BECAUSE OF THE TIMES, 1983
BY VESTA MANGUN
I have read a new release, Prayer, the Supreme Need of the Hour, by Andrew Urshan with much care. Our general superintendent would not be our general superintendent if he did not have a kneeling Christian
behind him. That kneeling Christian is yonder in the glory world today, but he leaves with us a portion of his great work, Prayer, the Supreme Need of the Hour. Maybe I shouldn’t be the one to say it, but this book
should be required of every minister who secures license to preach. They should memorize portions of it and then put it into practice. Then we would have a worldwide revival!
Behind your general superintendent, there is a kneeling Christian. He ordained my father. He ordained my husband. He has prayed for my son many times. I have read his book and I will read it again and again. I will pour over its pages. I will drink again at the well of the soul of a man who did a great work for God.
We are going to have revival because of prevailing prayer of faith! This is a day of pragmatic values, and things are measured by whether or not they produce their intended results. This is true in the world of business and the world of science. It is also true in the church of the living God.
We are looking for the mechanics of success, but we are looking for the shortcuts to conserve time, energy and finances. We want the easy route. You can improve upon science. You can improve upon sophisticated equipment, technology, medicine and education. You will never improve upon the power and the force of prayer!
The greatest people of this earth today are the people who pray! I don’t mean those who talk about prayer, nor those who say they believe in prayer, nor yet those who can explain beautifully about prayer. I mean the people who take time to pray! They don’t have the time. It’s got to be taken from something else that is very important. Something that is pressing! Urgent! But, so much less important and so much less pressing than that of prayer.
The men and women who have carried forth great movements and have accomplished great and glorious works for God have been those who are pre-eminent in prayer. These are the people who put prayer first and group the other things in this life’s schedule around and after prayer. These are the people today who are doing the most for God. They are winning the most souls. They are solving the hard problems and
answering the hard questions. They are awakening churches. They are supplying men and moneys for mission posts.
The hand that reaches out to save has to first of all clasp the throne of God. There is no power, absolutely no power like that of prevailing prayer. There is no power like it!
While this world’s progress of science and art is overwhelming, the church is slow to learn that she cannot improve upon the examples of intensified, travailing, prevailing prayer of the heroes of faith in the Old and New Testament. Yet, if a man can pray, he can do anything! He has earth and heaven at his disposal. God will do, as a result of the praying of the humblest one here what otherwise He would not do.
It’s stronger than that!
God will do in answer to the prayer of the weakest one here what otherwise He could not do!
You can do no more than pray until you have prayed!
Prayer is the power on earth that commands the power of all heaven. The greatest benefactor that this old world could ever have is the individual who will bring every one of us back to the art of the prevailing prayer of faith.
Why?
Because the prayers of God’s saints are the capital stock of heaven by which God carries on His great work upon this earth.
God conditions the very life of His church, the prosperity of His cause and His purpose on the prevailing prayer of faith.
Prayer has brought health to the sick, hearing to the deaf, eyes to the blind, life to the dead, salvation to the lost, and has cast the devil out of not a few!
If this is true, then the prevailing prayer of faith should be the main business of our every day! Every day we must pray, and we must pray more.
If prayer is anything, it is everything! If it is true, it is the greatest truth!
If the church will not pray, God will not act. God will never go over the head of His church to enforce any decision. He cannot take things out of her hands. He put them there.
“I will give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy. I give unto you the keys.”
Paul said, “We have access.”
Therefore, blessed is the church that is praying for it shall be filled!
Churches that pray together, grow together.
Churches that pray together, work together.
Churches that pray together, love each other.
Souls are saved!
Individuals are blessed!
Families are blessed!
Pastors are blessed!
The Lord is blessed!
This house shall be called a house of prayer!
Therefore, holy men and women of the past who subdued the powers of hell were more than conquerors. They changed the course of national affairs.
They subdued kingdoms!
They obtained promises!
They wrought righteousness!
All of these were men and women of intensified, incessant and intercessory prayer!
The men and women of our day who are affecting this generation have pushed back the horizons. They have established churches on hostile soil. Proverbially they have turned their world upside down. They have started a revival that the devil in hell can’t stop. These have been men and women of the prevailing prayer of faith!
There is absolutely no power like that of prevailing prayer of faith. Prevailing is travailing.
I have a letter of just last week in my possession today. The question is: “What is prevailing prayer of faith?”
First, permit me to tell you what it is not.
It is not programs, education, personal charisma, personality, oratory, administration, advertising or how to win friends and influence people.
