Shameless Persistence: What the Syrophoenician Woman Taught Us About Asking God
Learn the power of shameless persistence in prayer through the story of the Syrophoenician woman. Keep asking, seeking, and knocking — and God will answer.
Jesse
5/8/20242 min read
Shameless Persistence Theorem — Keep Asking, Keep Seeking, Keep Knocking
Persistence is sticking to something despite difficulty or opposition. But shameless persistence — the kind that refuses to give up — is what God actually desires when we come before Him.
📖 The Theorem
In Luke 11:9 (NLT), Jesus says:
“And so I tell you, keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.
Keep on seeking, and you will find.
Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.”
God calls us to be persistent in three things:
✅ Asking
✅ Seeking
✅ Knocking
Today, let’s focus on the first — asking.
📖 Proof from Scripture: The Syrophoenician Woman
In Matthew 15:22–28, we meet an extraordinary woman — a Syrophoenician mother whose daughter was demon-possessed.
Desperate for help, she came to Jesus and pleaded, “My daughter is demon-possessed. Lord, have mercy on me!”
But Jesus gave no reply.
The woman didn’t give up. She kept asking. She kept pressing in. She showed shameless persistence.
👥 The Reactions Around Her
The disciples grew irritated and told Jesus, “Send her away!”
Jesus tested her faith, saying, “I was sent only to help the people of Israel, not the Gentiles.”
Did she stop asking? No.
She came back again and cried, “Sir, help me!”
Wow. What a picture of persistence.
💔 The Third Test
Then came the hardest moment.
Jesus said, “It isn’t right to take bread from the children and throw it to the dogs.”
If it were me, I might have walked away — hurt, rejected, and broken.
But not this woman.
Her focus wasn’t on her feelings; her focus was on the One who had the solution.
She replied,
“Yes, Lord, but even the puppies eat the crumbs that fall from the master’s table.”
🙌 Her Shameless Persistence Amazed Jesus
She didn’t quit.
She didn’t lose faith.
She didn’t let offense steal her miracle.
Jesus was amazed at her faith — and gave her exactly what she asked for.
✨ HENCE PROVED!!!
Luke 11:9–10 rings true:
“Keep on asking and you will receive what you ask for.
Everyone who asks receives.”
🌿 Final Reflection
Shameless persistence isn’t easy.
It means praying even when the answer seems delayed.
It means trusting even when you don’t understand.
But like this woman, don’t give up. Keep asking. Keep seeking. Keep knocking.
Your persistence may be the very thing that unlocks the miracle you’ve been praying for.
