The End Time Church: From the Cathedrals to the Catacombs

By Dan L. White

Copyright ©2018 by Dan L. White, all rights reserved.

Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (WEB) which is in the public domain.

Chapter 51

Consistent, Persistent, Insistent

I remember taking Driver Ed in high school on the mountain roads of West Virginia. When the instructor took us out for our first drive, he gave us some precautionary advice.

“Don’t drive over the side of the mountain.”

So before the teacher taught us how to drive, he told us how not to drive.

And when Christ told us how to pray, He began by telling us how not to pray.

WEB Matt 23
12) Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
13) “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and as a pretense you make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

WEB Luke 20
46) “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces, the best seats in the synagogues, and the best places at feasts;
47) who devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these will receive greater condemnation.”

Scribes and Pharisees had pretended, long-winded prayers. Their prayers were to be heard by people, not by God.

WEB Matt 6
5) “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.
6) But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

Gentiles also liked long prayers, with much speaking. They weren’t praying to the true God so they didn’t even bother coming up with original words. They just kept repeating the same words over and over.

WEB Matt 6
7) In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.
8) Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.

That’s why prayers don’t have to be long-winded. Your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. And He has a really good memory, so you don’t have to keep repeating what you say, with vain repetitions.

Yeshua taught, then, that prayers don’t have to be long, they shouldn’t be showy, and you should actually mean what you say. Then He went on to give an example prayer.

WEB Matt 6
9) Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10) Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
11) Give us today our daily bread.
12) Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
13) Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

That English translation of Christ’s teaching prayer has 70 words, including the Amen at the end.

Of course that’s not exactly the same number as in the original Greek, but in either language, that’s not a long prayer.

WEB Eccl 5
2) Don’t be rash with your mouth, and don’t let your heart be hasty to utter anything before God; for God is in heaven, and you on earth. Therefore let your words be few.
3) For as a dream comes with a multitude of cares, so a fool’s speech with a multitude of words.

What have people often done with Christ’s example prayer? They have turned it into a Gentile prayer, by repeating it over and over. But at least they haven’t made it long-winded.

Yeshua told us how not to pray. Then He showed us how to pray. And the Bible teaches us about prayer, with real life prayers by real people.

Some prayers were very short.

Like Hannah’s —

Elkanah had two wives: Peninnah who had kids, and Hannah who didn’t. Prolific Peninnah persecuted barren Hannah.

WEB 1 Sam 1
4) When the day came that Elkanah sacrificed, he gave to Peninnah his wife, and to all her sons and her daughters, portions:
5) but to Hannah he gave a double portion; for he loved Hannah, but Yahweh had shut up her womb.
6) Her rival provoked her severely, to make her fret, because Yahweh had shut up her womb.

Finally, sad Hannah prayed this prayer.

WEB 1 Sam 1
10) She [Hannah] was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to Yahweh, and wept bitterly.
11) She vowed a vow, and said, “Yahweh of Armies, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your handmaid, and remember me, and not forget your handmaid, but will give to your handmaid a boy, then I will give him to Yahweh all the days of his life, and no razor shall come on his head.”

That prayer was only a few seconds long but traveled a long way.

WEB 1 Sam 1
19) They rose up in the morning early, and worshiped before Yahweh, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and Yahweh remembered her.
20) It happened, when the time had come, that Hannah conceived, and bore a son; and she named him Samuel, saying, “Because I have asked him of Yahweh.”

Hezekiah —

Shortly after they had conquered the northern kingdom of Israel and carried off its people, the Assyrians surrounded Jerusalem and sent King Hezekiah a letter, threatening to do the same to Judah. Hezekiah then forwarded their letter, not with snail mail or email, but with p-mail.

WEB 2 Kgs 19
14) Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it. Then Hezekiah went up to the house of Yahweh, and spread it before Yahweh.
15) Hezekiah prayed before Yahweh, and said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, who sit above the cherubim, you are the God, even you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth.
16) Incline your ear, Yahweh, and hear. Open your eyes, Yahweh, and see. Hear the words of Sennacherib, with which he has sent to defy the living God.
17) Truly, Yahweh, the kings of Assyria have laid waste the nations and their lands,
18) and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were no gods, but the work of men’s hands, wood and stone. Therefore they have destroyed them.
19) Now therefore, Yahweh our God, save us, I beg you, out of his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Yahweh, are God alone.”
20) Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Whereas you have prayed to me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, I have heard you.

Again, not a long prayer, but full of meaning.

Hezekiah also had a terminal illness.

