Is it acceptable to repeatedly pray for the same thing?

Answer

In Luke 18:1-7, Jesus uses a parable to illustrate the significance of persisting in prayer. He shares the account of a widow who approached an unjust judge seeking justice against her adversary. Due to her unwavering prayer, the judge eventually gave in. Jesus emphasizes that if an unjust judge can respond to someone who persists in seeking justice, how much more will God, who loves us as His chosen ones (v. 7), answer our prayers when we continue to pray? The parable does not imply, as commonly misunderstood, that by repeating a prayer, God is obliged to grant it. Instead, God pledges to defend His own, to uphold them, rectify their injustices, ensure justice, and rescue them from their enemies. He does this out of His righteousness, holiness, and detestation of sin; in answering prayers, He fulfills His promises and demonstrates His might.

Jesus provides another example of prayer in Luke 11:5-12. Similar to the story of the unjust judge, Jesus conveys in this passage that if a person is willing to inconvenience himself to assist a needy friend, God will provide for our necessities even more, as no request is burdensome to Him. Once again, the assurance is not that we will receive anything we ask for by simply repeating the request. God’s commitment to His children is to meet our needs, not necessarily our desires. He understands our needs better than we do. This same assurance is reaffirmed in Matthew 7:7-11 and Luke 11:13, where the “good gift” is further explained to be the Holy Spirit.

Both of these passages inspire us to pray and to persist in prayer. There is no harm in asking for the same thing repeatedly. As long as your prayer aligns with God’s will (James 4:3;1 John 5:14-15), continue to ask until God answers your prayer or removes the desire from your heart. At times, God may

God sometimes makes us wait for an answer to our prayers to teach us patience and perseverance. At times, we request something that is not yet in God’s timing for our lives. Other times, we ask for something that is not in accordance with God’s will for us, and His response is “no.” Prayer involves not only presenting our requests to God but also God revealing His will to our hearts. Continue to ask, knock, and seek until God fulfills your request or guides you to understand that your request is not aligned with His will for you.