How Does One Prevail in Prayer?

LESSON 8

You are welcome to another edition of Insights from God's Word, a Bible study programme that is committed to sharing God's Word by allowing the Bible to speak for itself.

Friends, I want to thank the Lord so much for how far He has brought us. This study will be the last in our series on Biblical Perspectives on Prayer and Fasting. In this last study, we will consider the topic: How does one prevail in prayer? It is my prayer that the Lord will use this lesson to encourage us to know the power of prayer and begin to pray as we have never prayed before. The lesson has been categorised into three sub-sections as follows:

1) WHAT IS PREVAILING PRAYER?

Prevailing prayer is the kind of prayer that takes hold of the promises of God in Scripture. The Word of God is filled with so many precious promises in relation to God's genuine willingness to answer the prayers of His children. Fervent prayers that take hold of these promises are bound to move the hand of the omnipotent God. Thus in prevailing prayer, the petitioner connects with God through these divine promises until an answer is obtained from above. Some few examples of these clear promises from God to His people are as follows:

A) "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land." (2 Chronicles 7:14)

B) "14 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: 15 And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me." (Psalm 50:14, 15)

C) "14 Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 15 He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 16 With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation." (Psalm 91:14-16)

D) "7 Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 9 Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? 10 Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? 11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?" (Matthew 7:7-11; see also Luke 11:9-13)

E) "Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 18:19)

F) "And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:22)

G) "Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." (Mark 11:24)

H) "13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it." (John 14:13, 14)

I) "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." (John 15:7)

J) "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." (John 15:16)

K) "23 And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you. 24 Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full." (John 16:23, 24)

L) "For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil." (1 Peter 3:12)

M) "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." (1 John 3:22)

2) EXAMPLES OF PREVAILING PRAYER IN THE BIBLE

There are several encouraging examples of God's answer to His children who held on to Him through prevailing prayer. We can talk about Bible characters such as Abraham, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Elijah, Elisha, Hezekiah, Jehoshaphat, Esther, Hannah, Peter, James, John, Paul and even Jesus Christ Himself. Outlined below are some few scriptural examples of prevailing prayer in the Bible:

A) JACOB

One cannot discuss the topic of prevailing prayer without mentioning the night wrestling experience of Jacob. After serving his uncle Laban for several years, Jacob decided to return to his native home. Along the way he heard the trembling news of how his brother Esau approached him with men of war that he knew were bent on a revenge of what he did to his brother concerning the stolen birthright (see Genesis 27:1-46). At this point in his life, Jacob's sin came before him in stark clearness. He realised that he and his family must perish if the God who had revealed Himself to him at Bethel did not intervene. After arranging his family in several orders, the patriarch began to confess his brutal sin before God. With a contrite heart, Jacob took hold on the promises of God that He had made to him at Bethel (see Genesis 28:10-15). His hold on God in that night of prayer was so tight that this act of faith was granted to become a reality for Him. For the Angel of the Covenant, in the Person of Christ, revealed Himself to the patriarch (see PP 196.3). From Genesis 32, we read the biblical account of this story as follows: "32:24 And Jacob was left alone; and there wrestled a man with him until the breaking of the day.

32:25 And when he saw that he prevailed not against him, he touched the hollow of his thigh; and the hollow of Jacob's thigh was out of joint, as he wrestled with him.

32:26 AND HE SAID, LET ME GO, FOR THE DAY BREAKETH. AND HE SAID, I WILL NOT LET THEE GO, EXCEPT THOU BLESS ME.

32:27 And he said unto him, What is thy name? And he said, Jacob.

32:28 And he said, Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel: for as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed.

32:29 And Jacob asked him, and said, Tell me, I pray thee, thy name. And he said, Wherefore is it that thou dost ask after my name? And he blessed him there.

32:30 And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved."