It is not architectural triumphants, real estate, embellishment of music, robed choirs, stained windows, carpeted pews, culture, refinement or money.
All of these are good. Genius is nothing. Learning is nothing. Organization is sarcasm and irony apart from that which gives every one of them value force.
Everything we do must be undergirded by prayer!
The prevailing prayer of faith is not foxhole praying. It is not halfhearted, lukewarm, spasmodic, or just-when-you-are-in-trouble praying.
It is not just a little “lay me down to sleep” bedtime prayer. The prevailing prayer of faith is the spirit Himself making intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered!
It is the exceeding greatness of His power to us who believe according to His might!
Prevailing prayer of faith is resurrection power. It is the mighty weapons to the pulling down of strongholds!
It is the wrestling against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world and against spiritual wickedness in high places.
Prevailing prayer is the apostolic exaltation that first of all supplication, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men.
It is the divine first of all, before anything else.
It is the protracted prayer.
It is the groaning prayer.
It is the fasting prayer.
It is the weeping prayer.
It is the speechless prayer.
It is the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous.
Prevailing prayer availeth much!
It is praying in the Holy Ghost!
It is the Apostolic key to the Apostolic success!
It is Jacob’s ladder with God’s mighty angels ascending and descending to take up petitions and bring back answers.
It is the most perfect form of prayer. It can touch the highest heaven and it can shake the lowest hell.
If you believe it, try it and something will happen!
The prevailing prayer of faith is Abraham when he stood before the Lord and said, “Wilt thou destroy the righteous with the wicked?” Abraham moved in on God and said, “You will not destroy the righteous with the wicked.”
God did not repel him nor show him aloofness. Abraham stood and as long as he stood he received. Abraham was sure of what he wanted. His heart touched God’s heart and the Bible says, “God remembered Lot for Abraham’s sake.” For Abraham’s sake, God spared Lot.
That is prevailing prayer of faith!
Every petition he offered received an answer. As long as he asked, he received!
Is it possible that the cities of the plains could have been spared? I think so. If your answer is yes, could you spare your city?
Prevailing prayer of faith is Jacob, threatened by death, feared for his life, but prayed on and on all night. He wrestled with an angel of God until the break of day and cried out, “I will not. I will not. I will not. I will not let you go until you bless me!”
It is prevailing over the angel. It is the revenge of twenty long years changed to love. It is Esau falling on his neck and kissing him as he wept. It is Jacob’s name being changed to Israel. It is a worm being changed to a prince of God. Hence, it is recorded in later years by Hosea, “We had power over the angel and prevailed.”
That is the prevailing prayer of faith!
It is Moses, a valiant leader of Israel who interceded with God for a backsliding, disobedient, rebellious, vacillating Israel.
God told Moses: “Let me alone. My wrath has waxed hot against thee, and that I might consume them, I will make of thee a great nation. I’ll give you a promotion if you will back up.”
Moses fell down on his face the first forty days and nights and said, “I’ll neither eat nor drink. Forgive their sins or never mind me. Blot me out. I don’t want a promotion.”
That doesn’t sound like eternal security. Your name can be blotted out. Moses said, “Put me out of Your promise. Put me out of Your covenant. Blot me, I pray Thee, out of Thy book which Thou hast written. I’m not going anywhere. If You get to Israel, You’ve got to wipe me out before You wipe out Israel. I’m standing here. Forgive Israel of their sin.”
It is in our hands today, church of the living God!
Moses prevails. Israel triumphs!
This is confirmed in later years also. Therefore, He said that He would destroy them if Moses, His chosen, did not stand before Him in the breech to turn away His wrath.
What is prevailing prayer of faith?
It is Joshua when he lifted his spear toward the setting sun and cried out, “Sun, stand thou still.”
Did it happen?
That is prevailing prayer of faith. That is a great victory!
It is Elijah when he said to King Ahab, “According to my word there will be no rain or dew for the space of three and a half years. I’ll shut up the heavens. I’ll bend you. I’ve been bowing, but I will bend you.”
He pulled fire down from heaven. It was of such that it burned the sacrifice of wood, stones and dust. It licked up all the water in the trench also. He prayed again and again and again and again. He went one more time. A little cloud appeared about the size of a hand, and the rain fell and it was declared a disaster area.
That is prevailing prayer of faith!
Mr. Spurgeon met 1,200 men every Monday night for a prayer meeting. Don’t decry those men. He prayed, “O God, if we had 500 Elijah’s and each one upon his camel and each one crying out to God, we would soon have the clouds bursting. We would see the downpour of revival that would shake this world.”
