30 Bible Verses about Prayer, Persistence In

{To the chief Musician. Of David. A Psalm.} I waited patiently for Jehovah; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.

{A Song, a Psalm for the sons of Korah. To the chief Musician. Upon Mahalath Leannoth. An instruction. Of Heman the Ezrahite.} Jehovah, God of my salvation, I have cried by day and in the night before thee.

Seek Jehovah and his strength, Seek his face continually;

For he hath inclined his ear unto me, and I will call upon him during all my days.

And he spoke also a parable to them to the purport that they should always pray and not faint, saying, There was a judge in a city, not fearing God and not respecting man: and there was a widow in that city, and she came to him, saying, Avenge me of mine adverse party.read more.
And he would not for a time; but afterwards he said within himself, If even I fear not God and respect not man, at any rate because this widow annoys me I will avenge her, that she may not by perpetually coming completely harass me. And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says. And shall not God at all avenge his elect, who cry to him day and night, and he bears long as to them? I say unto you that he will avenge them speedily. But when the Son of man comes, shall he indeed find faith on the earth?

And he said to them, Who among you shall have a friend, and shall go to him at midnight and say to him, Friend, let me have three loaves, since a friend of mine on a journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him; and he within answering should say, Do not disturb me; the door is already shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise up to give it thee?read more.
I say to you, Although he will not get up and give them to him because he is his friend, because of his shamelessness, at any rate, he will rise and give him as many as he wants. And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given to you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it will be opened.

These gave themselves all with one accord to continual prayer, with several women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

And they persevered in the teaching and fellowship of the apostles, in breaking of bread and prayers.

praying at all seasons, with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching unto this very thing with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints;

As regards hope, rejoicing: as regards tribulation, enduring: as regards prayer, persevering:

pray unceasingly;

And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also cause the righteous to perish with the wicked? There are perhaps fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not forgive the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are therein? Far be it from thee to do so, to slay the righteous with the wicked, that the righteous should be as the wicked far be it from thee! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?read more.
And Jehovah said, If I find at Sodom fifty righteous within the city, then I will forgive all the place for their sakes. And Abraham answered and said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak unto the Lord; I, who am dust and ashes. Perhaps there may want five of the fifty righteous: wilt thou destroy all the city on account of the five? And he said, If I shall find forty-five there, I will not destroy it. And he continued yet to speak with him, and said, Perhaps there may be forty found there. And he said, I will not do it for the forty's sake. And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry that I speak! Perhaps there may be thirty found there. And he said, I will not do it if I find thirty there. And he said, Behold now, I have ventured to speak with the Lord. Perhaps there may be twenty found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the twenty's sake. And he said, Oh, let not the Lord be angry, that I speak yet but this time! Perhaps there may be ten found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for the ten's sake. And Jehovah went away when he had ended speaking to Abraham; and Abraham returned to his place.

And Jacob remained alone; and a man wrestled with him until the rising of the dawn. And when he saw that he did not prevail against him, he touched the joint of his thigh; and the joint of Jacob's thigh was dislocated as he wrestled with him. And he said, Let me go, for the dawn ariseth. And he said, I will not let thee go except thou bless me.read more.
And he said to him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall not henceforth be called Jacob, but Israel; for thou hast wrestled with God, and with men, and hast prevailed. And Jacob asked and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, How is it that thou askest after 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 has been preserved. And as he passed over Peniel, the sun rose upon him; and he limped upon his hip. Therefore the children of Israel do not eat of the sinew that is over the joint of the thigh, to this day; because he touched the joint of Jacob's thigh the sinew.

So I fell down before Jehovah the forty days and forty nights, as I fell down; for Jehovah had said he would destroy you. I prayed therefore to Jehovah, and said, Lord Jehovah, destroy not thy people and thine inheritance, which thou hast redeemed through thy greatness, which thou hast brought forth out of Egypt with a powerful hand. Remember thy servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; look not at the stubbornness of this people, nor at their wickedness, nor at their sin;read more.
lest the land whence thou broughtest us out say, Because Jehovah was not able to bring them into the land which he had promised them, and because he hated them, he hath brought them out to kill them in the wilderness. They are indeed thy people and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest out with thy great power and with thy stretched-out arm.

And Moses returned to Jehovah, and said, Alas, this people has sinned a great sin, and they have made themselves a god of gold! And now, if thou wilt forgive their sin ... but if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book that thou hast written.

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

Elias was a man of like passions to us, and he prayed with prayer that it should not rain; and it did not rain upon the earth three years and six months; and again he prayed, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to spring forth.