(Genesis 32:24-32; Capital Emphasis Added, see also Hosea 12:2-5) As the Angel departed, the foreboding of death that had haunted the patriarch departed as well. Even though he realised he limped from the touch of the Angel, the fear of death from his brother was no more. Jacob soon found himself in a warm embrace with his brother Esau. The burning revenge in Esau was changed to pity and love through the blessing of the Angel of the Covenant (see Genesis 32:1-32; Genesis 33:1-20). From the pen of inspiration, we read the following in relation to the persevering prayer of Jacob: i) "Jacob prevailed because he was persevering and determined. His experience testifies to the power of importunate prayer. It is now that we are to learn this lesson of prevailing prayer, of unyielding faith. The greatest victories to the church of Christ or to the individual Christian are not those that are gained by talent or education, by wealth or the favor of men. They are those victories that are gained in the audience chamber with God, when earnest, agonizing faith lays hold upon the mighty arm of power." -- (PP 203.1) ii) "Those who are unwilling to forsake every sin and to seek earnestly for God's blessing, will not obtain it. But all who will lay hold of God's promises as did Jacob, and be as earnest and persevering as he was, will succeed as he succeeded. "Shall not God avenge His own elect, which cry day and night unto Him, though He bear long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily." Luke 18:7, 8." -- (PP 203.2) B) MOSES

Moses, the most humble of the servants of God also had an experience in prevailing prayer that is able to strengthen God's people today (Numbers 12:3). The people of Israel that he led from Egypt to Canaan often transgressed against the commandments of God. One of these incidences happened at the Mount Horeb. When God called Moses to the mountain in order to give His law to the people, the people turned from following the Lord and made themselves a golden calf to worship it (see Exodus 32:1-6). The anger of the Lord burned hot against the people, and He decided to destroy them and make of Moses a great nation. But the Scripture says Moses stood between the Lord and the people. We find the record of this story in Genesis 32:7-14 as follows: "32:7 And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:

32:8 They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

32:9 And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:

32:10 Now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them: and I will make of thee a great nation.

32:11 And Moses besought the LORD his God, and said, LORD, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people, which thou hast brought forth out of the land of Egypt with great power, and with a mighty hand?

32:12 Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say, For mischief did he bring them out, to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them from the face of the earth? Turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against thy people.

32:13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, thy servants, to whom thou swarest by thine own self, and saidst unto them, I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have spoken of will I give unto your seed, and they shall inherit it for ever.

32:14 And the LORD repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."

(Exodus 32:7-14) In this account of prevailing prayer, we see how Moses takes the promises of God and throws them back to Him in humble petition of prayer. Moses says something like this: You Lord made a promise to your servants Abraham, Isaac and Jacob concerning these people. And now do you want to go back on your own promises? Friends, this reliance on God's own promises was not seen by God as presumption but rather a prevailing form of prayer, a hanging on to the Divine promises and not letting go until an answer is obtained. This kind of prayer is what moved the fierce anger of the omnipotent God to repent of the evil he had justly planned concerning the people of Israel. In the latter verses of the chapter, we read selfless words from Moses that makes him a type of Christ. From Exodus 32:30-35, we read these inspiring words: "32:30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.

32:31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.

32:32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.

32:33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

32:34 Therefore now go, lead the people unto the place of which I have spoken unto thee: behold, mine Angel shall go before thee: nevertheless in the day when I visit I will visit their sin upon them.

32:35 And the LORD plagued the people, because they made the calf, which Aaron made."

(Exodus 32:30-35) Beloved in this account also, we see how this great leader of Israel relies on the promises of God to make his plea before the Almighty. He challenges God to blot out his name from the book of life if He was not willing to forgive Israel. God clearly replies that He cannot do that as the one who sins is the one whose name has to be blotted out from His book. Talk about someone standing between God and his intended just purpose, and you can say Moses is that man. His prevailing prayer of faith that held on to the promises of God is what gave that generation of Israel a chance to make it to the promised land.

C) THE CAANANITE WOMAN

Another example of prevailing prayer recorded in Scripture is the face to face prayer of the Canaanite woman unto Jesus. We read the story from Matthew 15 as follows: "15:22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil.

15:23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

15:25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me.

15:26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs.

15:27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

15:28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour."

(Matthew 15:22-28) In this petition to Jesus is found several great lessons in relation to the subject of prevailing prayer. Like Jacob, this woman had come to the point of crisis. She realises her only hope for her daughter's deliverance was in Jesus. Even though the Saviour's silence to her continuous pleas worried her (Matthew 15:23), she was not about to give up on Him yet. She was surprised at the behaviour of Christ's disciples in wanting to send her away but that did not shake her faith as well. She was going to stick with Christ no matter what they did (Matthew 15:23). And then came heavy words like sharp arrows from the lips of the Saviour unto her: "I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 15:24). Instead of making her alarmed, this woman came to worship at the feet of Jesus, and continued to petition Him in regard to her problem. And finally, what had been designed by infinite love to try her to the utmost was unleashed upon her: "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs" (Matthew 15:26). These words of Jewish "racist prejudice" would have broken the resilience of any faithless person, and sent the person away cursing the compassionate Redeemer. However, the faith of this woman had found a resting place in Christ. Instead of being injured by them, she questioned in her heart why such a good Person can treat her this way. She quickly recognises that her faith was being tried to the utmost. From her lips came no murmur, complaint or insult but the following wise words: "Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table" (Matthew 15:27). These words touched the cords of the heart of Divinity to quickly grant the petition of this child of Jehovah. The assuring words that this Canaanite woman had wanted to hear right from the beginning of her conversion with Jesus were now spoken: "O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour" (Matthew 15:28).

There are several great lessons in relation to prevailing prayer that the people of God have to learn from the faith of this Canaanite woman. Outlined below are some of the lessons that we can take away for ourselves:

i) Sometimes, our prayers can be met with silence from God.

ii) The people of God that we trust should provide encouragement in our time of distress can disappoint us.

iii) We may see the hand of God in answering similar petitions of some of His children while we wait endlessly to have an answer to our own.

iv) The third point will make us wonder and question whether the promises of God in Scripture are not meant for us, but rather for other people.

In all these situations, the Lord may be trying our faith just as He tried the faith of the Canaanite woman. If we do not give up but continue to stay true to Him and offer our petitions diligently, our faith will soon move the hand of the omnipotent God to answer our petitions. Sometimes the Lord intentionally holds on an answer to prayer to His children's petitions so as to grow their faith and trust in Him. The longer the petition is delayed, the earnest the true child of God prays. In the end, the Lord grants the petition, and obtains the added advantage of a deeper relationship with His children.

D) JESUS CHRIST

If there was ever a man who knew what prevailing prayer was, that man is our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. It was the exercise of prevailing prayer that gave Him strength to live the life of a common man, and yet did not sin against the precepts of Jehovah (see 2 Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). Throughout His life, prevailing prayer was a constant practice (Luke 11:1; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12). However, we see the exercise of prevailing prayer more clearly exemplified in His life during His final hours of His salvific mission in the garden of Gethsemane. From Matthew 26, we read the following epitome of prevailing prayer that has ever come from the lips of mortals: "26:36 Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

26:37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.

26:38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

26:39 And he went a little farther, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

26:40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

26:41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.

26:42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

26:43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

26:44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words."

(Matthew 26:36-44) From the prayer of Christ in the garden of Gethsemane, we learn how important prevailing prayer must be made in total submission to the will of God. Three times our Lord Jesus Christ went to pray, seeking the face of His Father if another way can be found for which mankind can be brought back to a reconciliation with God. Over and over again, the answer was the same; silence. Christ must follow through with the already established plan that the Godhead had orchestrated for the salvation of mankind (see John 3:14-16). It was His praying each time in total submission to the will of God that brought strength from above to enable Him to go through the final hours of His work of redemption for mankind (see Luke 22:43). From this example of Christ, it is clear that even though prevailing prayer can move the hand of God to fulfill our original requests, it is not a type of prayer that is meant to bend the hand of God to do our wishes. Just like Jesus, the apostle Paul also prayed three times for God to take away his weakness in the flesh, yet the Divine answer that came is that "...My grace is sufficient for thee..." (see 2 Corinthians 12:6-9).

Dear friends, as our Lord Jesus prayed fervently at Gethsemane and left the answer to the good will of the Father (review Matthew 26:36-44), so should all forms of prayer, even prevailing prayer, be made in total submission to the perfect will of God. Sometimes the best answer that the Lord in His infinite wisdom must give us is similar to that of Paul: "My grace is sufficient for thee" (2 Corinthians 12:9). As we follow our Saviour by praying in total submission to the will of God, we will be content and happy with God's workings and providences in our life. Moreover, we will find it hard to murmur and complain when God decides to teach us lessons of faith through our own experiences of prevailing prayer. In fact, we will be able to embrace the principles of Scripture from the apostle Paul expressed beautifully in the following words: "4:4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.

