Prevailing Prayer

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” James 5:16

Moses pleading to God on behalf of his people is a great example of prevailing prayer. After the people built a golden calf and began worshipping it, God told Moses, “I have seen how stubborn and rebellious these people are. Now leave me alone so my fierce anger can blaze against them, and I will destroy them. Then I will make you, Moses, into a great nation.” (Exodus 32:9-10) Moses’s response was, “Blot my name out of the book,” and he reminded God of His promises and begged Him to show mercy. And the Bible said, “So the Lord changed his mind about the terrible disaster he had threatened to bring on His people.” 

We see again the power of persistent prayer in Joshua, who had the crazy faith to ask God to make the sun stand still so they could win the battle. Joshua was an ordinary man, but even the whole solar system stopped because of his prevailing prayer.

Elisha asked God for a double portion of His anointing and four times Elijah told him to go home. Elisha refused to quit asking, and so he ended up witnessing the miracle of Elijah being taken into Heaven in a fiery chariot and he received a double portion of his prophetic anointing. (2 Kings 2:11)

Hezekiah also endured in prayer. He was told that he was about to die, but instead of accepting the report, he prayed, and “God gave him fifteen more years.” Prevailing prayer can conquer any sickness you are facing today. Later, Hezekiah got a threatening letter from Assyria, so he went to the temple, laid the letter on the altar, and asked God (paraphrased), “What are you going to do about this?” And while he lingered in the temple praying, God sent one angel who slew 185,000 Assyrian soldiers, and the city was saved! (2 Kings 19)

Esther demonstrated prevailing prayer when she saw the annihilation of the Jews about to take place and prayed, “Oh God, if I perish then I perish. But save my people.” She refused to take a bite of food for 36 hours until the matter was resolved.  

God will do great and mighty things when you learn to prevail in prayer.

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