Wesley Duewel says passionate intercessory prayer "is the highest, holiest and mightiest effort of which a child of God is capable".
"It is God's chosen way to bring heaven's power, heaven's resources, and heaven's angels into action on earth," Duewel says in his book Mighty Prevailing Prayer.
Duewel is not talking here of a perfunctory prayer rising no higher than the ceiling. He is calling on us to pray with determination for others and for the advancement of God's kingdom on earth.
"Prevailing prayer", as he calls it, is the way God carries out his plan for our world before Christ returns.
Indeed, the former missionary and author says that "God seeks people to prevail in prayer."
"God's cause creeps forward timidly and slowly when there are more organizers than agonizers, more workers than prevailing prayer warriors."
We know that Jesus is interceding for us in heaven (Hebrews 7:25), Duewel notes. And so is the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26).
Duewel says the Holy Spirit also is "responsible for involving you and enabling you to be a partner in God's strategy of intercession."
That may take a while to sink in. God is recruiting us to work with him. There is no higher calling than that.
I'm excited as I read Duewel's words. Prayer is more than mouthing a few conventional phrases at mealtime.
Praying is as important in the spiritual world as leading an army in wartime. It can have a major impact on God's work to push back Satan's empire and expand God's kingdom on earth.
There are some familiar examples of prevailing prayer in the Bible. One is Abraham's conversation with God before the destruction of Sodom in Genesis 18 and 19. God eventually destroyed Sodom but not before agreeing to Abraham's plea to spare the city if sufficient righteous men were found there. Unfortunately for Sodom, there weren't. Yet God did agree to save Abraham's nephew Lot.
Another is Moses pleading with God not to destroy the rebellious Israelites after they produced and worshiped a golden calf as their new god (Exodus 32). God agreed although he struck many down first.
In Acts 4, the young church in Jerusalem is faced with severe persecution and the believers react by calling on God to help them preach the gospel boldly. God gives them the power they requested and the church grows.
It is an inspiring thought: We are warriors for God - taking enemy ground - when we pray.
"It is God's chosen way to bring heaven's power, heaven's resources, and heaven's angels into action on earth," Duewel says in his book Mighty Prevailing Prayer.
Duewel is not talking here of a perfunctory prayer rising no higher than the ceiling. He is calling on us to pray with determination for others and for the advancement of God's kingdom on earth.
"Prevailing prayer", as he calls it, is the way God carries out his plan for our world before Christ returns.
Indeed, the former missionary and author says that "God seeks people to prevail in prayer."
"God's cause creeps forward timidly and slowly when there are more organizers than agonizers, more workers than prevailing prayer warriors."
We know that Jesus is interceding for us in heaven (Hebrews 7:25), Duewel notes. And so is the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26).
Duewel says the Holy Spirit also is "responsible for involving you and enabling you to be a partner in God's strategy of intercession."
That may take a while to sink in. God is recruiting us to work with him. There is no higher calling than that.
I'm excited as I read Duewel's words. Prayer is more than mouthing a few conventional phrases at mealtime.
Praying is as important in the spiritual world as leading an army in wartime. It can have a major impact on God's work to push back Satan's empire and expand God's kingdom on earth.
There are some familiar examples of prevailing prayer in the Bible. One is Abraham's conversation with God before the destruction of Sodom in Genesis 18 and 19. God eventually destroyed Sodom but not before agreeing to Abraham's plea to spare the city if sufficient righteous men were found there. Unfortunately for Sodom, there weren't. Yet God did agree to save Abraham's nephew Lot.
Another is Moses pleading with God not to destroy the rebellious Israelites after they produced and worshiped a golden calf as their new god (Exodus 32). God agreed although he struck many down first.
In Acts 4, the young church in Jerusalem is faced with severe persecution and the believers react by calling on God to help them preach the gospel boldly. God gives them the power they requested and the church grows.
It is an inspiring thought: We are warriors for God - taking enemy ground - when we pray.
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