WEB 2 Kgs 20
1) In those days was Hezekiah sick to death. Isaiah the prophet the son of Amoz came to him, and said to him, “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Set your house in order; for you shall die, and not live.’”
2) Then he turned his face to the wall, and prayed to Yahweh, saying,
3) “Remember now, Yahweh, I beg you, how I have walked before you in truth and with a perfect heart, and have done that which is good in your sight.” Hezekiah wept bitterly.

As Hannah had done, Hezekiah wept bitterly. He was only thirty-five years old, facing death.

4) It happened, before Isaiah had gone out into the middle part of the city, that the word of Yahweh came to him, saying,
5) “Turn back, and tell Hezekiah the prince of my people, ‘Thus says Yahweh, the God of David your father, “I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day, you shall go up to the house of Yahweh.
6) I will add to your days fifteen years. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria. I will defend this city for my own sake, and for my servant David’s sake.”’”

When a person weeps bitterly, his or her prayers are the opposite of a Gentile vain repetition.

Elijah —

Elijah did not weep bitterly, even though the prophets of Baal outnumbered him 450 to 1.

WEB 1 Kgs 18

26) They took the bull which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any who answered. They leaped about the altar which was made.
27) It happened at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, “Cry aloud; for he is a god. Either he is musing, or he has gone aside, or he is on a journey, or perhaps he sleeps and must be awakened.”
28) They cried aloud, and cut themselves in their way with knives and lances, until the blood gushed out on them.
29) It was so, when midday was past, that they prophesied until the time of the offering of the offering; but there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any who regarded.
30) Elijah said to all the people, “Come near to me;” and all the people came near to him. He repaired the altar of Yahweh that was thrown down.
31) Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the word of Yahweh came, saying, “Israel shall be your name.”
32) With the stones he built an altar in the name of Yahweh. He made a trench around the altar, large enough to contain two measures of seed.
33) He put the wood in order, and cut the bull in pieces, and laid it on the wood. He said, “Fill four jars with water, and pour it on the burnt offering, and on the wood.”
34) He said, “Do it a second time;” and they did it the second time. He said, “Do it a third time;” and they did it the third time.
35) The water ran around the altar; and he also filled the trench with water.

You gotta admit that the Baal boys worked hard, praying to Baal all day long, jumping up and down and screaming and gashing themselves. The long-winded Pharisees had nothing on these guys.

By contrast, though, Elijah did this.

36) It happened at the time of the offering of the offering, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, “Yahweh, the God of Abraham, of 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.
37) Hear me, Yahweh, hear me, that this people may know that you, Yahweh, are God, and that you have turned their heart back again.”
38) Then the fire of Yahweh 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.
39) When all the people saw it, they fell on their faces. They said, “Yahweh, he is God! Yahweh, he is God!”

After that, Elijah asked Yahweh to end the 42 month drought.

WEB 1 Kgs 18
41) Elijah said to Ahab, “Get up, eat and drink; for there is the sound of abundance of rain.”
42) So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down on the earth, and put his face between his knees.
43) He said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” He went up, and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” He said, “Go again” seven times.
44) It happened at the seventh time, that he said, “Behold, a small cloud, like a man’s hand, is rising out of the sea.” He said, “Go up, tell Ahab, ‘Get ready and go down, so that the rain doesn’t stop you.’”
45) It happened in a little while, that the sky grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain. Ahab rode, and went to Jezreel.

James connected Ahab’s rain with your pain.

WEB Jas 5
14) Is any among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the assembly, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord,
15) and the prayer of faith will heal him who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. If he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.
16) Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.
17) Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it didn’t rain on the earth for three years and six months.
18) He prayed again, and the sky gave rain, and the earth brought forth its fruit.

The familiar King James renders verse 16 as “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” The World English Bible calls that prayer “insistent.”

Obviously people who wept bitterly were fervent, but joyful prayers can also be fervent.

Solomon —

Solomon prayed a fervent prayer of gratitude at the dedication of the Temple.

WEB 1 Kgs 8
22) Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;
23) and he said, “Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart;
24) who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is this day.
25) Now therefore, may Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, ‘There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.’
26) “Now therefore, God of Israel, please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father.
27) But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can’t contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
28) Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant, and for his supplication, Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you this day;
29) that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, ‘My name shall be there;’ to listen to the prayer which your servant shall pray toward this place.
30) Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.

