A Pattern for Successful Prayer

“When we praise God, He inhabits or enters our praises, and His power overwhelms the power of the enemy.  He is a mighty God, and Satan cannot match His strength.  Light will dispel darkness through God’s entering into our praise.  Through praise, the Lord Himself begins to do warfare on our behalf to silence our enemy, as we shall see.”  Cindy Jacobs
 
Wouldn’t you like a more successful prayer life?  Wouldn’t you like to mentor others in victorious prayer?  If there were a pattern for successful prayer, would you not want to know what that is?  I know I would!

When I was growing up I took a sewing class at school.  I remember how my home economics teacher gave us careful instructions on how to make a dress. We first had to pick a pattern and then buy the right amount of material for that particular dress.  Without the pattern it would be impossible to sew the dress - especially our class of eleven-year-old girls!  I remember obediently going to the store with my mother and picking out the pattern and material.  Throughout that course, I made the dress and even got a good grade for the class. 

There was only one problem - I never wore the dress!   

What was the reason?  By the time I finished the dress, I had realized something very important.  I didn’t like the pattern that I had originally picked out!  And the color of the material was an ugly tan.  I still remember it clearly.  I had picked out the wrong pattern and the wrong material.  As you can probably imagine, I never did become a seamstress - I never applied what I learned - and I definitely was not successful in that area of my life.

But I want to tell you about someone who was extremely successful in prayer.  He had the right pattern for successful prayer.  It was a perfect pattern that strategically empowered others.  The Bible gives us an example of a victorious answer to prayer that affected multitudes of people.  In one sense what happened in this situation is a pattern for successful prayer that is repeated all throughout the Bible.  We can find an amazing picture of prayer in 2 Chronicles 20:1-30. 

Let’s learn how we can mentor others in successful prayer by looking at the pattern of King Jehoshaphat. He was a great example for us to follow because his pattern worked!

The first thing to realize about this king is that he was desperate.  A vast army was coming against him.  He was alarmed but resolved to inquire of the Lord.  He proclaimed a fast for all Judah, and all the people came together to seek the Lord.  The King was desperate - a good place to be - and His eyes were on the Lord.  Instead of trying to figure everything out first - what we often do - He looked straight to the lord and said, “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you.” 

The Pattern for Victory

Judah must go first.  Judah actually means “Praise Yahweh”.  This is truly the pattern for ultimate victory.  Praise must go first!  Let’s look at Jehoshaphat’s pattern for successful prayer.

• Praise God - In 2 Chronicles 20:6-9 he prayed, "O Lord, God of our fathers, are you not the God who is in heaven?  You rule over all the kingdoms of the nations.  Power and might are in your hand, and no one can withstand you.  O our God, did you not drive out the inhabitants of this land before your people Israel and give it forever to the descendants of Abraham your friend?  They have lived in it and have built in it a sanctuary for your Name, saying,  'If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your Name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us’” 

• Describe the situation - In 2 Chronicles 20:10-11 he prayed, "But now here are men from Ammon, Moab and Mount Seir, whose territory you would not allow Israel to invade when they came from Egypt; so they turned away from them and did not destroy them.  See how they are repaying us by coming to drive us out of the possession you gave us as an inheritance.”

• Ask God to intervene - In 2 Chronicles 10:12 he prayed, “O our God, will you not judge them?  For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.  We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."

Jehoshaphat spent a lot of time praising God.  Instead of spending most of the time trying to figure everything out, he turned his eyes upon God first and praised Him for who He is and what He has promised.  This is the major part of his prayer.  Then he described the situation (the problem) to God.  Finally he asked God to intervene and help.

So often we reverse our priorities in prayer.

So often we complain and advise God what He should do.

So often we spend very little time praising Him for what He can do.  

But look at this pattern - the majority of his prayer was praising God and the least amount of his prayer was asking God to intervene.  If we were to consider the seriousness of this problem in our own lives, we would say it was pretty major.  The army was vast, and it was coming against him.  It was an immediate emergency!

The Empowerment for Victory

But when Jehoshaphat used this pattern for successful prayer, a prophetic word came forth that empowered the people to go into battle with the singers leading.  This encouragement was directly from God.  He certainly took immediate notice of this type of prayer, and He strengthened their hearts with this word:

• Do not be afraid or discouraged - “Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army” (2 Chronicles 20:15, 18).

• The battle is God’s - “For the battle is not yours, but God's” (2 Chronicles 20:15).

• Take up your positions and stand firm - “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm” (2 Chronicles 20:17). 

• See God’s deliverance - “…see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem” (2 Chronicles 20:18).

• The Lord will be with you -  “Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.  Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you." (2 Chronicles 20:18).

Jehoshaphat’s army was led by praise.  They faced the enemy singing.  As I already mentioned, Judah means “Praise Yahweh”. They had thanked God for the victory by faith even before seeing it.  We read in 2 Chronicles 20:19, “Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground, and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell down in worship before the Lord.”

The Lord set up ambushes, and the enemy was defeated.  But when the praising army arrived, the enemy was already dead.  God had given them a tremendous victory.  They returned joyfully and with great plunder because the Lord had given them cause to rejoice over their enemies.  See 2 Chronicles 20:24-26. 


Are you presently in spiritual warfare?   


Do you know others who are in battle who need to learn this pattern of successful prayer?  


You may feel that you are in a battle that seems absolutely enormous and you may see no way through.  Think about it - whose battle is it really?  Who is going to fight this battle for you?  Why not try this pattern for successful prayer right in the midst of your situation?  Why not mentor and empower others in this method of strategic prayer?  Here’s how you can help yourself and others align themselves with God in prayer.  And this is what you can teach the younger generation, even children.  God invites you to enter into the strategic empowering of others in this type of prayer.  Start with praying, “Lord, I don’t know what to do but my eyes are upon you.”


Then spend most of your time praising God.  Describe your situation to Him, but do not allow yourself to be afraid or discouraged.  If you are, simply confess it to the Lord.  Then ask Him to intervene for you.  After you have prayed in this fashion, stand firm and take up your position (Do what He says) and watch the deliverance of the Lord.  Remember, He is with you - This is His battle - He is aligning Himself with you to lead you forth in victory. 


“Praise causes the presence of the Lord to come into our midst.  Even though God is omniscient, He manifests His authority and rule in our environment when we praise Him.  When we praise, God comes in and leads us forth… He does not just visit us, but He abides and aligns Himself with us to walk with us into the path that He has chosen for us.”  Chuck Pierce 


Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise
http://www.intercessorsarise.org


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