by Dane Massey
(Dane Massey is the former Pastor of Mulvane Christian Church. He is now in ministry in Houston, Texas.)
Matthew Henry said, “When God intends great mercy for His people, He sets them a-praying.”
Indeed, when God wants anything accomplished in His kingdom, He moves men to pray. God is always the initiator. All effectual prayer was moving in the heart of God before ever it began to move in the heart of man. What Kepler said as he unlocked the secrets of the heavens, could well be said by the man who prays in the Spirit: “O God, I am thinking Thy thoughts after Thee.
Edward Payson, (a minister greatly used of God in the second Great Awakening) had this to say of prevailing prayer: “Earnestness in prayer… requires a true view of oneself: You cannot make a rich man beg like a poor man; you cannot make a man that is full cry for food like one that is hungry. Needy people pray. Humility motivates prayers: self-sufficiency hinders it.”
Payson’s great sense of need and personal bankruptcy led him to the prolonged prayer that was the source of his spiritual power.
How does one come to this point? Obviously there is a part of prevailing prayer that belongs to the sovereignty of God. But our concern lies in our response to His movement in and upon our hearts. As I thought upon this I felt the need to paint the picture upon my mind both scripturally and historically, from Hannah’s prayer in 1 Samuel 1 (please read the chapter).
As I approach this picture of prevailing prayer” there are many arrows that pierce my heart and thoughts.
1.) Hannah’s adversity, conflict with Peninnah, and need are all God initiated and controlled (vs. 5-6).
2.) Hannah has a conflict and need but God has a much bigger one. Hannah has a conflict with Peninnah. God has a conflict with a corrupt priesthood and nation (1 Sam. 2:12-36). God’s “circle of conflict” is always larger than ours.
3.) God is always at work to bring our circle of conflict in line with His. The season of this work is the “season of prevailing prayer”.
This is no short time (vs. 7). This conflict for Hannah continues for a number of years. It probably ebbs and flows in intensity. There are days when she resigns herself to her fate, accepts her condition, but then God stirs her up again by poking her with her adversary (vs 6). Never forget that God is the Sovereign behind this scene!
4.) Hannah’s condition drives her to prayer. Her prayer and her desire brings her closer and closer to an alignment with the heart of God. At first she just needs a child, then a son, then she desires a son and will give him to God for life (a Nazarite v 11).
Contact! Hannah’s desire and the heart of God have just aligned! God needs a Nazarite, a prophet, a priest who will intercede for His nation and call them back to Him. Now Hannah’s solution is God’s solution. Hannah’s prayer is the will of God!
5.) Prevailing prayer is a long and painful journey and in the process there will be many good distractions. Elkanah really did love Hannah and tried to console her (vs. 4, 8). The good is many times the greatest enemy to the best.
What am I willing to settle for? How hot does God have to turn up the fires of adversity to get my attention and keep it?
Then there is always the religious critic, saying “you’re just never satisfied, nothing is ever good enough, you’re a fanatic, this move of God stuff / revival / awakenings is just a myth, historical hype.”
Welcome to Eli (vs 13-14). Remember that a group from an upper room 1,600 years after Hannah, will be accused of being drunk again. We call that day Pentecost. Hannah was accused of being drunk because her lips moved as she prayed but her prayer was not heard. You can’t win with the religious critic.
6). The answer to prayer is a costly matter. I haven’t come to the end of prevailing prayer until I’ve surrendered the answer back to God. Hannah will get a son, the very desire of her heart, but she’ll enjoy him for only a short time. He belongs to the Lord. She will have 5 more children (2:21) but her answer to prayer will be enjoyed from afar for he belongs to God and a nation.
So what do I learn from Hannah that can be applied to my pursuit of prevailing, earnest and fervent prayer?
1.) God is at work through my adverse circumstances to:
A). Awaken in me a deep sense of my need for Him, His presence, and His work of grace in my life and in the lives of those I love.
B). Reveal my need for a bigger heart. God’s circle of conflict and circle of solution is much bigger than mine. I need a bigger heart that leads to greater faith and stronger, prevailing prayer. It’s easy to just see my problem and want relief.
C). Make me determine, do I really want God, His Glory, His will or do I just desire change, an end to my situation, some relief?
Most of my prayer starts and ends here. Will I allow my condition to take me to the will of God? Will I stay the course until I find the heart of God or will I grow weary and bitter and quit? Will I settle for less?
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