Prevailing Prayer by P. G. Stanley

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Mar 5, 1914

Prevailing Prayer

By P. G. Stanley

P. G. STANLEY

THERE is nothing that leads higher into the secrets of God's life, deeper into the secrets of God's Word, or deeper into the secrets of our own hearts, than prevailing prayer. Nothing else gives us such a view into the secrets of the amplitude and efficiency of the gospel of the Son of God, or reveals the amazing possibilities of faith, as does prevailing prayer.

By importuning prayer we receive of God's life and take on his character. We become like those with whom we have continuous and loving fellowship. "We shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." We now behold him in the gospel glass, face to face, and are "changed into the same image from glory to glory even as by the Spirit of the Lord." As Christ prayed, "the fashion of his countenance was altered." So the fashion of our countenances and characters become changed as we draw near to God in prayer.

As ministers of the gospel, we must go into the holy of holies of God's presence by the way of prayer, and receive "all the fullness of God" for ourselves and for the salvation of others, and then return to the people with a blessing for them. Christ spent all the night in the mountain in prayer, that the next day he might return "in the power of the Spirit" with great blessings for the people.

Prayer is the mightiest arm of power that man can wield. Some of the greatest battles that have ever been fought in this world, and some of the greatest victories that have been won, have been won on the knee in prayer. A few years ago as present truth began to get a foothold in Australia, one of our ministers was pressed into a discussion. The battle was fought and a great victory won for the truth by the members of the church being on their knees in prayer at the time of each discussion. Esau was conquered while Jacob spent the night by the brook Jabbok on his knees. Peter was released from prison while the brethren at Jerusalem were on their knees. The lions' mouths were closed while Daniel was on his knees. Elijah locked up heaven by prayer, so that "it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months." Again he prayed, "and it came to pass in the meanwhile, that the heavens were black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain."

When the idolatrous Israelites had made them a golden calf, and worshiped it, God determined to destroy them, and to make of Moses a great nation. But for the importuning and prevailing prayer of Moses, God would have destroyed the whole nation instead of cutting off but three thousand of the idolators. Strange as it may seem, the lives of this great multitude were saved by a man of faith on his knees in prayer. When Haman sought revenge on all the Jews in all the realm of Ahasuerus because Mordecai refused to render the homage demanded, and when it was decreed by the king that all the Jews should be put to death, this bloody plot was made known to Esther, and a fast was proclaimed. "Go, gather together all the Jews that are present in Shushan, and fast ye for me, and neither eat nor drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will

I go in unto the king, which is not according to the law: and if I perish, I perish."

When for three days and three nights the Jews had thus fasted and prayed, God answered and delivered them, and destroyed their enemy. What could have availed in this case but fasting and prayer? He who prays in faith enlists the help of the Almighty, all the armies of heaven, and every law of the universe in the interest of his cause.

Prayer is mightier than the monarchs of earth. God moved the lever of national events to the advancement of his truth while John Knox was on his knees, crying, "Give me Scotland, or I die!" When Bloody Mary said, "I fear the prayers of John Knox more than I fear all the armies of Europe," she paid the finest tribute to the power of prayer to be found on the pages of history. The great revival on the day of Pentecost was preceded by a prayer meeting by the whole church, lasting ten days. It was the prayer of this united church that made the truth in Peter's sermon on the day of Pentecost effectual in the conviction and conversion of three thousand souls. It was the power of God that came while Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises to God, that caused the earth to quake and sinners to tremble, and that opened the prison doors and the doors of wicked hearts. The power that did these things centuries ago, can do the same today. This power is placed at our disposal, in answer to the prayer of faith.

Marshfield, Mo.