This week, Pastor Cristina reflects on the power of persistence prayer through the stories of Jacob wrestling with God in Genesis 32 and the widow seeking justice in Luke 18. Both stories reveal the depth of faith that comes from refusing to give up, even in struggle or silence. Jacob wrestles through the night and emerges blessed, limping but transformed. The widow, undeterred by the unjust judge, keeps returning until she receives justice. Their persistence shows what faith looks like when hope seems hard to hold.

Pastor Cristina connects these readings to the persistence we show in our own lives. Like children rebuilding sandcastles washed away by the tide, we keep praying, trusting, and rebuilding. Persistence, she explains, is not about demanding results but about forming a steady relationship with God through continual prayer. When we pray, it is not for God’s benefit but for our own hearts. Prayer allows us to release burdens, confess fears, and share compassion. It changes our perspective, renews our hope, and helps us recognize blessings that may not arrive in the form we expect.

Even unanswered prayers hold meaning. Prayer may not change the outcome, but it changes the one who prays. Through persistence, we learn trust, patience, and humility. Pastor Cristina reminds us that justice, faith, and transformation often begin with prayer. When we pray for those we struggle to love, we are softened and changed, even if they never are. In the act of prayer, we move from control to surrender, from striving to peace.

We are encouraged to keep praying, to keep wrestling, and to stay open to the blessings that come in unexpected ways. In doing so, we discover that God is always present, always listening, and always working through our persistence.

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