Solomon went on asking Yahweh in several different ways to be with His people, and then concluded:

51) (for they are your people, and your inheritance, which you brought out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron);
52) that your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they cry to you.
53) For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your inheritance, as you spoke by Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord Yahweh.”
54) It was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to Yahweh, he arose from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven.

What a great position for a powerful king: kneeling with his hands spread toward heaven. Solomon began his prayer by standing but ended by kneeling. All the people could hear, and it was for those people that he prayed. That public prayer was longer than those of Hannah and Hezekiah, about ten minutes or so, but Solomon obviously meant every word he said.

At least Yahweh thought so.

WEB 1 Kgs 9
3) Yahweh said to him, “I have heard your prayer and your supplication, that you have made before me. I have made this house holy, which you have built, to put my name there forever; and my eyes and my heart shall be there perpetually.

Nehemiah —

The most fervent prayers are often at times of repentance. When Nehemiah heard how bad things were in Jerusalem, he wept like Hannah and Hezekiah.

WEB Neh 1
4) It happened, when I heard these words, that I sat down and wept, and mourned certain days; and I fasted and prayed before the God of heaven,
5) and said, “I beg you, Yahweh, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments:
6) Let your ear now be attentive, and your eyes open, that you may listen to the prayer of your servant, which I pray before you at this time, day and night, for the children of Israel your servants while I confess the sins of the children of Israel, which we have sinned against you. Yes, I and my father’s house have sinned.
7) We have dealt very corruptly against you, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the ordinances, which you commanded your servant Moses.
8) “Remember, I beg you, the word that you commanded your servant Moses, saying, ‘If you trespass, I will scatter you abroad among the peoples;
9) but if you return to me, and keep my commandments and do them, though your outcasts were in the uttermost part of the heavens, yet will I gather them from there, and will bring them to the place that I have chosen, to cause my name to dwell there.’
10) “Now these are your servants and your people, whom you have redeemed by your great power, and by your strong hand.
11) Lord, I beg you, let your ear be attentive now to the prayer of your servant, and to the prayer of your servants, who delight to fear your name; and please prosper your servant this day, and grant him mercy in the sight of this man.” Now I was cup bearer to the king.

Notice that Nehemiah included himself with sinning Judah, although he hadn’t sinned like them. After that prayer, God granted Nehemiah the king’s favor to go back to Jerusalem.

Ezra –

Those captives who returned from exile soon began doing the same sins that led to the exile. When Ezra the priest learned of this, he tore his garment and his robe, pulled out hair from his head and his beard, and sat down downright confounded. Then he prayed this breathtakingly humble prayer, his face too blushed to even look up to God, even though he had not done those sins himself. Humility in prayer!

WEB Ezra 9
1) Now when these things were done, the princes drew near to me, saying, “The people of Israel, and the priests and the Levites, have not separated themselves from the peoples of the lands, following their abominations, even those of the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Jebusites, the Ammonites, the Moabites, the Egyptians, and the Amorites.
2) For they have taken of their daughters for themselves and for their sons, so that the holy seed have mixed themselves with the peoples of the lands. Yes, the hand of the princes and rulers has been chief in this trespass.”
3) When I heard this thing, I tore my garment and my robe, and plucked off the hair of my head and of my beard, and sat down confounded.
4) Then were assembled to me everyone who trembled at the words of the God of Israel, because of their trespass of the captivity; and I sat confounded until the evening offering.
5) At the evening offering I arose up from my humiliation, even with my garment and my robe torn; and I fell on my knees, and spread out my hands to Yahweh my God;
6) and I said, “My God, I am ashamed and blush to lift up my face to you, my God; for our iniquities have increased over our head, and our guiltiness has grown up to the heavens.
7) Since the days of our fathers we have been exceeding guilty to this day; and for our iniquities we, our kings, and our priests, have been delivered into the hand of the kings of the lands, to the sword, to captivity, to plunder, and to confusion of face, as it is this day.
8) Now for a little moment grace has been shown from Yahweh our God, to leave us a remnant to escape, and to give us a nail in his holy place, that our God may lighten our eyes, and give us a little reviving in our bondage.
9) For we are bondservants; yet our God has not forsaken us in our bondage, but has extended loving kindness to us in the sight of the kings of Persia, to give us a reviving, to set up the house of our God, and to repair its ruins, and to give us a wall in Judah and in Jerusalem.
10) “Now, our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken your commandments,
11) which you have commanded by your servants the prophets, saying, ‘The land, to which you go to possess it, is an unclean land through the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, through their abominations, which have filled it from one end to another with their filthiness.
12) Now therefore don’t give your daughters to their sons, neither take their daughters to your sons, nor seek their peace or their prosperity forever; that you may be strong, and eat the good of the land, and leave it for an inheritance to your children forever.’
13) “After all that has come on us for our evil deeds, and for our great guilt, since you, our God, have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such a remnant,
14) shall we again break your commandments, and join in affinity with the peoples that do these abominations? Wouldn’t you be angry with us until you had consumed us, so that there should be no remnant, nor any to escape?
15) Yahweh, the God of Israel, you are righteous; for we are left a remnant that has escaped, as it is this day. Behold, we are before you in our guiltiness; for none can stand before you because of this.”

