There is mighty working power in prayer. Prayer avails much; prayer can do great things in us and for us, prayer can give us victory! The message version of James 5:16 says ‘The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.’ Prayer is something worth taking seriously because of how powerful, how important it is in helping us overcome in this life.
Anyone who wants to overcome in this life can’t afford to ignore or neglect prayer. This is why Colossians 4:2 tells us to devote ourselves to prayer; to pray regularly, to pray persistently, to pray earnestly, so we can tap into the supernatural power of God that flows as we pray.
There are 5 things that Prayer Helps Us Overcome:
1) Prayer Helps Us Overcome Temptation
Not everyone will battle with a life-threatening disease, be a victim of rape or sexual abuse, be jobless or get sacked at work, or lose a pregnancy, but every person that passes through this earth will be tempted by the devil to sin. It doesn’t matter how anointed you are, the level you have reached on the social ladder, temptations will come your way. The devil will try everything possible to make us sin against God; go against God’s will for our lives, and stray away from the path God wants us to walk on. The devil’s mission is to get us to do things that displease God, so that we don’t enjoy the blessed life God has prepared for us.
Satan tempted Jesus. Satan didn’t say let me not go near this One, this is the Holy One of God, this is God’s own Son that came down from heaven. In any way and every way a person can be tempted, the devil tempted Jesus. Hebrews 4:15 says ‘For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weakness, but was tempted in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.’ The devil tempted Jesus with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life (1 John 2:16, Matthew 4:11), but Jesus didn’t fall for any of his temptations.
If the devil had the audacity to tempt Jesus Christ, He will surely come knocking on our doors with temptations.
How Did Jesus Overcome the Devil’s Temptations?
By living a life of prayer; by being totally and completely devoted to prayer. When the devil came to tempt Jesus, Jesus had been praying and fasting for 40 days. In Matthew 26:41, Jesus told His disciples and by extension you and I, ‘Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptations. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.’
There is a battle between the spirit and the flesh and it is by living a life of prayer that we can win this battle. Through prayer we weaken the control and influence of the flesh on our thoughts, words and actions. As Jesus prayed and fasted, the flesh was brought under. The desires, longings and cravings of the flesh were weakened while the Spirit was brought alive, put in charge, put in control. This was why Jesus didn’t yield or fall for the devil’s temptations.
Temptations Are Not a One-Off Thing
It wasn’t once that the devil tempted Jesus. Luke 4:13 says ‘Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.’ If the devil tempts you today and you don’t fall, he will look for another day and way to get you to fall. This is why we must always be on our guard knowing that the devil goes to and fro on the earth, walking back and forth on it, walking about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (Job 1: 7, 1 Peter 5:8).
Prayer keeps us on our toes, prayer helps us to be on guard. Prayer strengthens and empowers us to resist and overcome temptation. The devil is very determined and persistent when it comes to temptation. We too must be resolute and persistent when it comes to prayer.
When Jesus was teaching His disciples how to pray, one of the prayer focus He gave them was to pray against temptations, to pray ‘Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from the evil one’ (Matthew 6:13). The same way we put in so much energy and passion into praying for a life partner, financial breakthrough, promotion, healing etc., that is the same way we should put in a lot of fervor and enthusiasm to pray that we will stand for God and not fall for temptation.
There’s Always an Escape Route When we Are Tempted
1 Corinthians 10:13 says ‘No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man, but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.’ There is a way out of temptation, prayer opens our eyes to see the escape route out of temptation. Joseph saw that his way of escape out of sexual temptation, was to physically run out of the room and away from Potiphar’s wife. For some other temptation, the escape route may be to cut off completely from a relationship, stay clear of certain places and people, don’t get involved in certain discussions. In some cases, it can be as drastic as resign your employment with that organization.
May the Lord empower and renew our prayer lives so that we daily receive strength to escape temptation and not fall for Satan's bait.
2) Prayer Help Us To Overcome Worry, Fear And Anxiety
Philippians 4:6-7 tells us ‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’ This scripture says don’t be anxious, worried, agitated or fretful about anything. Rather pray about everything. We are encouraged to take everything to God. Some people feel some needs and situations are too trivial and mundane to pray about, yet they are troubled and bothered about this seemingly mundane things of life. The truth of the matter is that you can be worried and anxious about a negative diagnosis you have been given, you can also be worried and anxious about what to wear for a presentation. When we bring all things to God in prayer, from minor issues to major issues, critical issues to simple issues, we receive the peace of God. We exchange our fears, worries and anxieties for the peace of God.
Prayer Helped David Overcome Fear
David had a lot on his plate; He had more than enough personal, family and national issues to cope with and worry about. The same David that boldly challenged and confronted Goliath, often found himself in situations that made him fearful or downcast. In Psalm 56:3-4, he said ‘When I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), in God I have put my trust; I will not fear, what can flesh do to me?’ David was honest enough to admit when he was afraid. But it didn’t just end with him acknowledging that he was afraid of the situation before him. He went a step further to commit the situation to God, to place God’s Word over and above the situation, and trust God to handle the situation. In Psalm34:14 he said, ‘I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.’ In the place of prayer David received deliverance from fear.
When we find ourselves worried, anxious and fretting about money to pay our bills, certain symptoms in our body, a report of a terminal disease, the latest breaking news, the state of our economy, and so on, what we are to do is to give that concern, that care, that worry to God. To cast it on Him, not carry it by ourselves and try to sort it out by ourselves. The Amplified Version of 1 Peter 5:7 says ‘Casting all your cares (all your anxieties, all your worries, and all your concerns, once and for all) on Him, for He cares about you (with deepest affection, and watches over you very carefully).’
