Travailing To Prevail

TRAVAILING TO PREVAIL

Study Text: James 5:16-18

Jam 5:16 Confess faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous one avails much.

Jam 5:17 Elijah was a man of like passion as we are. And he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for the time of three years and six months.

Jam 5:18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth caused its fruit to sprout.

Introduction:

- Prayer is a spiritual exercise that can impacts our families, communities and also has far reaching effect in heaven and hell.

- Every man on earth is born with a glorious destiny but not all end up gloriously. This is because there are oppositions in our journey and only those who overcome gets the prize (1 Cor 16:9).

- Life itself is an adventure in battles. There is a price to pay before we can wear our crowns. Among other things it is the price of travailing in prayer.

- Man cannot prevail unless he travails. Just like a woman in labour has to push to bring forth her joy, you also have to continually push (pray until something happens) to birth your destiny (Luke 18:1).

- The best prayer teacher is the exercise of prayer itself. You can never learn prayer until you pray. Jesus prayed, Paul prayed, Elijah prayed and they all ended with glorious testimonies.

- Scripture said “Men ought always to pray and not to faint “. Hell is not moved by our plans as much as it is moved by our prayers. If we pray through, our plans will come through.

- If we pray through, His light (revelation) will shine through and into our hearts. If we travail in prayer, we will prevail in life.

- We shall discuss the topic under three sub-headings:

1. The Power Of Persistency

2. The Principles of Travailing

3. The Prayer of Prevailing

1. The Power of Persistency:

Then Jacob was left alone; and a Man wrestled with him until the breaking of day. Now when He saw that He did not prevail against him, He touched the socket of his hip; and the socket of Jacob’s hip was out of joint as He wrestled with him. And He said, “Let Me go, for the day breaks.” But he said, “I will not let You go unless You bless me!” So He said to him, “What is your name?” He said, “Jacob.” And He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel; for you have struggled with God and with men, and have prevailed.” Then Jacob asked, saying, “Tell me Your name, I pray.” And He said, “Why is it that you ask about My name?” And He blessed him there Genesis 32:24-29 NKJV

- Do you know that when you want something, or pray for something, and if you never let God go, you will see the answers of the prayers? P.U.S.H = Pray Until Something Happens.

- Jacob was left alone and a Man wrestled with him. When you are alone and you began to pray and praise, the presence of God is there, in that infinite presence of God, when you grab hold of God's leg and pray unceasingly, you will see your prayers being answered.

- Miracles only happens for those who travail in prayer and believe for a miracle. Pray Until Something Happen. Never let go, never give up. When you pray don't just simply pray, pray a prayer that moves God's hand. Wrestle with God in prayer!

- The struggles we go through, as we walk with God, is for a purpose and a reason. He moulds our live according to every events that's happened in our live, bringing us into maturity physically and also spiritually.

- The Greek meaning for Israel is "he shall be a prince of God." The Hebrew meaning is "My God prevails or He struggled with God."

- When struggled or wrestled with God in prayer, you shall receive your miracle. In this case Jacob was a prince of God.

- When you prevail, the crown of victory is waiting for you. Get up and pray Till you see something happen! Never give up. Do not accept defeat as a fact, but travail and prevail in prayer and praise till God brings about a miracle!

2. The Principles of Travailing:

- If there is a situation in your life that you are not happy with it, you've got the power to change that situation.

- Maybe you are struggling to meet your commitments, maybe your finances requires a touch, maybe your health is failing, maybe things are generally not going well with you. As long as you are on the Lord’s side (Exodus 32:26) you've got that power.