lack of five? And he said, If I find there forty and five, I will not destroy it. And he spoke unto him yet again, and said, Suppose there shall be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for forty's sake. And he said unto him, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak: Suppose there shall thirty be found there. And he said, I will not do it, if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord: Suppose there shall be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for twenty's sake. And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Suppose ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake. And the LORD went his way, as soon as he had left speaking with Abraham: and Abraham returned unto his place.

And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day. And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the day breaks. And he said, I will not let you go, except you bless me.read more.
And he said unto him, What is your name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Your name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince have you power with God and with men, and have prevailed. And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray you, your name. And he said, Why is it that you do ask my name? And he blessed him there. And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved. And as he passed over Penuel the sun rose upon him, and he limped upon his thigh. Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank.

Thus I fell down before the LORD forty days and forty nights, as I fell down at the first; because the LORD had said he would destroy you. I prayed therefore unto the LORD, and said, O Lord GOD, destroy not your people and your inheritance, which you have redeemed through your greatness, which you have brought forth out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not unto the stubbornness of this people, nor to their wickedness, nor to their sin:read more.
Lest the land from which you brought us out should say, Because the LORD was not able to bring them into the land which he promised them, and because he hated them, he has brought them out to slay them in the wilderness. Yet they are your people and your inheritance, which you brought out by your mighty power and by your outstretched arm.

And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. Yet now, if you will forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray you, out of your book which you have written.

And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept bitterly. And she vowed a vow, and said, O LORD of hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give unto your handmaid a male child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.

Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.

And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that you are the LORD God, and that you have turned their heart back again. Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.read more.
And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God. And Elijah said unto them, Take the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape. And they took them: and Elijah brought them down to the brook Kishon, and slew them there. And Elijah said unto Ahab, Get you up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he cast himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees, And said to his servant, Go up now, look toward the sea. And he went up, and looked, and said, There is nothing. And he said, Go again seven times. And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there arises a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare your chariot, and get you down, that the rain stops you not.

[A Song or Psalm for the Sons of Karah. To the Chief Musician upon mahanath leannoth. A maschil of Heman the Ezrahite.] O LORD God of my salvation, I have cried day and night before you: Let my prayer come before you: incline your ear unto my cry; For my soul is full of troubles: and my life draws near unto the grave.read more.
I am counted with them that go down into the pit: I am as a man that has no strength: Adrift among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave, whom you remember no more: and they are cut off from your hand. You have laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deep. Your anger lies hard upon me, and you have afflicted me with all your waves. Selah. You have put away my acquaintance far from me; you have made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. My eye mourns by reason of affliction: LORD, I have called daily upon you, I have stretched out my hands unto you. Will you show wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise you? Selah. Shall your lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or your faithfulness in destruction? Shall your wonders be known in the dark? and your righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But unto you have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer come before you. LORD, why cast you off my soul? why hide you your face from me? I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up: while I suffer your terrors I am distracted. Your fierce anger goes over me; your terrors have cut me off. They came round about me daily like water; they compassed me about together. Lover and friend have you put far from me, and my acquaintance into darkness.

I rose before the dawning of the morning, and cried: I hoped in your word. My eyes awake before the night watches, that I might meditate in your word. Hear my voice according unto your lovingkindness: O LORD, revive me according to your judgment.

[A song of ascents.] Out of the depths have I cried unto you, O LORD. Lord, hear my voice: let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If you, LORD, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?read more.
But there is forgiveness with you, that you may be feared. I wait for the LORD, my soul does wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waits for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Saying, Father, if you be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but yours, be done. And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.

Then came Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and said unto the disciples, Sit you here, while I go and pray yonder. And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very distressed. Then said he unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even unto death: tarry you here, and watch with me.read more.
And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as you will. And he came unto the disciples, and found them asleep, and said unto Peter, What, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, your will be done. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he said to his disciples, Sit here, while I shall pray. And he took with him Peter and James and John, and began to be greatly distressed, and to be very troubled; And said unto them, My soul is exceedingly sorrowful unto death: tarry you here, and watch.read more.
And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible unto you; take away this cup from me: nevertheless not what I will, but what you will. And he came, and found them sleeping, and said unto Peter, Simon, do you sleep? could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak. And again he went away, and prayed, and spoke the same words. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither knew they what to answer him.

Therefore I will look unto the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.

Our soul waits for the LORD: he is our help and our shield.

Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.

For in you, O LORD, do I hope: you will hear, O Lord my God.

Yea, in the way of your judgments, O LORD, have we waited for you; the desire of our soul is to your name, and to the remembrance of you.