October 18

Prevailing Power

After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. — Acts 4:31 BSB

The prayer that prevails is the one initiated by the Holy Spirit.

He is the medium of communication between heaven and earth, revealing to us the thoughts and desires of God so that we do not ask amiss. Just as the ether connects continents, so the Holy Spirit is the medium between us and the glorified Redeemer. Our prayers are transmitted from our hearts, carried forward by the Spirit, and registered in the heart of our Lord. In fact, it’s better to say that prayer originates in Him, is transmitted to us, and returns from us to Him. Just as we know our thoughts can help distant friends, so it is possible for our thoughts to reach the Lord Jesus. Oh, that we may always be in such harmony with Him that there will be no barrier to His thoughts toward us.

There are four kinds of prayer.

The Prayer of Communion and Fellowship. It is like a father asking his child why he keeps coming into his study, only to find that the child simply wants to be with him. We should not be content with the limited knowledge of God that most people have, but develop a deep yearning that can only be satisfied by fellowship, communion, and love.

The Prayer of Request. We may focus on this type of prayer early in life, but as we grow, we learn to leave ourselves in the wise and tender hands of our Heavenly Father. It becomes enough to know that He cares for us. We learn to be grateful for unanswered prayers, realizing that God often does for us far more than we ask or imagine.

The Prayer of Intercession. This is closest to the heart of Christ, who wears our names on His heart and ever lives to intercede for us.

The Prayer of Conflict. Sometimes we are called to join Jesus in the Garden, bearing with Him the burden of His conflict for souls against the powers of evil. At such times, there is a great need to watch and pray.

Prayer

Warm my cold heart, Lord, I pray. Remove all that hinders me from giving myself fully to You. Grant me grace to obey You in all things and to follow Your leading. Amen.