Prayer (2)

Course:  Different Forms of Prayer

Lesson 7

Lesson Title:  Prevailing Prayer 

 

Text:   Genesis 32:24-32

 

Theme:  Prevailing prayer requires determination to continue until the request is answered.

 

Introduction:   Prevailing prayer requires great faith in God and self denial.

·        Jacob wrestled with the Lord, Genesis 32:24-32.  Circumstances brought Jacob to the point of desperation with God.  He would not let go because he knew the battle with Esau could only be won in wrestling with the Lord.

 

Introductory Story:  See Finney on Revivals IV, Prevailing  Prayer, para. 7

 

Exposition: 

1.      Prevailing prayer requires self denial. 

  • Jesus travailed in prayer to the point where He sweat great drops of blood in Gethsemane.  Luke 11:9, 'Ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking.' 
  • Continuous prayer does not mean trying to make God willing to agree to answer.  Continuous prayer is an act of faith that we know He will answer so we will not go away until He has.

 

2.      Prevailing prayer requires faith in God. 

  • Luke 18:1-8, parable of the persistent widow.  Recognised the authority of the person.  Knew he was able to deliver.  Wouldn't stop asking till she received her request. 
  • Illustration: Knowing the person has the authority to grant the request and being determined to get the request answered.   
  • In making requests confidently it is important to:

a)     Go to the right person - no point in pleading to the wrong person.

b)     Know that the person is willing to answer the request.  See Hebrews 11:6.

 

3.      Prevailing prayer requires being unashamed to continue asking.  The shamelessness of the person brought the answer. 

  • Luke 11:5-8, the answer to the request came because the person was not embarrassed about asking for bread at a late hour. 
  • Matthew 15:28, The Syro-Phoenician woman would not give up.

 

Conclusion:

Prevailing prayer requires

1)     ...that our prayer is so urgent that we are willing to deny ourselves.

2)     ...that our prayer is the prayer of faith.

3)     ...that our prayer is without concern for our own reputation.

 

 

Finney on Revivals

Chapter IV paragraph  7.   Prevailing  Prayer.

 

Why should it be thought strange that those that are full of the Spirit of Christ should be proportionally in their love for souls, like Christ?  … this thing was common in the great revivals….   It has always been so in all great revivals, and has been more or less common in proportion to the greatness, and extent, and depth of the work. It was so in the great revivals in Scotland, and multitudes used to be overpowered, and some almost died, by the depth of their agony.

 

So also, prayer prevailed at Cambuslang, 1741-2, in the revival under William McCulloch and Whitefield. When Whitefield reached Cambuslang he immediately preached, on the braeside, to a vast congregation (on a Tuesday at noon). At six o'clock he preached again, and a third time at nine. Then McCulloch took up the parable and preached till one in the morning, and still the people were unwilling to leave. So many were convicted, crying to God for mercy, that Whitefield described the scene as "a very field of battle." On the ensuing Communion Sunday, Whitefield preached to twenty thousand people; and again on the Monday, when, he said: "you might have seen thousands bathed in tears, some at the same time wringing their hands, others almost swooning, and others crying out and mourning over a pierced Savior. It was like the Passover in Josiah's time." On the voyage from London to Scotland, prior to this campaign, Whitefield had "spent most of his time on board ship in secret prayer."

 

 

 

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