One of my greatest irritations is my kid’s inability to truthfully keep at things. The second something isn’t interesting anymore or doesn’t hold enough weight for them, they drop their attention like a hot potato. And yet, for that special event they wish to go to or that new toy, you’d think it was literally the only thing on their mind. Nothing else in the entire world matters except them hounding me about their wish. It’s a bit bewildering the amount of perseverance my kids can muster when it’s something important to them (which incidentally is almost never actually worth the time and attention they think it is- conversely things that have some actual value never gains the momentum is should #kidlife… but I digress).

I know I’m not alone in being guilty of saying ‘yes’ just to stop. the. hounding. (#momlife) I’m pretty sure it’s not the always right thing to do, and yet I’ve been reminded of late that there is scriptural power in persistence. It certainly has been known to work on this momma, it worked out super well for the persistent widow in Luke 18, and it turns out, it works on our Father too.

“Then, teaching them more about prayer, he used this story: “Suppose you went to a friend’s house at midnight, wanting to borrow three loaves of bread. You say to him, ‘A friend of mine has just arrived for a visit, and I have nothing for him to eat.’ And suppose he calls out from his bedroom, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is locked for the night, and my family and I are all in bed. I can’t help you.’ But I tell you this—though he won’t do it for friendship’s sake, if you keep knocking long enough, he will get up and give you whatever you need because of your shameless persistence. “And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives. Everyone who seeks, finds. And to everyone who knocks, the door will be opened. “You fathers—if your children ask for a fish, do you give them a snake instead? Or if they ask for an egg, do you give them a scorpion? Of course not! So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.””

‭‭Luke‬ ‭11:5-13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Jesus takes several teachable moments recorded in the Gospels to encourage us to not only ask-seek-knock… but to do so persistently. KEEP asking. KEEP seeking. KEEP knocking. He wants us to form a habit of dependence. One and done isn’t His style; unlike when I’m just trying to get my kids off my back, our heavenly Father WANTS to instill our repeated beseeching. We wants us to want Him.

So today, as we find ourselves almost halfway through our Tuesday devos on MINDfulness, I challenge you to develop a mindset of persistence. We need to draw deep ruts within our mindful behaviors of running to ask, seek, and knock over and over and over. The roads in our thoughts must be well-tread and hard-walked. He wants us to know and see the very great reward that follows those who seek Him so regularly. Not only in the eventual goal but more so in the faith-building of the journey to get there.

In the great words of Kay Arthur, “The Christian life is to be lived in total dependence on God. The greater the dependence, the greater the righteousness. Let me repeat that for emphasis. The greater the dependence, the greater the righteousness. Keep on asking, Jesus tells us. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking. This is a life of persistent dependence.” (Lord I’m Torn Between Two Masters, pg. 231)

Keep at it sisters. Be mindful of where your thoughts lead and what ruts you walk to get there. My prayer is that all our brains would be filled with deeply trodden avenues directly to the Lord.