It is Elisha, saying to Elijah, “I want a double portion of your spirit.”
What is prevailing prayer? A double portion!
Elijah said, “Go home, Junior.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I want a double portion of your spirit,” cried Elisha.
“Go home, Junior,” Elijah said to Elisha.
Elisha replied, “I’m not going anywhere. I want it! I’m going to have it! I will have it! I will have a double portion. I will not sit down until I get it. I’m going after it and I’m not coming back without it. I want a double portion.”
He got it!
That is prevailing prayer of faith.
It is Hezekiah, turned his face to the wall and stared death in the face, saying, “Go home, death. I’m not ready to die.”
Fifteen years were added.
That is prevailing prayer of faith!
It is Joseph, praying in a dungeon thirteen long years. He was delivered and elevated to a throne and spared his entire family, the nation of Israel.
That is prevailing prayer of faith!
Bible history confirms everything that I have told you. History can be both made and changed by the prevailing prayer of faith! What is the prevailing prayer of faith?
It is Jehoshaphat, leading the way and calling the whole nation of Israel to repentance. It is prayer, fasting and worship! It is that little nation of Judah standing before the Lord with her little ones. They stood in the breech. They were not going anywhere until God came and delivered them.
It is God dramatically intervening in the entire invading army, destroying themselves without a single weapon. There was a victory without a natural battle!
It is Esther, her maidens and the Jews in Shushan fasting for seventy-two hours. Her nation was appointed for extermination. Esther’s immortal prayer, with the surrendering of her will and her life to God was stirring.
“If I perish, I’m not going to sit down until I get it. I’m not going to stop. I’m not giving up. If I perish, I can’t endure this. God will not put on me more than I can stand. I’m going to put it back on Him! I don’t want to see my people destroyed. I can’t see the destruction of my people. I must save my people whatever the cost. I can’t stand what is on me now. I’ll just stand and hang in there until He comes and either delivers me or answers me. I’m not giving up, God. I’m going to ring that doorbell and sit on Your steps until You answer the call.”
You know what? The whole balance of power within the Persian empire was reversed. The law of the Medes and Persians was changed! The Jews were delivered and promoted, while their enemies were defeated,
destroyed and humiliated. It was a great victory!
That is the prevailing prayer of faith!
It is Hannah, who takes the foremost place among women for her fervency in prayer in the entire Old Testament. Hannah’s prayer is a classic because it reveals the true ingredients of prevailing, travailing and intercessory prayer. That is the highest type of prayer known to believers!
She was barren, embarrassed, mocked, grieved, reproached, disgraced and brokenhearted. She prayed on though. She prayed until there was not a sound left in her. All the wind was knocked out of her. All the strength was gone. She prayed on. Her lips just moved pouring out her soul before the Lord. She stood in the gap until. . . !
Through her came the answer! It is written that the woman went her way and did eat and her countenance was no more sad. Her long night of sorrow followed by a morning of joy! She bore a son, Samuel, who
changed the course of the nation of Israel. Samuel grew and was in favor with the Lord and also with man. He prayed, fasted and offered sacrifices to such an extent that the Philistines came not against Israel all the days of Samuel’s life.
The hand of the Lord was against the Philistines all the days of Samuel’s life. None of his words fell to the ground. God stood behind everything he said. In the evening of his life he said, “You witness against me if you want. You will not find anything wrong with my life. I’m God’s anointed.
I’ve never taken anything that belonged to any of you. I’m pure. My hands are pure and I can lift them up without wrath and without doubting. God will have to stand behind everything I said.”
It is Rachel, crying out, “Give me children, or I die.” She bore Joseph and Benjamin.
How long has it been since you prayed that way?
Could Joseph be the former rain and could Benjamin be the latter rain?”
If it is true, having Benjamin cost her life.
It is going to cost us. It will cost us to produce this last revival. It will cost us to produce Benjamin. It will cost us to bring the latter rain. It will cost us to bring revival!
It is Hagar, not a woman of promise, but a heathen mama. She and her sixteen-year-old boy were banished from home. They were lost in the wilderness, weary, thirsty, hungry, grieved, heart-broken, lonely,
famishing and dying. She cried out, “God, I can’t stand to see my boy die. I can’t endure to see the lad die before my eyes.”
The Bible said, “God was with the lad.”
It is Rizpah, a concubine for King Saul. When a famine came to Gibeon, the seven sons of Saul were sacrificed to hopefully apease the angered Jehovah. They hung all of them on a high black hill. Rizpah
said, “No! The vultures and the fowls of the air and the beast of the field are not going to eat those boys. I’ll go there and sit on that rock beside every one of those boys. I’ll fight the vultures off.”
