Jesus preached a lengthy sermon to a large crowd, famously named “the sermon on the mount.” As the people gathered, he began preaching and, while we have a portion of it recorded, he likely preached for hours. When he discussed the topic of prayer, he said, “ASk, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7 ESV). He reinforced this by saying, “For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and the one who knocks it will be opened” (vs. 8).
Remember that his audience was not made up of affluent people. The crowds who followed Jesus were often poor, hungry, diseased, and were outcasts. More than likely lots of his followers had prayed in faith but still lacked food, clothing, shelter, and health. We know this because many times Jesus attributed healing to their great faith. An important theme that is directly tied to prayer is “never give up.” Persistent prayer is vital for people of faith.
In fact, Jesus told a parable of the widow who kept begging the unjust judge for justice. Eventually he relented. Jesus’ point was this: “And will not God give justice to his elect, who cry to him day and night? Will he delay long over them?” (Luke 18:7). Jesus said that God will “give justice to them speedily.” Jesus set the example for us by praying day and night. He often withdrew to lonely places to pray. Prayer was a discipline–part of his daily spiritual diet.