I was quite young when I was introduced to Yonggi Cho and his prayer mountain experiences. One thing I did take away was to pray specific prayers. I enjoyed the dialogue between Abram and God because it reminded me of this lesson.

But Abram answered, “Sovereign Lord, what good will your reward do me, since I have no children? My only heir is Eliezer of Damascus.^[a]  You have given me no children, and one of my slaves will inherit my property.” – Genesis 15:2-3 GNT

I mean, who tells God what good is a reward when all I want is a son to pass my estate to. Well, Abram tells God exactly what he wants from Him. I am not sure that God gave an immediate answer but when He does, He is gracious

Then he heard the Lord speaking to him again: “This slave Eliezer will not inherit your property; your own son will be your heir.” – Genesis 15:4 GNT

I believe we can and we must have a revelation of God through prayer. To battle my fear, I must be a person of prayer. I believe this first dialogue that Abram had with God, God quieted his fears. Abram has learned something that he has shared with me here – when I am facing my fears, doubts discouragements etc. , I run to God in prayer. I am honest with God about my feelings and emotions.

I run to Him because He is my great reward.

Standing firm though does cause waves to take place. It happened to John the Baptist.  I think of the toll it took on Jesus. He had to find some alone time in order to pray and reconnect with God.

After sending the people away, he went up a hill by himself to pray. When evening came, Jesus was there alone. – Matthew 14:23 GNT

Nehemiah faced discouragement head on with prayer.

I prayed, “Hear how they make fun of us, O God! Let their ridicule fall on their own heads. Let them be robbed of everything they have, and let them be taken as prisoners to a foreign land. ⁵ Don’t forgive the evil they do and don’t forget their sins, for they have insulted us who are building.” – Nehemiah 4:4-5 GNT

Nehemiah did not debate, did not form a committee, did not confront his two enemies – he took the matter to God in prayer. For him, prayer was a first resource. It has to be one of the purest way to express my reliance on God.

His specific request involved attention and mercy. Nehemiah needed God to display it and he also needed to sense God’s presence and care.

It ended up that Nehemiah did the work God called him to do, and Nehemiah left the battle with his enemies in God’s hand. Nehemiah realised that this was God’s cause and not his own.

What kind of specific prayers can I pray for those in ministry like Nehemiah or Paul. There are a few pointers given to us in Acts 14.

I can pray for their joy in the midst of suffering and for kindness in the midst of slander. I too need the character of Christ and the power of His Spirit to enable me to respond with grace.

The same thing happened in Iconium: Paul and Barnabas went to the synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of Jews and Gentiles became believers.  But the Jews who would not believe stirred up the Gentiles and turned them against the believers. – Acts 14:1-2 GNT

I do believe that praying for supernatural power is important – I must speak the Word boldly and with that proclamation I need the Holy Spirit to show up.

The apostles stayed there for a long time, speaking boldly about the Lord, who proved that their message about his grace was true by giving them the power to perform miracles and wonders. – ACts 14:3 GNT

Along with being humble and patient, I need to pray for perseverance.

Some Jews came from Antioch in Pisidia and from Iconium; they won the crowds over to their side, stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town, thinking that he was dead.  But when the believers gathered around him, he got up and went back into the town. The next day he and Barnabas went to Derbe. – Acts 14:19-20 GNT

There is always the call to make disciples and I must pray that God would use me to do so.

 Paul and Barnabas preached the Good News in Derbe and won many disciples. Then they went back to Lystra, to Iconium, and on to Antioch in Pisidia.  They strengthened the believers and encouraged them to remain true to the faith. “We must pass through many troubles to enter the Kingdom of God,” they taught.  In each church they appointed elders, and with prayers and fasting they commended them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. – Acts 14:21-23 GNT

And then, just to make sure the church planters know they matter, I am called to pray that God would not only multiply them, but fill them with people who know the Word led by pastors who teach the Word.

After going through the territory of Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia.  There they preached the message in Perga and then went to Attalia,  and from there they sailed back to Antioch, the place where they had been commended to the care of God’s grace for the work they had now completed.

When they arrived in Antioch, they gathered the people of the church together and told them about all that God had done with them and how he had opened the way for the Gentiles to believe.  And they stayed a long time there with the believers. – Acts 14:24-28 GNT

 

It is difficult and even formidable thing to write on prayer, and one fears to touch the Ark. Perhaps no one ought to undertake it unless he has spent more toil in the practice of prayer than on its principle. But perhaps also the effort to look into its principle may be graciously regarded by Him who ever liveth to make intercession as itself a prayer to know better how to pray. All progress in prayer is an answer to prayer–our own or another’s. And all true prayer promotes its own progress and increases our power to pray. – P. T. Forsyth