Awaken The Dawn

Gethsemane: Last Morning of Prayer

To be honest, however, to finish the message of Jesus’ earthly prayer life, we must look at His experiences of prayer in the garden and while hanging on the cross. These, my friend, are the highest, most notable examples of extraordinary prayer. Although the physical story must be told in rather gruesome terms, the fact is that Jesus showed us during His darkest times of trial the rarest and most glo- rious possibilities of prayer. I am glad that this is part of the story, for I have found that every life will have dark moments of personal sadness, and we must know that each of us is capable of extraordinary prayer at such times. Mature Christians must also be objective in their world- view and must strive to understand God’s dealings with the world as well as the satanic influences exercised on it. I like Wesley L. Duewel’s statement about great praying:

Prevailing prayer is prayer that pushes right through all difficulties and obstacles, drives back all the opposing forces of Satan, and secures the will of God. Its purpose is to accomplish God’s will on earth. Prevailing prayer is prayer that not only takes the initiative but continues on the offensive for God until spiritual victory is won. 4

Duewel stresses that in prevailing prayer, you predomi- nate over yourself, over Satan, and before God. This is top level praying! It is from such prayer that glorious victo- ries are won. One of the greatest ordeals of my pastoral life was the five-year period in which a lawsuit hung like a dark cloud over my personal life and our church. It was a difficult, emotional time for me, and I do not think that I could have held up under the strain if I had not already estab-

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