Prevailing Prayer by C. H. Spurgeon

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Feb 20, 1872

Prevailing Prayer.

By C. H. Spurgeon

THERE was a boy at Athens, according to the old story, who used to boast that he ruled all Athens; and when they asked him how, he said, “Why, I rule my mother, my mother rules my father, and my father rules the city.” He who knows how to be master of prayer will rule the heart of Christ, and Christ can and will do all things for his people, for the Father hath committed all things into his hands. You can be omnipotent if you know how to pray, omnipotent in all things which glorify God. Oh, for more grace to grasp almighty love in this fashion! We want more holdfast prayer; more tugging, and gripping, and wrestling prayer, that saith, “I will not let thee go.” That picture of Jacob at Jabbok shall suffice for us. The covenant angel is there, and Jacob wants a blessing from him; he seems to put him off, but no put-offs will do for Jacob. Then the angel attempts to escape from him, and tugs and strives; so he may, but no efforts shall make Jacob relax his grasp. At last the angel falls from ordinary wrestling to wounding him in the very seat of his strength; and Jacob will let his thigh go and all his limbs go, but he will not let the angel go. The poor man’s strength shrivels under the withering touch, but in his weakness he is still strong; he throws his arms about the mysterious man, and holds him as in a death-grip. Then the other says, “Let me go, for the day breaketh.” Mark, he did not shake him off, he only said, “Let me go;” the angel will do nothing to force him to relax his hold; he leaves that to his voluntary will. The valiant Jacob cries, “No, I am set on it, I am resolved to win an answer to my prayer. I will not let thee go except thou bless me.” Now, when the church begins to pray, it may be at first the Lord will make as though he would have gone further, and we may think that no answer will be given. Hold on, dear brethren. Be steadfast, unmovable, notwithstanding all. By-and-by, it may be, there will come discouragements where we had looked for a flowing success; we shall find brethren hindering, some will be slumbering, and others sinning; backsliders and impenitent souls will abound; but let us not be turned aside. Only let us be persevering in supplication, and we shall gain a broad, far-reaching benediction for ourselves, the churches, and the world.—Rev. C. H. Spurgeon.