October 1, 2026
I was in a meeting this week and they were discussing the word relentless. To be honest, the first thing I thought of was my children and grandchildren. I'm sure if you have children or even teach children you might have dealt with some of these scenarios. When you say it's bedtime and they keep relentlessly and persistently asking for just "30 more minutes." Or when they want a snack and you say it's too close to dinner time, and they can just relentlessly explain to you how "hungry" they are at this moment, and they cannot wait for dinner.
Maybe you have not dealt with these particular reasons, but I'm sure you can think of a few that could be similar. I have to say there have been times depending on the situation and my frame of mind that I have given in to their relentless persistence. I guess I could justify and say, "What harm does 30 more minutes or another snack cause.?" The question is, "Have I done what is best for them?" Probably not. Sadly, giving in is sometimes the easy thing to do but not the best thing for them.
As I was thinking about this, God really reminded me of some things in my life. Have you ever been in a situation where you just pray over and over for God to intervene, heal, or just remove the problem? I know I have.
This week was the anniversary of the day my dad died. I can remember when I found out he was sick, just begging God to heal him. He was only really sick for about two months before he died. During those two months I saw him suffer so much. It was very hard for me because I couldn't take any of that suffering away. I realized after he died that God did heal him just not in the way that I had been asking.
God's ways are not my ways, but He knows what is best. Just like I know that children need their sleep, so I say no to a later bedtime, God knows what is best and most beneficial for our lives. I have prayed for Wayne's health so many times over the years. At the beginning of his "foot journey" he had been going to the same doctor for many, many months, and it just seemed like his foot was not getting better. We prayed for God to heal his foot and allow him to be able to walk without pain and infections. His foot just seemed to continually get worse.
One day after many months of no improvements, we felt like the Lord was leading us to get a second opinion. I will never forget the day Wayne called me on the way home from that appointment. He was so upset. The doctor had told him that the infection was in his bones, and he would have to have two toes amputated. You can imagine our shock because that certainly was not in our prayers or plans. We had asked God to heal not remove toes. However, once again God knew what was best. He answered that prayer of healing him by allowing the infection to be resolved when the toes were removed.
If there is anything I know about God, it is that He loves us so much and always has what is best for us on His mind. Sometimes His answers are "no" because what we are asking is not in His will for us, and He is protecting us. Sometimes the answer is "wait" so we can learn patience and perseverance. Sometimes what we might ask from God, He knows it is not the right time yet because His timing is perfect. Maybe there is something we need to learn in the waiting time.
Even when the answers might not be what we "think" we want or need God still wants us to pray about everything. I think God wants us to be relentlessly persistent in our prayers but also at the same time asking for wisdom and trusting He knows what is best. Just like I told my grandchildren "no" to a snack before dinner because "real food" is better for them than "junk food," God will sometimes tell us no because His love for us knows what is best for us.
I want to have persistence in my prayers putting the focus on what is possible with God while always relentlessly trusting that God knows what is best whether it involves bedtime, snacks, or my daily life.
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Jill Johnson finds spiritual applications in her everyday experiences as a wife, mother, grandmother, and Georgian. Jill is retired from the Georgia Baptist Mission Board and is available to speak to your church's women's gatherings. Reach her at jjohnson@gabaptist.org.
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