Persistence

When I have a good relationship with someone, I am usually more confortable with confronting that person. I do not know the president of my company, so if I were to go to him with a request and he denied it, I would probably count my losses and give up. But with my store leader, supervisors, etc. with whom I have a working relationship, built on trust and respect, if my request is pushed aside (and it is a valid request), I am much more comfortable going back with my request more forcefully (yet with respect and gentleness) in order to make sure that I am heard, and that my dedication is known.

My relationship with God needs to be as such that I feel comfortable going to him persisitently with my requests (those that are in God's will). When our prayers are not answered right away, often we give up and move on. God knows our hearts and desire before we even come to Him. But to get into the habit of being consistent in prayers helps us to develop a character of dedication. When we abandon our prayers when we don't immediately get the result we want, we become apathetic.