By Kevin "Mac" McClure
What necessary skills did you learn through repetition? The ABC's. Counting.
Riding a bicycle. Playing an instrument. Language. Athletic skills. I could fill this page with examples.
Jesus warned against using meaningless repetition when praying (Matthew 6:7), yet He used repetition in prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane when He prayed exactly the same things, three times.
Christians tend to flounder in prayer when we think our prayer life lacks vitality simply because we seem to say the same things over and over.
Perhaps you have gotten in a rut or, maybe there are things that God is calling you to continuously hold before Him. The Bible calls these petitions. Jesus created a vivid picture of this when He told us the story of the widow and the judge. This widow- everyone who heard this story knew she was among the powerless and she needed justice- appeared before a judge who had no regard for either God or man and yet received what she wanted because she nearly wore him out by persistently requesting the same thing. Jesus tells us this is how we should pray! (See Luke 18:1-8).
Some teachers suggest that it is enough to pray only once for something. I'm not in that camp. I think there are times when the Holy Spirit shows you that He's heard your plea and that you don't need to tend to it any longer. In my experience, these situations are extremely rare. It is much more normal to be called to persevere in bringing our petitions to Him. Feel free to ask Him if He wants you to stop praying about a particular thing. More than likely, you'll be encouraged to press on. Keep a record of what He is showing you along the way!