From the beginning of April to the last of September, she cried, “I’m not going anywhere. There is not going to be a buzzard. There is not going to be a wild beast. There is not going to be anything to get those boys. They are already dead, but they are going to get a decent burial.”
From April to September she lived there on that old rock and took her garments and waved them. She didn’t go anywhere!
You may as well make up your mind you “ain’t” going anywhere. Abraham, in the evening of his life, and in the evening sacrifice, said, “Get away, buzzards, you are not getting my sacrifice. You are not getting my family. You are not getting my children. You are not getting my church. You are not getting my city.”
She used to wear ermine. She used to grace the courts in her finery. Now, she is sitting on a rock. Wearing ermine won’t fix it. Haggard, wild-eyed, tireless, she was as a lioness guarding dead cubs. King David heard about it and that is all she wanted. The king heard about it! He gave her exactly what she wanted. He sent for those seven boys and gave them a royal burial in the sacred garden with the king’s family. Rizpah, a concubine of Saul, got her answer!
It is Ruth, cleaving to Naomi, saying, “Entreat me not to leave thee. I am not going anywhere. I am going all the way with you. I’ll be here when you get back. I’ve taken my stand and we are not going anywhere.”
It is me. When we came to Alexandria I did not feel adequate. I began by kneeling every day with my face to the floor in an old building and prayed, “God, I’m not adequate, but You are. I’ll not eat until I feel. I’ll not eat until I know.”
It’s my standing before God for many reasons and for many things. It is a gushing river opening up on the inside of me. For the first five years of our marriage, I didn’t even testify. I just watched Brother Mangun and admired him. I said, “I am going to get out of the bleachers. I’m going to play this game.”
It’s fasting and praying until a river opens up on the inside of me. I’m not going anywhere until I spare my children. I’ve got to spare my family. I’ve got to spare my home.
Ezekiel said, “God wants to spare you, Israel, even in a time of national apostasy and conspiracy.” If only He can find somebody to stand in the gap with prevailing prayer of faith. I sought for one and couldn’t find him, therefore, I have to pour out my indignation upon them. I don’t want to do it. I wish somebody would get in My path. If someone would get in My path, I would spare that person. I wish somebody would get in My path. I would spare that church. I wish somebody would get in My path. I would spare this city, I wish somebody would get in My path. I don’t want to do what I’m about to do, but somebody has to stand before Me!”
Prayer availeth much!
Because there was no prevailing prayer of faith, no mercy, there was no withholding of judgment.
What is prevailing prayer of faith?
It is Jonah, waking out of sleep and having a whale of an experience. He preached to Nineveh, a heathen city. All of Nineveh fasted three days, including the beast of the field. The heathen king prayed, “Maybe God will show mercy.” God spared Nineveh two hundred years.
It is Daniel, who stood tall in the estimation of the kings. He was preferred above all the presidents and princes because of the excellent spirit of prayer that was in him. His enemy could find no fault in him, except that he prayed too much. Three times a day he knelt.
A man once asked, “Why wouldn’t the lions eat him?” Another one replied, “Because he was three parts backbone and the other part grit.”
No! I’ll tell you what he was. He was a man of incessant prayer of faith! Absolutely nothing stopped him. Nothing deterred him. Nothing detoured him!
When the Babylonian captivity was within two years of ending, he set his face unto the Lord God to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes. While this man prayed, Gabriel touched him and gave him skill and understanding.
Is that what you want? An angel touched him and gave him skill and understanding. Now we understand prophecy of the ages.
Would anyone dare to be a Daniel?
It is Joel saying, “Gather the people. Assemble the elders. Gather the children and get those who suck at the breast. Let the bridegroom come out of his chamber. Let the bride come out of her closet. Let the preachers weep between the porch and the altar.” –
Keep on weeping. Weep every day! Every day!
Joel prophesied that great forces are going to be marshalled against us in the end time.
It is Ezra weeping, lamenting and pulling his hair until he pulled his nation back on course.
It is Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, who cried out, “Oh, that my head were waters and my eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people.”
It is the one hundred and twenty, including Mary, the mother of Jesus, along with other women, who were at the dawn of the outpouring of the Holy Ghost dispensation. In the first century, they continued in one accord!
Get your church in one accord to pray, fast and seek God. Just keep on! Keep on in one accord in prayer, supplication and fasting.
