30 Bible Verses about Prayer, Persistence In

I waited patiently for Yahweh, And he inclined to me and heard my cry for help.

O Yahweh, God of my salvation, I cry out by day [and] through the night before you.

Seek Yahweh and his strength; seek his face continually!

Because he has inclined his ear to me, I will call {all my days}.

And he told them a parable to [show that] they must always pray and not be discouraged, saying, "There was a certain judge in a certain town who did not fear God and did not respect people. And there was a widow in that town, and she kept coming to him, saying, 'Grant me justice against my adversary!'read more.
And he was not willing for a time, but after these [things] he said to himself, 'Even if I do not fear God or respect people, yet because this widow is causing trouble for me, I will grant her justice, so that she does not wear me down in the end [by her] coming back!'" And the Lord said, "Listen to what the unrighteous judge is saying! And will not God surely {see to it that justice is done} to his chosen ones who cry out to him day and night, and will he delay toward them? I tell you that {he will see to it that justice is done} for them soon! Nevertheless, [when] the Son of Man comes, then will he find faith on earth?"

And he said to them, "Who of you will have a friend, and will go to him at midnight and say to him, 'Friend, lend me three loaves, because a friend of mine has come to me on a journey, and I do not have anything to set before him.' And that one will answer from inside [and] say, 'Do not cause me trouble! The door has already been shut and my children are with me in bed! I am not able to get up to give you [anything].'read more.
I tell you, even if he does not give him [anything] [after he] gets up because [he] is his friend, at any rate because of his impudence he will get up [and] give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

All these were busily engaged with one mind in prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus and with his brothers.

And they were devoting themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayers.

with all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and to this [end] being alert with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints,

rejoicing in hope, enduring in affliction, being devoted to prayer,

pray constantly,

And Abraham drew near [to Yahweh] and said, "Will you also sweep away the righteous with the wicked? If perhaps there are fifty righteous in the midst of the city, will you also sweep [them] away and not forgive the place on account of the fifty righteous in her midst? Far be it from you to do such a thing as this, to kill [the] righteous with [the] wicked, that the righteous would be as the wicked! Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do justice?"read more.
And Yahweh said, "If I find fifty righteous in Sodom, in the midst of the city, then I will forgive the whole place for their sake." Then Abraham answered and said, "Look, please, I was bold to speak to my Lord, but I [am] dust and ashes. Perhaps the fifty righteous are lacking five--will you destroy the whole city on account of the five?" And he answered, "I will not destroy [it] if I find forty-five there." And {once again he spoke} to him and said, "What if forty are found there?" And he answered, "I will not do [it] on account of the forty." And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak. What if thirty be found there?" And he answered, "I will not do [it] if I find thirty there." And he said, "Please, now, I was bold to speak to my Lord. What if twenty be found there?" And he answered, "I will not destroy [it] for the sake of the twenty." And he said, "Please, let not my Lord be angry, and I will speak only once more. What if ten are found there?" And he answered, "I will not destroy [it] for the sake of the ten." Then Yahweh left, as he finished speaking to Abraham, and Abraham returned to his place.

And Jacob remained alone, and a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the dawn. And when he saw that he could not prevail against him, he struck his hip socket, so that Jacob's hip socket was sprained as he wrestled with him. Then he said, "Let me go, for dawn is breaking." But he answered, "I will not let you go unless you bless me."read more.
Then he said to him, "What [is] your name?" And he said, "Jacob." And he said, "Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have struggled with God and with men and have prevailed." Then Jacob asked and said, "Please tell me your name." And he said, "Why do you ask this--for my name?" And he blessed him there. Then Jacob called the name of the place Peniel [which means] "I have seen God face to face and my life was spared." Then the sun rose upon him as he passed Penuel, and he was limping because of his hip. Therefore the {Israelites} do not eat the sinew of the sciatic nerve that [is] upon the socket of the hip unto this day, because he struck the socket of the thigh of Jacob at the sinew of the sciatic nerve.

"And I lay prostrate before Yahweh through forty days, and through forty nights I prostrated myself, because Yahweh intended to kill you. And I prayed to Yahweh, and I said, 'Lord Yahweh, you must not destroy your people and your inheritance whom you redeemed in your greatness, whom you brought out from Egypt with a strong hand. Remember your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; you must not {pay attention to} the stubbornness of this people, to their wickedness and to their sin,read more.
lest [the people of] the land from which you brought us out from there say, "Because Yahweh was not able to bring them to the land that he {promised} to them and because of his hatred [toward] them, he has brought them out to kill them in the desert." For they [are] your people and your inheritance whom you brought with your great power and with your outstretched arm.'

And Moses returned to Yahweh, and he said, "Alas, this people has sinned a great sin and made for themselves gods of gold. And now if you will forgive their sin--and if not, please blot me from your scroll that you have written."

She [was] {deeply troubled}, so she prayed to Yahweh and wept bitterly. She {made a vow} and said: "O Yahweh of hosts, if you will look with compassion on the misery of your female servant, and will remember me, and not forget your female servant, and will give to your female servant {a male child} then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and a razor will never pass over his head."

Elijah was a human being with the same nature as us, and {he prayed fervently} for [it] not to rain, and it did not rain on the land [for] three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the earth produced its fruit.

It happened at the offering of the [evening] oblation, Elijah the prophet went near, and he said, "O Yahweh, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel; let it be known today that you [are] God in Israel and [that] I [am] your servant and [that] I have done all of these things by your words. Answer me, O Yahweh, answer me; that this people may know that you, O Yahweh, [are] God and that you have turned their hearts back again." Then the fire of Yahweh fell, and it consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust; and the water which [was] in the trench it licked up!read more.
When all the people saw, they fell on their faces and said, "Yahweh, he [is] God! Yahweh, he [is] God!" Then Elijah said to them, "Seize the prophets of Baal; don't let any man of them escape!" So they seized them, and Elijah brought them down to the wadi of Kishon and killed them there. Then Elijah said to Ahab, "Go up, eat and drink, for [there is] the sound of the noise of rain." So Ahab went up to eat and to drink while Elijah went to the top of Carmel, bent down to the earth, and put his face between his knees. Then he said to his servant, "Please go [and] look in the direction of [the] sea." So he went up and looked; then he said, "There is nothing." Then he said, "Go back," seven times. It happened that at the seventh time, he said, "Look, there is a small cloud, as [the] hand of a man, coming up from the sea." Then [Elijah] said, "Go up, say to Ahab, 'Harness [your horses] and go down, lest the rain stop you.'"

O Yahweh, God of my salvation, I cry out by day [and] through the night before you. Let my prayer come before you; incline your ear to my cry. For my soul is full with troubles, and my life approaches Sheol.read more.
I am reckoned with [those] descending to [the] pit. I am like a man without strength, set free among the dead, like [the] slain lying in [the] grave, whom you no longer remember, even those cut off from your hand. You have set me in [the] pit below, in dark places, in [the] depths. Your wrath presses upon me, and you afflict [me with] all your waves. Selah You have removed my acquaintances far from me. You have made me detestable to them. [I am] confined and cannot go out. My eye languishes from misery. I call on you, O Yahweh, every day; I spread out my hands to you. Do you work wonders for the dead? Or do [the] departed spirits rise up [to] praise you? Selah Is your loyal love told in the grave, [or] your faithfulness in the underworld? Are your wonders known in the darkness, [or] your righteousness in [the] land of forgetfulness? But as for me, I cry for help to you, O Yahweh, and in the morning my prayer comes before you. Why do you reject my soul, O Yahweh? [Why] do you hide your face from me? I [am] afflicted and perishing from [my] youth. I bear your terrors. I am distraught. Your burning anger has passed over me; your sudden fears have destroyed me. They surround me like water all the day; they circle about me altogether. You have removed loved one and friend far from me, my acquaintances [far from my] darkness.

I rise early in the dawn and cry for help; I hope in your word. My eyes anticipate [the] night watches, that [I may] meditate on your word. Hear my voice according to your loyal love; O Yahweh, preserve my life according to your justice.

Out of [the] depths I call to you, O Yahweh. "O Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If you, O Yah, should {keep track of} iniquities, O Lord, who could stand?read more.
But with you [is] forgiveness, so that you may be feared." I await Yahweh; my soul awaits, and I wait for his word. My soul [waits] for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning. Yes, [more than] watchmen for the morning.

saying, "Father, if you are willing, take away this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will but yours be done." [[ And an angel from heaven appeared to him, strengthening him. And being in anguish, he began praying more fervently and his sweat became like drops of blood falling down to the ground.]]

Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, "Sit here while I go over there [and] pray." And taking along Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be distressed and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me."read more.
And going forward a little he fell down on his face, praying and saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you [will]." And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "So, were you not able to stay awake with me one hour? Stay awake and pray that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak!" Again for the second time he went away [and] prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, your will must be done." And he came again [and] found them sleeping, {for they could not keep their eyes open}.

And they came to a place {named} Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, "Sit here while I pray." And he took along Peter and James and John with him, and he began to be distressed and troubled. And he said to them, "My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake."read more.
And going forward a little he fell to the ground and began to pray that, if it were possible, the hour would pass from him. And he said, "Abba, Father, all [things] [are] possible for you! Take away this cup from me! Yet not what I will, but what you [will]." And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, "Simon, are you sleeping? Were you not able to stay awake one hour? Stay awake and pray that you will not enter into temptation. The spirit [is] willing, but the flesh [is] weak!" And again he went away [and] prayed, saying the same thing. And again he came [and] found them sleeping, {for they could not keep their eyes open}, and they did not know what to reply to him.

But [as for] me, I will look to Yahweh; I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me.

Wait for Yahweh. Be strong and let your heart show strength, and wait for Yahweh.

Our soul waits for Yahweh; he [is] our help and our shield.

Be quiet before Yahweh and wait for him. Do not fret about one who succeeds [in] his way, about a man making plots.

Rather for you I wait, O Yahweh. You will answer, O Lord my God.

Surely we wait for you [in] the path of your judgments, Yahweh, for your name and renown [are the] desire of [the] soul.