Prevailing Prayer
The sermon emphasizes the importance of persistent prayer and the use of intercession and petition as powerful tools in our spiritual warfare.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the power and necessity of prevailing prayer, arguing that both the death of Christ for our sins and the promise of forgiveness through confession are essential truths for Christians. He critiques the notion that praying for the same thing more than once indicates a lack of faith, asserting that this belief contradicts Scripture and undermines the effectiveness of intercession and petition. Tozer illustrates his point by referencing biblical figures like David, Elijah, and Paul, who all engaged in persistent prayer. He concludes that true prayer is not limited to a single request but is a continual dialogue with God that reflects our dependence on Him.
Text
It is written that Christ died for our sins, and again it is written that "if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1 John 1:9). These two texts are written of the same company of persons, namely Christians. We dare not compel the first text to invalidate the second. Both are true and one completes the other. The meaning of the two is that since Christ died for our sins if we confess our sins they will be forgiven. To teach otherwise is to attempt to fly on one wing.
I have met some who claim that it is wrong to pray for the same thing twice, the reason being that if we truly believe when we pray we have the answer the first time; any second prayer betrays the unbelief of the first; ergo, let there be no second prayer. There are three things wrong with this teaching. One is that it ignores a large body of Scripture; the second is that it rarely works in practice, even for the saintliest soul; and the third is that, if persisted in, it robs the praying man of two of his mightiest weapons in his warfare with the flesh and the devil, viz., intercession and petition.
For let it be said without qualification that the effective intercessor is never a one-prayer man, neither does the successful petitioner win his mighty victories in his first attempt. Had David subscribed to the one-prayer creed he could have reduced his psalms to about one-third their present length. Elijah would not have prayed seven times for rain (and incidentally, there would have been no rain, either), our Lord would not have prayed the third time saying the same words, nor would Paul have "besought the Lord thrice" (2 Cor. 12:8) for the removal of his thorn. In fact, if this teaching were true, much wonderful Biblical narrative would have to be rewritten, for the Bible has much to say about continued and persistent prayer.
Sermon Outline
- The Relationship Between Christ's Death and Our Forgiveness
- The Importance of Persistent Prayer
- Biblical Examples of Persistent Prayer
- David, Elijah, Jesus, and Paul all prayed multiple times for their needs
- Their persistent prayer was often rewarded with great results
Key Quotes
“To teach otherwise is to attempt to fly on one wing.” — A.W. Tozer
“The effective intercessor is never a one-prayer man, neither does the successful petitioner win his mighty victories in his first attempt.” — A.W. Tozer
“Had David subscribed to the one-prayer creed he could have reduced his psalms to about one-third their present length.” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- We should not be discouraged from praying for the same thing multiple times, as this is a powerful way to use intercession and petition in our spiritual warfare.
- Persistent prayer is often rewarded with great results, as seen in biblical examples such as David, Elijah, Jesus, and Paul.
- We should learn from the examples of persistent prayer in Scripture and strive to be effective intercessors and petitioners in our own lives.