Those Jews who were guilty of those sins joined in Ezra’s repentance and were granted pardon by Yahweh.

Daniel —

Daniel prayed a prayer similar to Ezra’s, in that he was personally extremely repentant, even though he had not sinned as the Jews had.

WEB Dan 9
1) In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who was made king over the realm of the Chaldeans,
2) in the first year of his reign I, Daniel, understood by the books the number of the years about which the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah the prophet, for the accomplishing of the desolations of Jerusalem, even seventy years.
3) I set my face to the Lord God, to seek by prayer and petitions, with fasting and sackcloth and ashes.

Amazingly, this was near the time when Judah would return from their captivity. The 70 years were about up but Daniel was anything but cocky.

4) I prayed to Yahweh my God, and made confession, and said, Oh, Lord, the great and dreadful God, who keeps covenant and loving kindness with those who love him and keep his commandments,
5) we have sinned, and have dealt perversely, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even turning aside from your precepts and from your ordinances;
6) neither have we listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
7) Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us confusion of face, as at this day; to the men of Judah, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to all Israel, who are near, and who are far off, through all the countries where you have driven them, because of their trespass that they have trespassed against you.
8) Lord, to us belongs confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against you.
9) To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness; for we have rebelled against him;
10) neither have we obeyed the voice of Yahweh our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets.
11) Yes, all Israel have transgressed your law, turning aside, that they should not obey your voice: therefore the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses the servant of God has been poured out on us; for we have sinned against him.
12) He has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges who judged us, by bringing on us a great evil; for under the whole sky, such has not been done as has been done to Jerusalem.
13) As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil has come on us: yet have we not entreated the favor of Yahweh our God, that we should turn from our iniquities, and have discernment in your truth.
14) Therefore has Yahweh watched over the evil, and brought it on us; for Yahweh our God is righteous in all his works which he does, and we have not obeyed his voice.
15) Now, Lord our God, who has brought your people forth out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and have gotten yourself renown, as at this day; we have sinned, we have done wickedly.
16) Lord, according to all your righteousness, let your anger and please let your wrath be turned away from your city Jerusalem, your holy mountain; because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and your people have become a reproach to all who are around us.
17) Now therefore, our God, listen to the prayer of your servant, and to his petitions, and cause your face to shine on your sanctuary that is desolate, for the Lord’s sake.
18) My God, turn your ear, and hear; open your eyes, and see our desolations, and the city which is called by your name: for we do not present our petitions before you for our righteousness, but for your great mercies’ sake.
19) Lord, hear; Lord, forgive; Lord, listen and do; don’t defer, for your own sake, my God, because your city and your people are called by your name.

Lord, hear. Lord, forgive. Lord, listen.

And the Lord and Master did.

20) While I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Yahweh my God for the holy mountain of my God;
21) yes, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening offering.
22) He instructed me, and talked with me, and said, Daniel, I am now come forth to give you wisdom and understanding.

Those prayers of Solomon, Nehemiah, Ezra and Daniel were longer than the prayers of Hannah and Hezekiah. They were still each only a few minutes speech, but filled with fervency. And filled with humility. Nehemiah, Ezra and Daniel all included themselves with sinning Judah, although they were obedient men. To be heard, the pray-er must be humble.

WEB Luke 18
10) “Two men went up into the temple to pray; one was a Pharisee, and the other was a tax collector.
11) The Pharisee stood and prayed to himself like this: ‘God, I thank you, that I am not like the rest of men, extortioners, unrighteous, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.
12) I fast twice a week. I give tithes of all that I get.’
13) But the tax collector, standing far away, wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’
14) I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Since prayers are not rote, there is no one routine. Prayer is more a matter of the heart than of the head. Christ’s example prayer was less than a minute long, yet He Himself sometimes prayed for hours.

