Dr. Wesley L. Duewel- There may be times when prevailing prayer is a fierce but brief battle. Normally, however, prevailing prayer is characterized by these elements.
You Must Be Willing to Take Time. There are few instant answers in matters of spiritual importance. God has performed miracles in response to urgent, on-the-spot pleas, of course, but many spiritual battles take much time. You cannot earn God's blessing by virtue of the amount of time you pray. Yet no one ever became mighty in prayer without spending much time praying. (Google image, Prevail First in Prayer)
Listen to Isaiah's testimony: "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch . . . I have posted watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they will never be silent day or night. You who call on the Lord, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth" (Isa. 62:1, 6-7).
Nehemiah prevailed day and night in prayer: "Let your ear be attentive and your eyes open to hear the prayer your servant is praying before you day and night for your servants, the people of Israel" (Neh. 1:6).
Daniel prayed regularly at stated times, but spent as much as three weeks in prevailing at a time of special need (Dan. 10:2).
Paul prayed night and day, prevailing for his converts and his new churches (1 Thess. 3:10). We will do no less when we learn how to prevail.
Jesus often prayed all night. "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God" (Luke 6:12). "Will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (18:7-8).
You learn to pray by praying. The singer spends hours in vocal practice and rehearsal. The athlete trains to perfect his skills and strengthen his muscles. The army that does not toughen its soldiers with constant drilling wins few victories.
There is only one way to learn to pray. It is not by reading books on payer, not by singing about prayer, not by hearing sermons on payer, but by praying more and more and more.
By the very nature of things, prayer victories often take time. Prayer seeks to dislodge long-entrenched foes. Prayer seeks to change the wills of people. You may have to environ them for days with prayer before they understand or become willing to obey God. Prayer answers often require complex coordinating and timing of events and lives by God.
Prayer force can be built up to an almost irresistible level. You cannot store up grace but you can store up prayer. Mounting flood waters can sweep away any obstruction and burst any dam. In the same way the accumulated power of prevailing prayer can move immovable obstacles. The foundation is praying without ceasing. This is more than an activity; it must become an attitude of life.
(Chapter 27, p. 198-199, italics added for emphasis)Used by permissionof the Duewel Literature Trust, Inc,Greenwood, IndianaAvailable by phone317-881-6755, ext, 361
Let's pray-
Father, although prevailing prayer may be fierce at times for urgent needs, there are others that take more of our time. May we learn that no great amount of praying earns special blessings, but that our taking time to continual praying is what makes us mighty in prayer.
We find that we learn to pray by praying. Books and articles are helpful, of course, but our praying on a regular basis is what teaches us most about effective praying. Some long-entrenched foes may take more-commitment of praying to win over the wills of the people we're praying for.
We cannot store up grace as they are new every morning. May we be willing to store up our prayers for those we're concerned for, to sweep away any obstructions to some changes needed in their thinking. Our continual, daily prayers can burst their dams of defence and stubborn wills. May that become our attitude of life; to pray for Your will to be done in the lives of those we're praying for each day.
We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen
Today's Bible verses-
John 10:27-29 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.”
Jude 1:24-25 “To him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy—to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen.”
Quote for today-~ Clarence L. Haynes Jr. "I implore you today to stop worrying about some mark [of the beast] and start putting your focus on the one who has promised to keep you and present you faultless in his presence. This is where your attention should be. When the truth of Scripture takes hold of your heart, any fear or concern about a mark should go away. Jesus has got you and he will not let you go."Words of wisdom-
~ What grace the Father has bestowed upon believers in His Son's Redemptive plan! We couldn't do anything that would merit our salvation because of our sin, so His Son, Jesus, willingly paid the ultimate price for us on the Roman cross some 2,000 years ago.
Today's guest post-
Does Reading the Bible excite you or intimidate you?
Brittany Ann
"Does reading the Bible excite you or intimidate you? Is it something you look forward to or feel obligated to do? Do you struggle to find the time to make it a consistent priority? Honestly, I’ve felt all those things and more! There are seasons of life when I can’t wait to dig into God’s Word and other seasons when it’s hard to find the motivation."The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,
located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,
broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15
You can view past services too.
Helpful ways the Lord helped me in my marriageUpcoming posts-
#96 You Must Pray In The Spirit
11th- Thursday's post by Dr. Wesley L. Duewel
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