Today’s Gospel reading calls us to persevere in prayer, even when God seems silent or distant (Luke 18:1–8). The trouble is, many of us confuse perseverance with “perseveration.”

Perseverance is the steadfast commitment to a task, goal, or belief, even in the face of hardship or uncertainty. It is anchored in a clear sense of purpose and sustained by hope.

Perseveration, by contrast, is the compulsive repetition of thoughts, words, or actions, often associated with a neurological dysfunction. It can also appear as an irrational or habitual behavior driven by poor judgment or mental laziness. It traps a person in cycles of unthinking repetition, like stubbornly voting for corrupt government leaders despite the damage they cause. A quote often attributed to Albert Einstein aptly describes this malady: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.”

In the spiritual life, perseverance sustains our desire to remain in communion with God through disciplined, sincere, and consistent prayer, even when no immediate answers come.

Perseveration distorts such practice through compulsive recitation of formulaic prayers, driven by fear or the mistaken belief that sheer repetition can bring divine favor or ward off punishment.

“Chain prayers” are a common example of perseveration. On social media, many netizens urge others to repeat and forward a specific prayer, accompanied by the promises like, “Send this to 10 people and a miracle will happen,” or threats such as, “If you break the chain, something bad will happen.” These chain prayers encourage us to put our faith in prayer, rather than in God.

But Jesus calls us to put our faith NOT in our prayers, but only in Him, in His wisdom, goodness, and faithfulness to His promises. When we place our trust in our prayer rather than in God, we no longer focus on God but on the quality, intensity, length, and frequency of our prayers.

Instead of being open to God in humble receptivity, we turn inward and are easily discouraged when our prayers seem unanswered. We start thinking, “Maybe I’m not praying correctly or often enough. Maybe that’s why God isn’t listening.”

When we reach that point, perseverance gives way to perseveration. We obsessively repeat our favorite prayers, checking if we have prayed “correctly,” fearing divine rejection if we have not. Prayer, which should bring peace, deteriorates into a burdensome routine and a source of anxiety.

Sadly, even some churches and religious communities unintentionally reinforce this mindset by placing excessive focus on using liturgically approved words (even if these are alien to our understanding), enforcing strict postures during Mass (whether to kneel, stand, or sit), or rigidly regulating gestures (like clapping or holding hands).

While these practices can be meaningful when understood in context, they risk reducing prayer to a mechanical ritual, especially when people follow them without understanding their deeper significance.

Our Gospel reading today reminds us that perseverance in prayer is grounded in the steadfast hope that God hears us. As the persistent widow exemplifies, prayer is not about waiting passively for God to show up and intervene. It is, in fact, the opposite. We show up, day after day, heart open and spirit willing, ready to encounter God who always meets us where we are.

There are people who say, “I’ve stopped praying. What’s the use? God seldom answers, and when He does, it’s often delayed.” But in truth, they have not stopped praying. They simply ceased perseverating, as they try to manipulate God into giving them what they want. If you ever catch yourself praying that way—repeatedly bargaining, begging, demanding—listen to the warning spoken by Meryl Streep in the movie, Out of Africa: “Be careful what you pray for. When God wants to punish you, He answers your prayers.”