The early church was born after they were in one accord praying. Then came a sermon!
Mr. Bounds said, “The apostles’ commission to preach was a blank until the power of Pentecost. Prayer brought the power. ”
Three thousand souls were added that day after a ten-day prayer and fast conference.
If one hundred and twenty prayed and fasted ten days in one accord and produced 3,000 in one day, what could 3,000 praying and fasting for seven to ten days produce?
On and on that infant church prayed. They prayed everywhere, and everywhere they went, they prayed, lifting up holy hands without wrath and doubting.
Peter and John went every day to the temple for an hour! Every day they went for at least an hour of prayer. They went to the temple!
We read that the whole company lifted up their voices to God in one accord! “When they prayed again, the place wherein they prayed was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and spoke the word
with boldness.”
We need an old-fashioned shaking. In a prayer meeting, the church renews her strength. The church is resistless for the purpose of her great mission when she is armed with the power of prayer!
The entire power of the emperial Rome, the mistress of the world, proved unable to resist the intensified and prevailing prayer of that early church. She crumbled! She was shaken from center to circumference
because the church prayed everywhere, and everywhere they went they prayed!
When they gave themselves to prayer again and again, nothing could stop them! Nothing! Nothing could stop them! Preaching, witnessing, giving or any other duty or doctrine was not overlooked or neglected. Nothing compared to the necessity of prevailing prayer! They continued steadfastly in prayer! Steadfastly in prayer, they continued! They continued!
It is my Lord and Master, Who quit living with the holy angels and came down among us. He ate with the publicans and sinners and won them one by one. He is the most wonderful example of all! He went right
through not considering the cost.
He fasted forty days and nights. It is recorded in the New Testament fifteen times that He rose up a great while before day and went to a solitary place to pray. He refused to go forth to teach or to preach until He prayed! He prayed all night before choosing His apostles. He prayed until He was transfigured. He prayed until His countenance was changed. Weeping over Jerusalem, He cried “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem!” Being in agony, He prayed until His sweat became blood. His burning white zeal and His consuming passion were so terrible to behold that when the disciples saw it, they said, “The zeal of His father’s house hath eaten Him up.”
No wonder they cried out, “Lord, teach us to preach.” No!
“Lord, teach us to sing.” No!
“Lord, teach us to play the instruments.” No!
“Lord, teach us to pray as You pray!”
That is the prevailing prayer of faith!
It is that widow before that unjust judge, crying “Avenge me of my adversary. ” He would not for a while, but it is that same widow woman who just kept on and on.
The wicked judge said, “I didn’t fear God. I didn’t regard man, but she troubled me, and I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming, she weary me. I’m sick of it.”
It is the Syrophoenician mother, with a daughter vexed with the devil who cried out, “Lord, help me!”
That is all she prayed. Just three words.
“Lord, help me!” She prevailed. She won over geographical, racial and dispensational barriers. She got the answer when it wasn’t available. It availeth much! She got it! If the Syrophoenician mama got it, and I’m a lady of promise, do you think He will turn me down, withdraw and recoil? No! He will meet me more than half way!
It is that midnight petitioner in Luke, chapter eleven, who went to his friend at midnight and asked for bread. “This is your friend. Get up! Your friend!”
The friend cries out, “Trouble me not. My children are in bed. I can’t rise and give you anything.”
The Bible reads, “Though he will not rise and give him because he is his friend, yet because of his prevailing importunity, his hollering, his screaming, his waking up everyone, he was given bread.”
Wake up the church! Wake up the neighbors! Wake up the city! Wake up the world!
The devil will give you just a little bit. Don’t be satisfied
with just a little bit. Don’t ever get satisfied!
A woman heard a missionary and didn’t understand a thing he said, but “January and February.” She became convicted of her sins, and was hungry for God. When she went home, she just said, “January, February, January, February, January, February.” She received the Holy Ghost!
I believe it!
Some of you don’t want much and you aren’t going to get much either!
I’m not going to sit down until I get it!
It is the elect. Who are the elect? They are those with bowels of mercy, kindness, humbleness, meekness, forgiveness and cry day and night unto God.
“Shall not God avenge His own elect which cry day and night unto Him though He bear long with them.”
Wake Him up! Don’t go anywhere until He answers. Take a stand and just keep standing. He will come!
David said, “He gives food to the beast, as well as to the young ravens.”
Let the church roll on! Prayer and fasting! Prayer and fasting! Praise and repentance! Hands without wrath and doubting! You can’t doubt and have faith at the same time. They do not mix!
