Prayer: Importunity In

Abraham stepped forward and said, “Will You really sweep away the righteous with the wicked? …

So Jacob was left all alone, and there a man wrestled with him until daybreak. …

Yet now, if You would only forgive their sin.... But if not, please blot me out of the book that You have written.”

So I fell down before the LORD for forty days and forty nights, because the LORD had said He would destroy you.

Then Gideon said to God, “If You are going to save Israel by my hand, as You have said, …

Then Samson called out to the LORD: “O Lord GOD, please remember me. Strengthen me, O God, just once more, so that with one vengeful blow I may pay back the Philistines for my two eyes.”

In her bitter distress, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.

And she made a vow, saying, “O LORD of Hosts, if only You will look upon the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, not forgetting Your maidservant but giving her a son, then I will dedicate him to the LORD all the days of his life, and no razor shall ever touch his head.”

As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by ceasing to pray for you. And I will continue to teach you the good and right way.

Then Solomon stood before the altar of the LORD in front of the whole assembly of Israel, spread out his hands toward heaven, …

At the evening offering, I got up from my humiliation with my tunic and cloak torn, and I fell on my knees, spread out my hands to the LORD my God,

…and said: “O my God, I am ashamed and embarrassed to lift up my face to You, my God, because our iniquities are higher than our heads, and our guilt has reached the heavens.

When I heard these words, I sat down and wept. I mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven. …

A prayer of David. Hear, O LORD, my righteous plea; listen to my cry. Give ear to my prayer—it comes from lips free of deceit.

I call on You, O God, for You will answer me. Incline Your ear to me; hear my words.

For the choirmaster. To the tune of “The Doe of the Dawn.” A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? Why are You so far from saving me, so far from my words of groaning?

I cry out by day, O my God, but You do not answer, and by night, but I have no rest.

But You, O LORD, be not far off; O my Strength, come quickly to help me.

Of David. To You, O LORD, I call; be not deaf to me, O my Rock. For if You remain silent, I will be like those descending to the Pit.

Hear my cry for mercy when I call to You for help, when I lift up my hands toward Your holy sanctuary.

O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me.

Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord!

For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. A Maskil of David. Listen to my prayer, O God, and do not ignore my plea.

Attend to me and answer me. I am restless in my complaint, and distraught

But I call to God, and the LORD saves me.

Morning, noon, and night, I cry out in distress, and He hears my voice.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.

For the choirmaster. With stringed instruments. Of David. Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer.

From the ends of the earth I call out to You whenever my heart is faint. Lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

But I am poor and needy; hurry to me, O God. You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD, do not delay.

Be merciful to me, O Lord, for I call to You all day long.

Hear my prayer, O LORD, and attend to my plea for mercy.

A song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choirmaster. According to Mahalath Leannoth. A Maskil of Heman the Ezrahite. O LORD, the God of my salvation, day and night I cry out before You.

May my prayer come before You; incline Your ear to my cry.

My eyes grow dim with grief. I call to You daily, O LORD; I spread out my hands to You.

But to You, O LORD, I cry for help; in the morning my prayer comes before You.

A prayer of one who is afflicted, when he grows faint and pours out his lament before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come before You.

Do not hide Your face from me in my day of distress. Incline Your ear to me; answer me quickly when I call.

I have sought Your face with all my heart; be gracious to me according to Your promise.

I call with all my heart; answer me, O LORD! I will obey Your statutes. …

A song of ascents. Out of the depths I cry to You, O LORD!

O Lord, hear my voice; let Your ears be attentive to my plea for mercy.

A Psalm of David. I call upon You, O LORD; come quickly to me. Hear my voice when I call to You.

May my prayer be set before You like incense; my uplifted hands, like the evening offering.

A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer. I cry aloud to the LORD; I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy.

I pour out my complaint before Him; I reveal my trouble to Him.

Then Hezekiah turned his face to the wall and prayed to the LORD,

…saying, “Please, O LORD, remember how I have walked before You faithfully and with wholehearted devotion; I have done what is good in Your sight.” And Hezekiah wept bitterly.

…nor give Him any rest until He establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth.

After all this, O LORD, will You restrain Yourself? Will You keep silent and afflict us beyond measure?

So I turned my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and petition, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.

O Lord, in keeping with all Your righteous acts, I pray that Your anger and wrath may turn away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all around us. …

So they cried out to the LORD: “Please, O LORD, do not let us perish on account of this man’s life! Do not charge us with innocent blood! For You, O LORD, have done as You pleased.”

How long, O LORD, must I call for help but You do not hear, or cry out to You, “Violence!” but You do not save?

And a Canaanite woman from that region came to Him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is miserably possessed by a demon.” …

Instead, a woman whose little daughter had an unclean spirit soon heard about Jesus, and she came and fell at His feet. …

When the centurion heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to ask Him to come and heal his servant.

Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose one of you goes to his friend at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, …

Then Jesus told them a parable about their need to pray at all times and not lose heart: …

And in His anguish, He prayed more earnestly, and His sweat became like drops of blood falling to the ground.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know how we ought to pray, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans too deep for words.

Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.

Pray in the Spirit at all times, with every kind of prayer and petition. To this end, stay alert with all perseverance in your prayers for all the saints.

During the days of Jesus’ earthly life, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the One who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence.