THE POWER OF PREVAILING PRAYER
Text: Isa.65: 24; Ex.17: 8-16
Intro: Folks, the need of the hour is powerful, persistent, passionate, prevailing prayer. The need is far greater than most of God’s people realize. The moral fiber of our nation has crumbled. Real love and compassion have become almost non-existent. Confusion and upheaval have swept across this country like a tidal wave. Even the so-called religious community is showing alarming signs of spiritual ambiguity. According to Barna Research, “A minority of born again adults (44%) and an even smaller proportion of born again teenagers (9%) are certain of the existence of absolute moral truth.”1 If ever Christians needed to learn to prevail in prayer, it is now.
Dear brothers and sisters, if you remember nothing else from this message, please remember this: “When prayer fails, Satan prevails.” The demons of Hell rejoice when the child of God is prayerless. Satan knows well that prayerless Christians are powerless Christians.
Christians are embroiled in one of the most heated and holy battles of all time—the battle against “…the rulers of the darkness of this world” (Eph.6: 12b). If we are to prevail, we must fight the good fight of faith; we must pray. The souls of lost men and women literally hang in the balance. While lost souls teeter-totter on the brink of destruction, Christians are largely unconcerned and prayerless.
Today I would like to examine the importance of prevailing in prayer. Exodus 17: 8-16 illustrates well this principle of the Word of God. Examine it with me today.
Theme: Prevailing prayer among God’s people is essential because of:
I. THE CONFLICT OF PREVAILING PRAYER
A. The Attack Of The Enemy.
1. Amalek’s attack was calculated.
Ex.17: 8 “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim.”
Deut.25: 17 “Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt;
18a How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee…”
NOTE: [1] The Amalekites were a nomadic people who were descendants of Esau, though they were not a part of the nation of Edom (Gen.36: 12).
[2] Amalek attacked Israel from the rear, rather than make a frontal assault. This was no doubt an attempt to catch the Israelites off guard.
2. Amalek’s attack was cowardly.
Deut.25: 18a “How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee…”
NOTE: [1] The Amalekites struck Israel at their weakest point. The infirmed, sickly and elderly were traveling at the rear since they were slower.
[2] The devil loves to attack us in those weak and unguarded areas of our lives. Therefore, we must remain spiritually alert. The apostle Peter tells us, “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Pet.5: 8). We are also warned by Paul, who said, “Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor.10: 12). Be warned: Often it is those areas of our lives where we feel we are strongest that is most vulnerable to Satan’s attack, because we don’t think we have anything to worry about in those areas.
[3] Let me illustrate with the following true story:
During the Revolutionary War, a loyalist spy appeared at the headquarters of Hessian commander Colonel Johann Rall, carrying an urgent message. General George Washington and his Continental army had secretly crossed the Delaware River that morning and were advancing on Trenton, New Jersey where the Hessians were encamped.
The spy was denied an audience with the commander, and instead, wrote his message on a piece of paper. A porter took the note to the Hessian colonel, but because Rall was involved in a poker game, he stuffed the unread note into his pocket.
When the guards at the Hessian camp began firing their muskets in a futile attempt to stop Washington’s army, Rall was still playing cards. Without time to organize, the Hessian army was captured. The battle occurred the day after Christmas, 1776, giving the colonists a late present—their first major victory of the war.2
B. The Attack Came When Israel Was Exhausted.
Deut.25: 18b “How he met thee by the way…when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.”
NOTE: [1] Israel was walking through a dry, barren desert. Though they were headed to the Promised Land, and though God led them and sustained them, they still found the journey tiring. The same is true of God’s present-day people. We are promised the presence, power, protection and provision of God as we make our way heavenward. But that doesn’t mean that we won’t find ourselves weary and faint at times. It is particularly important during these times of physical or spiritual weariness that we remain vigilant; for it is then that we are most vulnerable to the enemy.
[2] One thing we had better learn right away is that Satan almost never attacks us when we are on top of everything. He is a sly adversary. He often attacks when we are weary, exhausted and frustrated. It is for this reason that we are exhorted by Paul not to live in the power of the flesh, but by dependence upon God’s power. “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Eph.6: 10).
[3] Sometimes Satan’s strategy is to instigate a series of annoyances, geared to reduce us to a state of weakness and frustration. Once in that state, he often goes for the coup de grace. This is the reason Christians need to obey the exhortation of James, who said, “…Pray one for another…” (James 5: 16b).
[4] One of the lessons learned from this event in Israel’s wilderness journey is that it is often spiritual conflict that drives home to us the necessity of prayer.
C. Moses Orders That Warriors Be Enlisted.
Ex.17: 9 “And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.”
NOTE: [1] An evangelist named, Mickey Bonner, who is now with the Lord, once said, “All real prayer is warfare.”3
[2] Folks, when the enemy attacked, Moses and the children of Israel did not sit passively by hoping it would all turn out all right. Warriors were enlisted for the battle. We are also in the midst of a great spiritual warfare. Churches are cold, lost hearts are calloused, and Christians, on the whole, are casual about their Christianity. God is looking for men and women of faith, willing to stand in the gap through prayer and supplication. God told Ezekiel, “And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none” (Ezek.22: 30).
[3] The battle for the hearts and souls of the lost must be won by prayer. The battle against our cold churches and the casual Christianity of our day will be won only through prayer. Bro. Charles Stanley accurately notes:
Life’s battles are won or lost in the place of prayer, not on the battlefield of everyday life. The real spiritual success or failure of a church does not depend on the talent of the preacher, the size of the congregation, or the strength of the organization. Success from God’s point of view will only be obtained through prayer…God’s business, for the most part, is to be taken care of on our knees. When dealing with any situation, first we must pray. For it is on our knees that the real work is done.4
[4] Our hearts are cold and callused; especially when it comes to praying for the lost. Oh that God would break our hearts over those dying without Christ.
From an early age, William C. Burns heart was broken for a lost and dying world. The story is told that when he was seventeen he was brought by his mother from the quiet town of Kilsyth to the bustling city of Glasgow.
His mother was separated from her son while she was shopping. After retracing her steps she discovered him in an alley with tears streaming down his face. She could see he was suffering great agony and said, “Willie my boy, what ails you? Are you ill?”
With broken cries he replied, “Oh, mother, mother—the thud of these Christless feet on the way to hell breaks my heart!”5
II. THE CAMPAIGN OF PREVAILING PRAYER
A. It Involved A Certain Cooperation.
1. Moses was dedicated to God’s mission.
Ex.17: 14 “And the Lord said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven.”
NOTE: [1] When Moses ordered that an army be amassed to fight with Amalek, he was acting according to the revealed will of God. In fact, cooperation with the mind and will of God is inherent in prayer. God’s Word tells us, “…if we ask anything according to his will, he heareth us:” (I John 5: 14b). It is only implied here, but God had obviously communed with Moses after Amalek’s initial attack, making known to him that the annihilation of Amalek was a part of God’s agenda. This was due to their total disregard and disrespect toward God and His people. In recounting the initial incident, Moses says of Amalek’s cowardly attack, “he feared not God” (Deut.25: 18c).
[2] Not long before the children of Israel were to enter the land of Canaan, Moses reminded them of what had already been made a matter of record in Ex.17: 14—that Israel was to exterminate Amalek. But this brings out another principle of God’s Word. The wheels of God’s judgment may grind slowly, but they grind surely. God will one day right every wrong done to His blood-washed children, whether we see it in this life or not.
2. Joshua and the people cooperated with the directive from God’s man.
Ex.17: 9 “And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
10a So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek…”
NOTE: [1] This cooperation between Moses and his people is indicative of concerted prayer. There are times when one needs to pray privately. But there are also times when the saints need to unite their energies and hearts in prayer for the common good. Jesus said, “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. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them” (Matt.18: 19, 20).
[2] Speaking about the need for concerted prayer among the saints, Dr. A. T. Pierson once commented, “‘There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer.’”6
3. Aaron and Hur were determined to assist Moses.
Ex.17: 10b “…and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”
NOTE: [1] Bible scholars are almost unanimous in the belief that this act of Moses in standing on the hill with the rod of God raised is symbolic of prayer. However, it is not the act itself that I wish to address at this juncture, but the place of the act. Moses took up his position on a hill overlooking the valley where the battle was taking place, apart from the flurry of activity. Folks, that’s what prayer permits the child of God to do. Spirit-filled prayer gives the child of God a clear vantage point from which to view the crises of life. Prayer gives the saint a proper perspective on the battles of life. On the hill, Moses could see everything clearly. Perhaps if Christians would spend more time on the Mount Of Prayer, they’d see things from God’s point of view. God told the prophet Jeremiah, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty (“hidden”) things, which thou knowest not” (Jer.33: 3).
[2] Symbolic of prayer, Moses stands on the hill, lifting the rod of God over his head. As long as the rod is raised, the children of Israel prevailed in battle. However, when Moses’ arms became weary, forcing him to lower the rod of God, Amalek’s army prevailed over Israel. This illustrates one very important point: Prayer is our most effective weapon in the battles of life, for it brings the power of God to bear upon our circumstances.
[3] Notice the cooperation between Moses, Aaron, and Hur. The fact that Aaron and Hur held up Moses weary hands is indicative of intercessory prayer. There is strength in numbers. It is sometimes necessary for others not only to hold us up in prayer, but also to help us pray. Notice that Aaron and Hur didn’t criticize Moses for getting weary. They didn’t advise him on how to hold the rod differently. They simply supported him.
B. It Involved A Certain Confidence.
Ex.17: 9b “…tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.”
NOTE: [1] What is the significance of Moses lifting the “rod of God” as the battle raged in the valley below? That rod was representative of the power of almighty God. God told Moses, “And thou shalt take this rod in thine hand, wherewith thou shalt do signs” (Ex.4: 17). Later, God would also tell Moses, “…see that thou do all those wonders before Pharaoh, which I have put in thine hand” (Ex.4: 21a). God had literally put the symbol of His power in the hand of Moses. As Moses raised the rod on the hill that day, it symbolized the power of God being brought to bear upon Israel’s situation. It was God’s power that would produce victory, not Israel’s military strength or strategy.
[2] Folks; real, Spirit-filled, prevailing prayer changes things. That is because it is an exercise in faith and confidence in God, Who is the source of all power. Prayer is not a magic wand that we wave when we find ourselves in trouble. Prayer is our connection to God, Who is the source of supply for our every need. Paul said, “But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus” (Phil.4: 19).
C. It Involved A Certain Confrontation.
Ex.17: 10 “So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.”
NOTE: [1] Prayer should not be viewed as a passive endeavor. Prayer is warfare. This whole incident implies that fact, since, while Moses was up on the hill holding the rod of God, the battle raged in the valley below. Prayer is not only the means by which we acquire what we need from God, but also the means by which the enemy is overcome.
[2] We must never forget that we are in the midst of a spiritual warfare. If you are seeking to live close to God, you can expect resistance from Satan. However, he can be overcome if we fight the right way. Paul said, “(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)” (II Cor.10: 4).
[3] It’s scary that the Devil’s crowd takes spiritual warfare far more seriously than do God’s children. Let me give you a case in point.
True Story
A Christian leader—we’ll call him Steve—was traveling recently by plane. He noticed that the man sitting two seats over was thumbing through some little cards and moving his lips. The man looked professorial with his goatee and graying brown hair, and Steve placed him at fifty-something.
Guessing the man was a fellow believer; Steve leaned over to engage him in conversation. “Looks to me like you’re memorizing something,” he said.
“No, actually I was praying,” the man said.
Steve introduced himself. “I believe in prayer too,” he said.
“Well, I have a specific assignment,” said the man with the goatee.
“What’s that?” Steve asked.
“I’m praying for the downfall of Christian pastors.”
“I would certainly fit into that category,” Steve said. “Is my name on the list?”
“Not on my list,” the man replied.7
D. It Involved A Certain Commitment.
1. We must persist in prayer in spite of the frustrations of warfare.
Ex.17: 10a “So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek…
……………………………………………….
11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.”
NOTE: [1] Warfare is often a very frustrating endeavor. You don’t always win every skirmish. It’s often as it was with Israel during this battle. They would win for a while, and then they would lose ground for a while. Don’t get fixated on the failures. Stay focused on the Father.
[2] We must never forget that the power to overcome the enemy is not found within us, but in our Lord, through prayer. His power is available to us at all times.