“Shall not God avenge His own elect?” He said, “I will even shorten the day.” I do believe that!
Let’s read it again and again and again until it happens. I’ll not give up, and I’m not going anywhere until!”
We will be a generation of prayers! I believe it!
Ask! Everyone that asketh receiveth! Everyone that seeketh findeth!
Knock! Everyone that knocketh, a door will open! It is going to open! He gives to the ravens that cry! He gives to the elect that cry day and night!
“He that have ears, let him hear what the Lord teaches.” He is still able to do abundantly, above all that we are able even to think or ask! He is still able! He is still able to do exceeding and abundantly above all that we are able to even ask!
Ask! Ask! Seek! Seek! Knock! Knock! It will happen!
In spite of all our modern gadgets, man’s greatest single need today is still prayer. Prevailing prayer of faith!
The disciples cried out in the midst of a storm, “Save us, or we perish!” Did He come? Was He in the bottom of the boat sleeping? Did they awake Him?
They did, but not before they cried out! He will never get up and do anything for you until you do something! He will never take it out of your hands. You are His earth partner. He will not destroy the
righteous with the wicked. We are part of a corporation. We entered into a blood covenant, therefore, we are partners. We have a contract!
Do anything to save your people! Save your people from hell! Save your children! Let your face look like wild animals have hold of it, but stand before that throne and save your people! Save your kinsmen! Weep for your children! Weep for your city! Weep for your church! You don’t have to look like a fashion model, but you do have to be something before the throne of God. You have to cry out day and night!
It is that same man, saying, “Regions beyond are calling me.” It is that same man saying, “Necessity is rayed upon me.” It is that same man saying, “I will become all things to all men if I can win some of
them.” It is that man, praying even at midnight with his back lacerated to the bone. It is God sending an earthquake, and the Philippian church was born!
That is prevailing prayer of faith!
It was the purpose of all the apostles. They said to put the saints everywhere to praying, and everywhere they put them to praying! They knew if they could break the deadlock and the stranglehold on any
situation, it would take prevailing prayer of faith!
You are not going to do it. You’ve got to bend that church to bow your city. You’ve got to bend that church to save yourself. Bend the church and bow the world!
It’s the kind of praying John Knox did when he prayed all night in agonizing tones and said, “Lord, give me Scotland, or take my life.” He shook Scotland. He lived to see the death of Queen Mary, who said,
“I fear his prayers more than all the armies of England.”
It was Evan a young coal miner, who spent agonizing days and nights in prayer. You need to read his history about spending weeks and months in prevailing prayer of faith! Great theologians, great
preachers of the day came to hear him preach. They just saw him bent over in a paroxysm agonizing. They went home shaken, and they shook their continent. He brought the world’s greatest revival–the Welsh
revival!
We have our roots in that revival. One little coal miner boy prayed and did it!
George Whitefield was an extraordinary preacher, but that wasn’t his secret. It was the unction and the anointing under which he preached that such conviction would hit and cause sinners to fall by the hundreds, helpless to the ground as though they were smitten by death.
Wouldn’t you love to see that? Hide yourself away and pray until you do. I’m talking about incessant, continuing, one mind, one accord, everybody at it and everywhere everybody at it. Everybody at it!
Everywhere everybody at it! Everybody at it everywhere!
As a man is, so he prays. He is not shallow and frivolous by nature and then prays with any depth or intensity. He cannot be halfhearted and indifferent and make great demands on God.
Two features have always marked the periods of spiritual awakenings–the power of prayer and the power of preaching. Every great awakening in the history of the church from the time of the apostles until today
has had its early origin in prayer. There have been great awakenings without much preaching, and there have been awakenings without any organization, but there has never been a true awakening without much
much prayer! The days of Luther, Wesley, Jonathan Edwards, Finney, Moody, the revival in Ireland, the Welsh revival, the beginning of the latter rain at the turn of the century were all characterized by the
power of prevailing prayer and preaching. They began with prayer, and they ended because they neglected prayer. It’s the secret of working miracles. It’s making the valley full of ditches. Most of us can’t even cut a trench.
Before there has ever fallen a great benediction upon God’s people, there had to be a great searching of our hearts. Breaking up of fallow ground, weighty, ardent, vehement desires, consuming zeal and passion, heavy burden of souls, strong yearnings, groanings, weepings, lamentings, hallowing, bitter grief, wrestling, falling prostrate on the face in sackcloth and ashes! Does that sound like something easy?