4:5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.

4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.

4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

(Philippians 4:4-7)

E) THE PARABLE OF THE WIDOW AND THE JUDGE

The subject of prevailing prayer is perfectly summarised in the New Testament from the lips of the Saviour Himself. From the parable of Christ in Luke 18, we read the following encouraging words in relation to the subject of prevailing prayer: "18:1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;

18:2 Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man:

18:3 And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary.

18:4 And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man;

18:5 Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me.

18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith.

18:7 And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them?

18:8 I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"

(Luke 18:1-8) Friends, the Lord does not expect us to give up when we don't see an answer to our prayers. He wants us to continue praying until we realise that a Divine answer has been given in relation to our petition. It is important for us to note that the answer to our petitions may not always be in line with what we have hoped and prayed for. If God finds it good to grant our exact petitions, He will do so. Sometimes, He may have other options in mind that a constant persevering prayer is what will open our eyes to behold these better options. Moreover, He may also answer our petitions with a straightforward no as a way of blessing our life. If we keep on our walk with God, we will come to the point where we will see the good reason why God decided to answer our prayers with a no option and actually give thanks unto Him.

We are living at a time in the history of the world that the Lord expects us to hold on to Him through the exercise of prevailing prayer. As Jesus rightly asked: "Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (review Luke 18:8). It is only through the exercise of prevailing prayer that our faith can continue to hold unto the promises of God. As we get closer and closer to the time of Christ's return, the Lord will be more concerned about building our faith in Him more than quickly supplying all our needs. Many of our petitions that will be sent heavenward will be met with silence and delay. Through these mediums, the Lord will be putting us on our toes to pray and pray and pray. Our earnest prayer unto Him will not only move God to answer our petitions, it will also give Him the opportunity to strengthen our faith in preparation for the coming crisis upon His elect. The time has come for God's people to hold on to Him in prevailing prayer as never before. The time has come whereby our faith must take hold of the promises of God in Scripture. For the Scripture declares plainly concerning our God: "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?" (Jeremiah 32:27; see also Jeremiah 32:17; Genesis 18:14).

3) VARIOUS OBSTACLES TO PREVAILING PRAYER

There are several of God's people who do not receive an answer to their prayers because they do not meet the conditions that God has set in His word in regard to ensuring that our prayers are answered. Here are some of the scriptural conditions that can lead to unanswered prayers:

A) "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:" (Psalm 66:18; see also Isaiah 59:2)

B) "25 And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. 26 But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses." (Mark 11:25, 26)

C) "23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift." (Matthew 5:23, 24)

D) "Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5:16)

E) "Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered." (1 Peter 3:7)

F) "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." (James 4:3)

G) "He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination." (Proverbs 28:9)

Friends, the unwillingness to heed to the conditions above are basically what hinder the answers to the prayers of many of God's professed people. If we can ensure that we remove the stumbling block of sin that separates us from God; if we can willingly forgive others when they offend us; if we can ensure that we have a good relationship with our family, friends and neighbours; if we can practice Christlikeness by loving even our enemies; if we can pray according to the good will of God, and not to gratify our selfish lusts, the Lord will surely answer our petitions. The various promises in Scripture in relation to the willingness of the Lord to hear and answer the petitions of His children will come through for us (review 2 Chronicles 7:14; Psalm 50:14, 15; Psalm 91:14-16; Matthew 7:7-11; Matthew 18:19; Matthew 21:22; Mark 11:24; John 14:13; John 15:7; John 15:16; John 16:23, 24; 1 Peter 3:12; 1 John 3:22). Like the apostle John, we will be able to boldly proclaim that: "14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: 15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him" (1 John 5:14, 15).

Exhortation: It is said concerning the apostle James (the brother of Christ) that after he was dead, it was found that his knees were callous like a camel's knees due to the practice of prevailing prayer. By all standard measures, this is an example which is worth emulating for those of us who are living at the very end of this earth's history. For we need this experience of prayer to help us to make our hold on God more certain. From the letter of this apostle to God's people in the early church, we read the following encouraging words in relation to prevailing prayer: "5:16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

5:17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.

5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit."

(James 5:16-18) Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.

Maranatha!

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