WEB Luke 6
12) It happened in these days, that he went out to the mountain to pray, and he continued all night in prayer to God.
13) When it was day, he called his disciples, and from them he chose twelve, whom he also named apostles:

Christ Himself gave a relatively long prayer in John 17 on the night when He was taken to be crucified. After talking to his disciples, He talked to His Father in heaven, in a five minute prayer they all heard. Shortly after that, He followed it up with these brief prayers.

WEB Matt 26
36) Then Yeshua came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go there and pray.”
37) He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled.
38) Then he said to them, “My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me.”
39) He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire.”
40) He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, “What, couldn’t you watch with me for one hour?
41) Watch and pray, that you don’t enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”
42) Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, “My Father, if this cup can’t pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done.”
43) He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
44) He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.
45) Then he came to his disciples, and said to them, “Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Those prayers are the shortest but most powerful in the Bible.

Prayer is to be consistent, persistent, and insistent.

Daniel’s custom was to pray three times a day.                                                                       

WEB Dan 6
10) When Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house (now his windows were open in his room toward Jerusalem) and he kneeled on his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did before.

13) Then answered they and said before the king, That Daniel, who is of the children of the captivity of Judah, doesn’t respect you, O king, nor the decree that you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day.

It seems that was David’s pattern, too.

WEB Ps 55
17) Evening, morning, and at noon, I will cry out in distress. He will hear my voice.

Sometimes communicating with Yahweh will be just thinking, considering, reflecting. Meditating is a fancy sounding word for all that.

WEB Gen 24
63) Isaac went out to meditate in the field at the evening. He lifted up his eyes, and saw, and, behold, there were camels coming.

The Hebrew word translated as meditate means to muse pensively. The pre-KJV Bishops and Geneva English Bibles said that Isaac went out to pray. The Easy to Read Bible says that “he went out to the field to think,” and the New Evangelistic German translation says that he went out to be alone with his thoughts. To do so is to seek God, whether with words or thoughts or both; and what better time than at twilight.

Praying three times each day is consistent. It’s not easy to do. Your schedule may not allow it, or you get so wrapped up in what you’re doing that you don’t want to get away in the middle of the day. To pray three times a day, your whole life has to be scheduled around that, taking time from whatever seems important for that which is important. Consistent prayer — three times a day.

Persistent —

Samuel said that it would be sin if he stopped praying for Israel.

WEB 1 Sam 12
23) Moreover as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against Yahweh in ceasing to pray for you: but I will instruct you in the good and the right way.

Samuel couldn’t stop praying. He had to be persistent.

Christ had a parable about persistent prayer.

WEB Luke 18
1) He also spoke a parable to them that they must always pray, and not give up,
2) saying, “There was a judge in a certain city who didn’t fear God, and didn’t respect man.
3) A widow was in that city, and she often came to him, saying, ‘Defend me from my adversary!’
4) He wouldn’t for a while, but afterward he said to himself, ‘Though I neither fear God, nor respect man,
5) yet because this widow bothers me, I will defend her, or else she will wear me out by her continual coming.’”

I don’t know if we will wear God out by our continual prayers — He doesn’t tire easily — but at least we can try.

Paul said to be steadfast in prayer. Steadfast — fastened to steadiness.

WEB Col 4
2) Continue steadfastly in prayer, watching therein with thanksgiving;
3) praying together for us also, that God may open to us a door for the word, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds;
4) that I may reveal it as I ought to speak.

And Paul simply said to pray without ceasing.

WEB 1 Thess 5
16) Rejoice always.
17) Pray without ceasing.
18) In everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Yeshua toward you.

Persistence is steadiness, not on and off or up and down, but persistent, day after day after day, through weeks and months and years, through a lifetime. Persistent prayer.

Insistent —

For prayer to be meaningful, you must mean it. The prayers of Hannah, Hezekiah, Nehemiah, Ezra, Daniel and Yeshua were fervent. They were insistent about their needs and their lips were moved by their hearts. As James said, “The insistent prayer of a righteous person is powerfully effective.”

The real key to these short prayers is that the speakers were talking to a real being. They were not just fulfilling a religious duty or going through the motions. They were going to the Creator, seeking to be heard by Him — real talk to a real being.

Like Bible study, prayer changes your spirit. It changes who you are. After all, you’re talking to the spirit that sustains everything. He gives you your physical sustenance. He will give you your spiritual sustenance, as you seek it.

Prayer should be consistent, persistent, and insistent.

Do you pray often each day?

Do you pray every day?

And when you pray, do you mean it?