I'm reading this book presently. A dear friend lent it to me months ago. I finally picked it up. I am so glad I did. There is so much good stuff in it that I could write about, but I am going to focus on a couple of his thoughts on persevering prayer.
I don't know if you've ever done this. I know I have. Here's the situation: there is something I feel very strongly about. I pray for it fervently and often. I plead with God. Months, maybe years go by and I get no answer. So, I say, It must not be God's will and then move on.
Murray says this is a mistake. Those prayers that we pray for a long time are precious and necessary for God will come through as soon as He can. He has to wait until everything is absolutely perfect for the answer, like waiting to pick the fruit when it is ripe.
Let me quote him. He writes, "Of all the mysteries of the prayer world, the need of persevering prayers is one of the greatest. We cannot easily understand that the Lord, who is so loving and longing to bless, should have to be asked time after time, sometimes year after year, before the answer comes . . . After persevering supplication, when your prayer remains unanswered, it is often easiest for our slothful flesh -- with the appearance of pious submission -- to think that we must now cease praying, because God may have His secret reason for withholding His answer to our request. By faith along the difficulty is overcome.
"To exercise the irresistible power it can have, faith, just like water, must be gathered up and accumulated until the stream can come down in full force. Often there must be a heaping up of prayer until God sees that the measure is full and the answer comes . . . It knows for certain that not a single believing prayer can fail of its effect in heaven, but each has its influence, and is treasured up to work toward an answer in due time to him who perseveres to the end."
That is fantastic!! Wow. I hope you are blessed as much as me from this passage. Amazon.com has this book. I'll put the picture here: