What is God looking for in you and me?  For one, we know He is looking for thankful people.  When Jesus healed ten lepers and only one returned to give thanks, He asked where the other nine were.  He is also looking for true worshipers.  Jesus told the woman at the well, “The hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him” (John 4:23).  Today, I’d like to share about a third characteristic God is looking for in people.

In the 18th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, we find a parable that Jesus taught about an unjust judge.  The judge “neither feared God nor cared about people,” but a widow came to him asking for justice against someone who had treated her wrongly (v. 1, NLT).  Though the judge initially refused to help her and even ignored her, the woman kept coming back with her request.  Eventually, the judge granted her desire just so she would stop bothering him!

Jesus pointed out that if a judge who was unjust responded this way to someone’s persistent request, “how shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to Him?” (v. 7).  Jesus continued with this question: “When the Son of Man comes, will He find [persistence in] faith on the earth?” (v. 8, AMP).  This question shows us that God is looking for persistent faith.

In addition to being people who are thankful to God and who worship Him, God wants us to be people who believe Him in faith.  However, the type of faith He’s looking for is not a casual, nonchalant type of faith.  He desires to see a persistent faith that leads a person to keep coming to God in prayer over and over again, even when immediate results are not evident.  If an unjust judge would answer a persistent widow, how much more will God respond to the faith of His people!

So, be persistent with your faith!  Don’t ever feel like you’re “bothering” God with your requests; He likes it when you keep coming back to Him.  Take these words of Jesus to heart today: “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” (Matthew 7:7, NLT).  Jesus is looking for people who keep on!