And it came to pass at the time of the offering up of the oblation, that Elijah the prophet drew near, and said, Jehovah, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things by thy word. Answer me, Jehovah, answer me, that this people may know that thou Jehovah art God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again. And the fire of Jehovah fell, and consumed the burnt-offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.read more.
And all the people saw it, and they fell on their faces and said, Jehovah, he is God! Jehovah, he is God! And Elijah said to them, Seize the prophets of Baal; let not one of them escape! And they seized them; and Elijah brought them down to the torrent of Kishon, and slaughtered them there. And Elijah said to Ahab, Go up, eat and drink; for there is a sound of abundance of rain. And Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed down on the earth, and put his face between his knees. And he 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 is a cloud, small as a man's hand, arising out of the sea. And he said, Go up, say to Ahab, Harness and go down, that the pour of rain stop thee not.

{A Song, a Psalm for the sons of Korah. To the chief Musician. Upon Mahalath Leannoth. An instruction. Of Heman the Ezrahite.} Jehovah, God of my salvation, I have cried by day and in the night before thee. Let my prayer come before thee; incline thine ear unto my cry. For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draweth nigh to Sheol.read more.
I am reckoned with them that go down into the pit; I am as a man that hath no strength: Prostrate among the dead, like the slain that lie in the grave; whom thou rememberest no more, and who are cut off from thy hand. Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in dark places, in the deeps. Thy fury lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah. Thou hast put my familiar friends far from me; thou hast made me an abomination unto them: I am shut up, and I cannot come forth. Mine eye consumeth by reason of affliction. Upon thee, Jehovah, have I called every day; I have stretched out my hands unto thee. Wilt thou do wonders to the dead? shall the shades arise and praise thee? Selah. Shall thy loving-kindness be declared in the grave? thy faithfulness in Destruction? Shall thy wonders be known in the dark? and thy righteousness in the land of forgetfulness? But as for me, Jehovah, I cry unto thee, and in the morning my prayer cometh before thee. Why, O Jehovah, castest thou off my soul? why hidest thou thy face from me? I am afflicted and expiring from my youth up; I suffer thy terrors, and I am distracted. Thy fierce anger hath gone over me; thy terrors have brought me to nought: They have surrounded me all the day like water; they have compassed me about together. Lover and associate hast thou put far from me: my familiar friends are darkness.

I anticipate the morning-dawn and I cry: I hope in thy word. Mine eyes anticipate the night-watches, that I may meditate in thy word. Hear my voice according to thy loving-kindness: O Jehovah, quicken me according to thy judgment.

{A Song of degrees.} Out of the depths do I call upon thee, Jehovah. Lord, hear my voice; let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplication. If thou, Jah, shouldest mark iniquities, Lord, who shall stand?read more.
But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. I wait for Jehovah; my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. My soul waiteth for the Lord more than the watchers wait for the morning, more than the watchers for the morning.

saying, Father, if thou wilt remove this cup from me: but then, not my will, but thine be done. And an angel appeared to him from heaven strengthening him. And being in conflict he prayed more intently. And his sweat became as great drops of blood, falling down upon the earth.

Then Jesus comes with them to a place called Gethsemane, and says to the disciples, Sit here until I go away and pray yonder. And taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and deeply depressed. Then he says to them, My soul is very sorrowful even unto death; remain here and watch with me.read more.
And going forward a little he fell upon his face, praying and saying, My Father, if it be possible let this cup pass from me; but not as I will, but as thou wilt. And he comes to the disciples and finds them sleeping, and says to Peter, Thus ye have not been able to watch one hour with me? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is ready, but the flesh weak. Again going away a second time he prayed saying, My Father, if this cannot pass from me unless I drink it, thy will be done. And coming he found them again sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.

And they come to a place of which the name is Gethsemane, and he says to his disciples, Sit here while I shall pray. And he takes with him Peter and James and John, and he began to be amazed and oppressed in spirit. And he says to them, My soul is full of grief even unto death; abide here and watch.read more.
And, going forward a little, he fell upon the earth; and he prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass away from him. And he said, Abba, Father, all things are possible to thee: take away this cup from me; but not what I will, but what thou wilt. And he comes and finds them sleeping. And he says to Peter, Simon, dost thou sleep? Hast thou not been able to watch one hour? Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh weak. And going away, he prayed again, saying the same thing. And returning, he found them again sleeping, for their eyes were heavy; and they knew not what they should answer him.

But as for me, I will look unto Jehovah; I will wait for the God of my salvation: my God will hear me.

Wait for Jehovah; be strong and let thy heart take courage: yea, wait for Jehovah.

Our soul waiteth for Jehovah: he is our help and our shield.

Rest in Jehovah, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him that prospereth in his way, because of the man that bringeth mischievous devices to pass.

For in thee, Jehovah, do I hope: thou wilt answer, O Lord my God.

Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Jehovah, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to thy memorial.