In a seminary missions class, Herbert Jackson told how, as a new missionary, he was assigned a car that would not start without a push.
After pondering his problem, he devised a plan. He went to the school near his home, got permission to take some children out of class, and had them push his car off. As he made his rounds, he would either park on a hill or leave the engine running. He used this ingenious procedure for two years.
Ill health forced the Jackson family to leave, and a new missionary came to that station. When Jackson proudly began to explain his arrangement for getting the car started, the new man began looking under the hood. Before the explanation was complete, the new missionary interrupted, “Why, Dr. Jackson, I believe the only trouble is this loose cable.” He gave the cable a twist, stepped into the car, pushed the switch, and to Jackson’s astonishment, the engine roared to life.
For two years needless trouble had become routine. The power was there all the time. Only a loose connection kept Jackson from putting that power to work.8
2. We must persist in prayer in spite of the frustrations of weariness.
Ex.17: 12 “But Moses’ hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.”
NOTE: [1] Weariness is a malady we all face. We must be especially careful during times of extreme weariness, for it is then that discouragement and attitudes of defeat can assail us. When you feel you’re about to give up the fight, call for reinforcements from the brethren.
Eccl.4: 12 “And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”
Heb.12: 12 “Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;”
[2] This battle lasted all day, until the sun went down. Moses, Aaron, Hur, nor the army of Israel would have made it that long apart from their commitment to the faithfulness of God.
III. THE CONQUEST OF PREVAILING PRAYER
A. The Enemy Of Israel Was Defeated.
Ex.17: 13 “And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.”
NOTE: [1] The word “discomfited” means, “mowed down; disabled, prostrated.”9 It is the application of God’s power by persistent, prevailing prayer that wins our battles. Prevailing prayer is still the course of victory.
[2] In Deut.25: 18 Moses, speaking of Amalek’s attack upon Israel, said, “…he feared not God.” In other words, Amalek had trivialized God. No one should do that for any reason. But it’s especially dangerous when there are saints who know how to prevail in prayer with God. “D. L. Moody once warned, ‘Go play with forked lightening, go trifle with pestilence and disease, but trifle not with God.’”10
B. Israel Learned That God Was Their Defense.
Ex.17: 15 “And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovah-nissi:”
NOTE: [1] The word “Jehovah-nissi” means, “Jehovah my banner.”11 This term also speaks of God’s leadership, provision, and protection. To fight under God’s banner is to be assured of victory.
[2] Folks; knowing that our victory over the enemy is in the Lord will never be anything more than mere theory, as long as we fail to take prayer and our relationship with God seriously. “Most middle-class Americans tend to worship their work, to work at their play and to play at their worship.”12 And it is precisely there that our problem lies. We must get serious about seeking God’s face in prayer.
Theme: Prevailing prayer among God’s people is essential because of:
I. THE CONFLICT OF PREVAILING PRAYER
II. THE CAMPAIGN OF PREVAILING PRAYER
III. THE CONQUEST OF PREVAILING PRAYER
1. Obtained from hattp://barnaresearchonline.com.
2. Today in the Word, MBI, October 1991, pg. 21.
3. Mickey Bonner, Prayer Is Warfare, published by Mickey Bonner Evangelistic Association, Houston, Texas; pg. 14.
4. Charles F. Stanley, Handle With Prayer, Victor Books, Wheaton, Illinois; pgs. 101 & 102.
5. Taken from the biography of William C. Burns, written by David Smithers, and found at www.watchword.org.
6. J. Edwin Orr, Ed.D., D.Phil., Fires Of Revival: Vol. 29, No.1, January 2001, published by Milldale Baptist Church, Zachary, LA; pg. 3.
7. Common Ground, Vol. 10, No. 7.
8. Source unknown. Acquired from sermonillustrations.com.
9. Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible commentary: published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; pg. 66.
10. Woodrow Kroll, Lessons On Living From Moses: published by Back To The Bible, Lincoln, Nebraska; pg. 20.
11. Charles F. Pfeiffer and Everett F. Harrison, The Wycliffe Bible Commentary: published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; Pg. 66.
12. Woodrow Kroll, Lessons On Living From Moses: published by Back To The Bible, Lincoln, Nebraska; pg. 21.
