​"​This morning as I was praying for a specific prayer need, the Lord said to me that he had heard those prayers, but he also spoke this: “Continue those prayers.”
 
I prayed and asked, “Lord if you have heard this prayer (and I mean no disrespect by asking this), why do I need to continue in those prayers?”
 
I heard the Lord speak this to me:

       Laura it is like this. I hear the prayers and I act on them, but I realize your level of perseverance and faith as you continue to pray. It builds your faith and understanding that you must persevere. Perseverance – while often is not fun – does have a kingdom purpose. It is the mortar that often holds things together in the kingdom of God on earth. Without perseverance, there would be many kingdom plans that would go to the wayside. In fact, most things that are really important to me require perseverance of my people.
 
     Look at Nehemiah as he rebuilt the wall of Jerusalem. His perseverance was incredible and he was a motivator of my people. He had the vision of the completed wall. Everyone else was there looking at the ruins, but doing nothing because they had no vision. I tried to give it to some, but they could not get beyond the circumstances. They were overwhelmed by what looked like the magnitude of it. They could not have the vision, faith. Vision and faith go hand in hand. They are not the same thing, but my people need the vision for something in which to have faith. Vision often comes first. Vision is the thing that directs the faith of my people. Nehemiah did not simply have vision and no faith, or faith with no vision. What is faith with no vision: It is not very useful in the kingdom. The faith has to have an outlet, a motive, … a purpose.
 
      You and Mike have stood in faith all these months, even years, for your children to be what I wanted them to be in the kingdom realm. You have stood for my will to be done in their lives. You have stood firm…your vision was tied to my vision and plan for their lives. The point is that you have had a vision for the faith that you have carried. The faith had an outlet and a direction and a purpose for all that you seek. You have sought what I have sought for them. The faith had a goal in mind. Faith must always have a goal in mind or it is aimless.
 
      People say all the time, “I have faith in God,” but that is very generic. For faith to be its optimal best, it must be directed at something specific. “Directed faith” is faith that will prove my faithfulness. Directed faith is what causes people to give me the greatest glory. When (you recently saw some specific prayers answered), you tied it back to the specific prayers you prayed. Because of those pinpointed prayers, they were answered specifically.