Thoughts for Life: #62 The Use and Command of Faith

Dr. Wesley L. Duewel: Two Forms of the Prayer of Faith- The prayer of faith at times has the quiet certainty and composure of an invincible commander in chief.

At times it has the passionate determination of frontline troups blasting their way through the enemy's fortifications.

Both are biblical. Both prevail before God. Each is as spiritual as the other. The Holy Spirit guides you in the form in which prevailing prayer is to be expressed.

Let us illustrate this from the lives of Christians.

1) The faith of quiet and absolute confidence.

~ Johann A. Bengel was a Lutheran theologian and commentator in the mid-1700s. A sudden devastating hailstorm swept across the fields, threatening total destruction of the crops.

A person rushed into Bengel's room calling, "Alas, sir, everything will be destroyed; we shall lose all!" Bengel went quietly to the window, opened it, raised his hands toward heaven, and said, "Father, restrain it." Instantly the storm ceased." (McIntyre, Hidden Life of Prayer, 91.)

[I, Jean, had this experience while living in Vermont!]

~ Mr. David Thomas, brother of one of our first OMS International leaders in Korea, was a well-known London merchant. As he left a church service on one occasion, his son came breathless, "Father, the store is on fire!"

Mr. Thomas asked, "Are the firemen at work?" When assured that they were, Mr. Thomas turned to the evangelist, his hand on his shoulder, and said, "Let us pray about this."

He then prayed, "Lord, it is not my store. It is thine. Put thy hand upon the fire, and do it now for Jesus' sake." He then quietly said, "Now let us go to supper."

Several accompanying friends protested, "What about the fire?" Thomas replied, "Didn't we commit it to the Lord? If we were to go, what more could we do? He will take care of it."

Halfway through the evening meal the son entered the room. "Well, what happened?" asked Mr. Thomas.

"Happened! It seemed as though a miracle happened....

It looked as though nothing could save it from

being completely burned out, but when I returned,

in some mysterious manner the flames had been

arrested. The firemen themselves cannot understand it.

It looks like an act of God."

(Harry E. Jessop, The Ministry of Prevailing Prayer, Berne, Ind.: Light and Hope Publications, 1941, p. 109).

2) The faith of passionate determination.

~ D. McIntyre tells us of a boy who fell in the flood-swollen Wupper River. His Christian father called out, "Lord, teach me to swim!" as he leaped in. He swam successfully in spite of the raging water, reached his son, and rescued him. He had never tried to swim before."

~ A friend of mine, M. B Case,disinherited by his wealthy English family in Britain because of taking his stand for Christ, came to America and began to hold evangelistic meetings. Once during the 1920s he was staying with a very poor family.

He wanted to be helpful, so he went out to the woodpile to split some wood for the stove. He had been accustomed to being waited on by servants in britain and had never used an ax before.

As he tried to split the wood, he inadvertently split the sole of his foot. As the blood gushed out, he stomped his foot on the ground, shouting, "Praise the Lord!" Instantly his foot was healed without a scar.

~ The great revival in Kilsyth, Scotland, under the ministry of William Burns, began Tuesday morning, July 23, 1839. Praying people of Kilsyth had been longing, prevailing, and wrestling in prayer for a new visitation of God.

The night before, many gathered and spent the whole night travailing in prayer for souls to be born again. They were given such assurance of faith that they came to the morning meeting expecting a glorious work of God.

As the young preacher spoke, the power of God came upon him. The whole audience broke down and began to weep. Many found peace with God.

At once revival services began that continued night after night for months in the church and the marketplace. At times three to four thousand people met to hear Burns.

The whole town was cleaned of vice, the drinking of alcoholic beverages was abandoned, and home and loom shops became places of prayer. (McIntyre, Hidden Life of Prayer, 91.)

~ Before the Diet of Nuremberg, Luther continued in intense earnestness of wrestling prayer. The Spirit enabled him to lay hold of God's throne of grace with such faith and power that he prevailed with God.

He felt sure, even before the diet took action, that those who composed it would stand firm in reformation principles. And they did. (James G. J. McClure, Intercessory Prayer (Chicago: Moody, c. 1902), 34

(Google image and my emphasis added)

Used by permission of the author and Duewel Literature Trust, Inc., Greenwood, Indiana

Mighty Prevailing Prayer

#62 The Use and Command of Faith

by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel

(pp. 103-105)) Zondervan

Let's pray-

Father, enable us to realize that we can speak to even the elements to obey our commands when the need arises.

May Your Spirit embolden us to come against what may be destructive in our lives, and the lives of others.

We are inspired with stories of others' speaking out in faith in various situations, so it is our request that the Holy Spirit help us trust Him to move for us in times of great need.

I ask this in, and for the Name of Jesus. Amen.

Today's Bible verses-

(Ps 143:1 KJV) "Hear my prayer, O LORD, give ear to my supplications: in thy faithfulness answer me, and in thy righteousness."

(Ps. 143:1 NIV) "O LORD, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy; in your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief."

(Prov. 30:5 KJV) "Every word of God is pure; he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him."

Today's quote-

Dr. Charles F. Stanley- "When the Lord hears an impassioned prayer, He knows who is praying. If it is a righteous person whose life reflects God's ways, Scripture promises the Holy Spirit will begin His divine work. God responds with great power to the prayers of even one righteous person. That person can be you!" (Taken from p. 50 of IN TOUCH, a publication of IN TOUCH ministries - Feb. 2015).

Be sure to check out Debbie McEwen's latest post:

I Could Never Be as Good as You, Lord