Fasting, confessing, rending garments, pouring water unto the Lord–it’s the Scriptural pattern. When God’s people had their backs to the wall, no way out, hemmed in, surrounded by the enemy, embarrassed,
suffering defeat, weary from battle, exhausted with human effort, facing death, cruel edicts, in bondage, slavery, oppression–always, without one exception, II Chronicles 7:14 becomes operative.
“If my people which are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear. I will if they will.”
It’s that safety deposit box in the bank vault. The keeper has a key, and you have a key, and neither alone will open the box, but when you hand the keeper your key, she inserts both keys and the door flies open. The storehouse of promises then becomes available to the redeemed man. One thousand and four promises are in the New Testament alone.
Lord, teach us to pray!
It is our turn to use these mighty, powerful weapons. A survey of the United Pentecostal Churches would no doubt reveal that a majority of our churches and ministers do not have regular, perennial, concerted
prayer and fasting commitment. There is still too large of percentage with no special prayer schedules or definite days of fasting. We feel no woe upon us. There is no mighty pressure, no fervency, no turbulence, no agony, no bleeding, no holding on to God with a deathless despairing grasp! The fate is in the hands of nameless saints. You can shake this world!
Not only does Derek Prince say it. We can say it! You can shake this world and its events through prayer and through fasting, and now it is our turn to try it! There is no need to say that we do not have people who will pray if we don’t challenge them with definite prayer plans. It’s not enough to say in a general sort of way that we want everybody to pray, but as leaders we must lead our people in something definite and specific. We must example it! We have talked about prayer, and we have agreed that it is the only way to have revivals, but we have more preachers than we do prayers!
Many are enterprising, but few are interceding.
The church has many organizers, but few agonizers!
The time has come. We must lead the people to their knees preachers and their wives! Preachers and their wives must lead the people to their knees! When you have no other place to go, go to your knees. If we are going to have praying churches, we must have praying leaders. The ministry of your church and your own ministry is in your hands. What do you want?
The Full Gospel Central Church in Seoul, Korea, is the largest church in the history of the world, with 150,000 members growing at the rate of 5,000 per month. Ninety thousand attend six services a day.
They come in buses, taxis, bicycles and walking in freezing weather.
Jamie Buckingham describes his visit like this: “I sat on the platform with Dr. Chou. I could see the intense look upon all the faces as though they were in agony. I heard a noise like that of a waterfall. I turned to him and said, ‘Dr. Chou, is there a waterfall underneath this platform?’
“He said, ‘No, that is thousands who you are looking at. They are only moving their lips. They are groaning in the Holy Ghost in prayer.'”
Why can’t that be us? That’s what has us worried. Here comes along Dr. Chou. He has found the art of prayer and fasting! Count the church by her numbers if you will, but I will count her by the volume of her prayers. The church as a whole has never rightly understood the possibilities of her disposal in prevailing prayer. If you number the church in millions and tell not what it is at the altar of prayer, you return just the census of a cemetery and not the statistics of a mighty irresistible army with banners. We cannot lead people where we have not been ourselves. Our knowledge cannot exceed our experience. It is difficult for God to use a man whose knowledge is greater than his experience.
No man can ever stand before people who has not stood before God and been affected. Many hours of communion has got to precede just one hour in the pulpit. Many hours before! If we spend our spiritual
strength and forget to renew it, we are failures. If we multiply our engagements and curtail our prayer, we are pretenders and hypocrites, and we are on our way to becoming reprobates and apostates.
For the eyes of the Lord still run to and from throughout the earth. Yes, He will show Himself strong! Yes, He will!
He said, “When evil and wickedness multiplies, they that do know their Lord shall be strong and do great exploits.”
It is the darkest hour in our history. God is using this meeting to raise up people who will enter into prevailing prayer of faith!
“I will if you will!”
God said, “I saw that there was no man in those dark hours, no man to stand in the gap, no intercessor. I just had to backup and send what I didn’t want to send. I wondered that here was no intercessor.”
He screams out, “Men ought to always play.”
No!
“Men ought to always pray and not faint.”
You are asking for it when you get into the arena with the devil and say, “These signs shall follow them that believe. In My name they shall cast out devils.”
You get ready! He will take you on in a minute. He took on the mighty God of heaven. When he takes you on, remember this: don’t you faint. You just hang in there!
Men of action are men of prayer!
Men of growth are men of prayer!
Men of soul winning are men of prayer!
Men of might pray until people faint under old-time conviction!
Churches that are growing are churches of prayer!
Pray because God is willing to answer.
Pray because of your own needs.
Pray because of your families, the church and the world’s harvest. So much is poured into this final harvest.
