Wesley L. Duewel: Christ prevailed when He was here on earth far more than His disciples realized at the time.
He made no ostentatious display of His communion with the Father or of His intercession but usually slipped away quietly to get alone in prayer. He arose early to be able to intercede uninterruptedly.
We know the agony of His prayer wrestling in Gethsemane—a prayer of such prevailing and at such a cost of soul energy that we stand aghast at the record.
Isaiah tells us,
"He poured out his life unto death, and was numbered
with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors" (53:12).
So the cross and the agony of Gethsemane go side by side. What He had been doing in secret with the Father and what He agonized for in the garden became vocal and open on the cross, when He said,
"Father, forgive them."
Jesus Christ is the Intercessor-Savior. Hebrews tells us,
"During the days of Jesus' life on earth, he offered up
prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears" (5:7).
F. F. Bruce speculates on the writer of this verse,
"He probably knew of a number of incidents in the life of Jesus when He 'offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears' ". (F. F. Bruce, Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews).
Obviously, Gethsemane was one of these times.
How gladly we would all welcome more details of how Jesus prevailed in prayer. Moses, Elijah, Isaiah, and Daniel were all mighty in prevailing prayer, but never such prevailing as that of Christ, the Son Man, as He interceded on earth as our great High Priest.
E. M. Bounds wrote, "His life crises were distinctly marked His life victories all won, in hours of importunate prayer."
According to Thomas Payne, "His prayers were stronger than all the forces of earth and hell together....It was to Him the real battlefield." (E. M. Bounds, The Necessity of Prayer, p. 98).
His prayers brought all-essential victories. He prayed, and the disciples did not lose their faith and did not disband at the Crucifixion (Luke 22:32). He prayed, and through Gethsemane's agony He was able to bear the weight of the sins of the world.
It was not customary in Jesus' day to kneel for prayer. But Jesus was in such agony of prevailing prayer that He kneeled down as He prayed (Luke 22:41).
Matthew and Mark add that He fell to the ground on His face in His prayer wrestling (Matt. 26:39; Mark 14:35).
Jesus prevailed till He had assurance of victory, and rising from His agony, He demonstrated the quiet poise of total victory. He had prayed as no one ever prayed and had prevailed as no one had ever prevailed, and it was all for our sakes.
Prevailing prayer is almost always for the sake of others.
Prevailing prayer was His lifelong vocation. All that Christ accomplished during His earthly ministry was born in intercession, covered and saturated with intercession, and empowered and anointed as a result of intercession.
Says Andrew Murray,
"Every act of grace in Christ has been preceded by,
and owes its power to intercession."
(Ministry of Intercession p. 135)
Christ chose to minister, not primarily through the power and attributes of His essential deity as Son of God, but, rather, as Son of Man.
His favorite term for Himself was Son of Man. He chose to face life and Satan on the same level that we do. His baptism occurred as He prevailed in prayer, and the Holy Spirit came upon him as he prayer.
Why was He praying? No doubt during His years in Nazareth He had already been praying day after day as He worked in the carpenter's shop. Prayer was a part of all He did. It was His very life breath.
Jesus won His forty-day battle in the desert with Satan through prayer. He selected His apostles through prayer. He depended totally upon the Holy Spirit, just as you and I do—through prayer.
Jesus prevailed daily. He could not live and minister without prevailing prayer, as Hebrews 5:7 indicates.
(Google image and my emphasis added)
Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana
#22 Christ Prevailed on Earth
by Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 37-39) Zondervan
by Wesley L. Duewel
(pp. 37-39) Zondervan
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| Google image |
Help us understand our own need to spend time with You for guidance and the power to accomplish Your will.
We are aware that we cannot minister without prevailing in prayer, too.
It is awesome that Christ chose to face Satan and our world the same way we'll have to! May we remember that He overcame by prevailing in prayer.
I ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
We are aware that we cannot minister without prevailing in prayer, too.
It is awesome that Christ chose to face Satan and our world the same way we'll have to! May we remember that He overcame by prevailing in prayer.
I ask this in the Name of Jesus. Amen.
Today’s Bible verse: Ps. 10:17 "LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their hearts, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear."
Today’s quotes: Max Lucado
"A Reminder of Who is in Charge"
Prayer reminds us of who is in charge. You don’t take your requests to someone with less authority. You take them to someone who outranks you in the solutions department.
The same is true in prayer. You don’t pray just to let God know what’s going on. He’s way ahead of you on that one. You pray to transfer “my will be done” to “God’s will be done.” And, since he’s in charge, he knows the best solution. Prayer transfers the burden to God and He lightens your load. Prayer pushes us through life’s slumps, propels us over the humps, and pulls us out of the dumps. Prayer is the oomph we need to get the answers we seek. So, pray…today!
From Max on Life
The same is true in prayer. You don’t pray just to let God know what’s going on. He’s way ahead of you on that one. You pray to transfer “my will be done” to “God’s will be done.” And, since he’s in charge, he knows the best solution. Prayer transfers the burden to God and He lightens your load. Prayer pushes us through life’s slumps, propels us over the humps, and pulls us out of the dumps. Prayer is the oomph we need to get the answers we seek. So, pray…today!
From Max on Life
Listen to UpWords with Max Lucado at OnePlace.com
"It is the prayer of a righteous man, according to James, that avails much. We receive 'whatsoever we ask,' John said, because we obey and please God. All lack of power to pray correctly and perseveringly, all lack of power in prayer with God, indicates some lack in the Christian life. As we learn to live the life that pleases God, God will give us what we ask for." (taken from p. 54 of The Ministry of Intercession )
Our question today: Are we to inform God then, as to what's going on in our lives each day, if He already knows? If not, why not? or, what good does it do?
Answer: Because God knows even our thoughts, He knows all about what we're concerned with. Our praying allows us the opportunity to put into words what's really in our hearts. This way, we actually learn to see what God sees in there. He is pleased with our efforts to connect with Him, and He's pleased to answer in ways that benefit us, and which will bring Him glory.
Our thought today: Jesus will not leave us orphans. He will come to us= the Holy Spirit. (see John 14:15-26). Ask for Him to come within you today, and to begin a deep search for more of Christ Jesus.
How do you Pray for an Election?
5th- Saturday’s post by Dave Butts
6th- Sunday evening's post by Lee Forbes
8th- Tuesday's post by Wesley L. Duewel
10th- Thursday's post by Wesley L. Duewel
It is as true as being held in his hands. Without hope, a person will give up and terminate what could be..."
Very helpful. Debbie
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