These cares and concerns if not handed over to God, can become heavy burdens that weigh us down and slow us down. But no burden is too heavy for God to carry. God can comfortably and conveniently carry the weight of the problems of the entire world on His shoulder. So cast all your fears, worries and anxieties on God in the place of prayer, so that God’s anointing and power can come on you and break the yoke of fear (Isaiah 10:27).
3) Prayer Helps Us Overcome the Day of Trouble
In Psalm 50:15, God says we should call upon Him in the day of trouble and He will deliver us.
When is the day of trouble? In Matthew 6:34, Jesus said each day has enough trouble of its own. Each day the devil moves around like a roaring lion looking for who to devour (1 Peter 5:8). Each day there are arrows that fly by day and the terror of the night (Psalm 91:5). Each day comes with its own share of danger and problems. Each day has trouble that follows it. This is why we should call on God every day not some days, every time not sometimes.
Someone’s day of trouble could be the day you lose your job or a loved one. Another person’s day of trouble could be the day you are involved in a ghastly accident. Still another persons’ day of trouble could be the day the person’s heart is broken by someone she loves. Trouble comes in different forms and ways to different people. You can’t wish the day of trouble away. Rather, we should prepare for the day of trouble.
There is a biblical link between prayer and troubles of life. James 5:13 says is anyone in trouble, let him pray! The thing to do in the day of trouble is not to grumble and complain, get frustrated and suicidal, or take alcohol and drugs to drown out your troubles. The thing to do is to pray! Jesus was praying on the day of the trouble; on the day Judas betrayed Him and a great multitude with swords and clubs, came from, the chief priests ad elders to arrest Him (Matthew 26:36-47). David was praying on the day of the trouble; on the day he found himself in a horrible pit (Psalm 40:1). The Israelites cried out to God on the day of trouble; on the day they had to come face to face with severe affliction and the stormy winds of life (Psalm 107:28-30).
Proverbs 24:10 tells us not to faint; not to give up in the day of trouble, in the day we are broke, jilted, sacked, falsely accused, disappointed or attacked. It is by being devoted to prayer, by abiding in the presence of God that we build capacity and inner strength to overcome the day of trouble.
Jesus has already given us victory over all the troubles of life (John 16:33). What we do as we pray is to stand on the finished work of Jesus on the cross. Through prayer, we enforce our victory, lay hold of our victory over all trials, troubles and afflictions, and walk in victory!
4) Prayer Helps Us Overcome Foundational and Long-Standing Problems
In Mark 9:17-29, a man brought his son that had been suffering from epilepsy to Jesus’ disciples. Unfortunately, the disciples weren’t able to do anything about his condition. When Jesus cast out the spirit that had been afflicting the boy and making him to do strange things, Jesus told His disciples that this kind can come out only by prayers and fasting (Mark 9:29).
What is the ‘this kind’ Jesus was referring to?
There was an important question Jesus asked the boy’s father before he ministered to the boy. Jesus asked how long has this been happening to him? And the father said from childhood (Mark 9:21).
Problems that start from birth or childhood and grow with you into adulthood or for most of your life, problems you are born with or born into are foundational problems. Foundational problems can grow and graduate into longstanding problems; problems you have to deal with for the better part of your life. When you are faced with a foundational problem in a life, family or nation, you need to address it with prayer and fasting.
In Acts 16:25-26, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns and there was a great earthquake that shook the foundation of the prison. Their prayers went down to the foundation of the prion. Prayer can cause the power of God to go deep down to the foundation of any problem in our lives and shake the problem from its foundation.
There’s no problem no matter how long it has existed or how hard it is to tackle, that the power of God can’t address as we call on God in prayer.
5) Prayer Helps Us To Overcome the Wicked Plans and Schemes of The Devil and all our Enemies
In Esther 3:13, Haman got the king to issue a decree that all Jews; young, old, women, and little children be killed and their possessions taken. The enemy planned to wipe out the Jewish race. When Mordecai heard about this, he informed Esther of this plot for her to use her position and influence to speak to the king. Esther knew that a mere conversation with the king wasn’t enough to change things. God had to come into the picture. Esther told her uncle to get all the Jews to pray and fast for three days, she in turn with her maids would also fast (Esther 4:13-17).
On the day the enemies of the Jews had hoped to overpower them, destroy them, wipe them out and take over their possessions, the opposite happened. God turned the tables around and it was the Jews themselves that overpowered those who hated them and wished them evil (Esther 9:1).
No wonder the Message version of James 5:16 says prayer is something powerful to be reckoned with. Prayer has the power to overturn, overrule and overthrow every satanic agenda, plan and conspiracy.
Surely the devil for as long as he is busy carrying out his mission to kill, steal and destroy (John 10:10), will continue to gather evil forces, powers and agents to come against us and attack us (Ephesians 6:12, Isaiah 54:15), but if we are a people who are fervent, consistent and committed to prayer, we will see Our Mighty God and Man of war step in and do the very opposite of what our enemies have planned for us.
So keep your prayer armour on in season and out of season. In good times and bad times, no matter the circumstance or situation, stay alert and prayerful. Pray in the Spirit, with all manner of prayers and supplication (Ephesians 6:18), and great victories will come to you if you refuse to give up in the place of prayer (Luke 18:1-7).