The church of the living God has never tasted its full extent of the power of prevailing prayer of faith!
I close with these two examples:
Brother Mangun, fresh out of the world, went to Bible school. He fasted four days out of every week. He ate three days, but had to shovel snow to eat those three days. He was on a seven-day fast because God spoke to him and said, “You don’t get those things, only by prayer and fasting.” In the prayer rooms, groaning, “I’ve got to reach this world.” That was when he was twenty years of age. He is now 63.
A young lady, Faith Urshan, in that school was dying with tuberculosis. Brother Mangun hid himself away seven days without eating, without drinking until Brother Norris came and commanded him to eat. He said, “I will, but first I’m going to cross the border to the girl’s dormitory. Faith doesn’t have to leave this school. She’s not going to leave this school. ”
He was stopped. He was asked questions. They told him it was foolish.
“Just bring her out. I want to pray for her.” A simple prayer he prayed He went back to his dorm, drank a little milk and went to sleep.
The next day Faith went to the doctor and had x-rays taken. She was examined. She was healed! Today, forty years later, she is the wife of a minister serving in Indiana because one young man said she is not
leaving the school, and I’m staring death in the face, saying, “Go home, death. This girl is going to live.”
That experience set the pace for his life. He said, “I want a life that is characterized by miracles. So, every year of my life I will go on a seven-day fast as an honor to God for that miracle in my life. I will continue to fast the rest of my life, one, two or three days a week. Every week! I will! Wherever I go and whatever I’ll not forget those weapons. They are my mighty weapons! They will pull down strongholds, and I can take on any city and face any continent, because they are my weapons of prayer!”
My father, who is here today, stood here one year ago and faced this audience and said, “I have never gone to bed at night in over sixty years before I prayed through and touched God. I have never rayed my head on my pillow before I prayed through!”
Those pioneers produced! If they didn’t save all their family, the ones they saved are tough ones! They are tough!
It is prevailing prayer of faith!
I was awakened with prayer and went to sleep hearing prayer. I was marked by prayer. I heard groanings unutterable. We had to pray in order to eat. We had to do it to have! It had to be!
My father stood here and said, “I’ve never laid my headon my pillow since receiving the Holy Ghost before I prayed through and touched God.”
Brother Andrew Urshan was in our home on Prospect Street Thanksgiving before he went to be with the Lord the next fall. We left the Thanksgiving dining room table and went to the living room. My sister sat down and started to play and Brother Urshan began to lead us in some beautiful Persian choruses.
It was like this: “Let the mighty rivers within my soul flow out unto thee, O God. Let me lift my voice unto Thee, and let my hands be raised continually.” We all joined him and began to sing. We lost ourselves until there was a knock at the door. I went to the door. There stood a girl who was walking down Rapides Avenue. She was weeping uncontrollably and said, “I just felt something draw me to this house. I need something. Is it here?”
“Sit down here, little lady.” We talked to her about the Lord. Brother Urshan, Brother Mangun and my father laid hands on her, and she received the Holy Ghost. We thought that was all of it. My mother was
dying with emphysema, and she is still with us today after sixteen years. When they prayed for her, she passed out and then came forth whole. She hasn’t coughed with emphysema since that day.
A family from another street came knocking on the door. “What is going on here?”
Backsliders came and others from off the street. Before we knew it, the house was filled with people seeking God. People received their healing and the Holy Ghost and some wanted to be baptized. What happened?
Prevailing prayer of faith!
Never! Never will I stop until I get what I want and go where God wants me to go, and find the place that God wants me to find. I’m not stopping. I’m not ceasing! I’m going to cry. I’m going to ask! I’m going to seek! I’m going to knock!
God will never stumble over the intercessor. He will stop by and have communion with him. He will never stumble over him. He may pass you by with a lot of things, but He will never pass by you!
I told my son when he entered the ministry: “I can’t give you much. You need a better education. I’m sorry, but I promise you that on your birthday each year I will go to the church early, and I’ll stay there until the sun sets and I will pray for you that entire day.”
God will never stumble over the intercessor!
“I must tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus. I cannot bear these burdens alone. I must tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus. I must tell Jesus. Jesus can help me. Jesus alone!”
THE ABOVE MATERIAL WAS TRANSCRIBED FROM THE TAPE AND PUBLISHED AT THE 1983 BECAUSE OF THE TIMES CONFERENCE. THIS MATERIAL IS COPYRIGHTED AND MAY BE USED FOR STUDY & RESEARCH PURPOSES ONLY.
