Topical Bible: Power of God: Pleaded in Prayer

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The concept of pleading for the power of God in prayer is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, illustrating the deep reliance of believers on divine intervention and strength. This entry explores various instances and teachings related to this theme, emphasizing the transformative and sustaining power of God as sought through earnest prayer.

Old Testament Examples

1. Moses' Intercession: One of the earliest examples of pleading for God's power is found in the life of Moses. In Exodus 32:11, after the Israelites sinned by worshiping the golden calf, Moses pleaded with God to spare them: "But Moses sought the favor of the LORD his God, saying, 'O LORD, why does Your anger burn against Your people, whom You brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and a mighty hand?'" Moses' prayer highlights the appeal to God's past demonstrations of power as a basis for future mercy and intervention.

2. Hannah's Prayer: In 1 Samuel 1:10-11, Hannah, in her deep anguish, prayed to the LORD for a child, vowing to dedicate him to God's service. Her plea was not just for personal fulfillment but for the continuation of God's work through her offspring. Her prayer was answered with the birth of Samuel, a significant figure in Israel's history.

3. Jehoshaphat's Prayer: In 2 Chronicles 20:6, King Jehoshaphat faced a vast army and turned to God in prayer, saying, "O LORD, God of our fathers, are You not the God who is in heaven? And do You not rule over all the kingdoms of the nations? Power and might are in Your hand, and no one can stand against You." This prayer acknowledges God's supreme power and seeks His intervention in a time of national crisis.

New Testament Teachings

1. The Lord's Prayer: In Matthew 6:9-13, Jesus teaches His disciples to pray, "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name, Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." This prayer is a plea for God's sovereign power to be manifest on earth, aligning the believer's desires with God's divine will.

2. Paul's Prayers for the Churches: The Apostle Paul frequently prayed for the churches, asking for God's power to be evident in their lives. In Ephesians 1:18-19, he writes, "I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you may know the hope of His calling, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and the surpassing greatness of His power to us who believe." Paul emphasizes the transformative power available to believers through faith.

3. The Prayer of the Early Church: In Acts 4:29-31, the early Christians, facing persecution, prayed, "And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus." Their prayer for boldness and divine power was answered as they were filled with the Holy Spirit.

Theological Implications

The power of God, as pleaded in prayer, underscores the believer's dependence on divine strength rather than human ability. It reflects a trust in God's sovereignty and a desire for His will to be accomplished. The act of pleading for God's power is both an acknowledgment of human limitation and an expression of faith in God's omnipotence.

Practical Application

Believers today are encouraged to follow the biblical examples of pleading for God's power in prayer. Whether facing personal challenges, interceding for others, or seeking strength for ministry, prayer remains a vital means of accessing the divine power that God offers to His people. Through prayer, believers align themselves with God's purposes and invite His mighty hand to work in their lives and the world around them.

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Psalm 79:11
Let the sighing of the prisoner come before you; according to the greatness of your power preserve you those that are appointed to die;
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Matthew 6:13
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For your is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
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Library

True Prayer --True Power!
... what I want I always stop on that prayer until I feel that I have pleaded it with ...
And what must we say of ourselves when God has given us power in prayer ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 6 1860/true prayertrue power.htm

"Getting Things from God"
... that "There is nothing too great for God's power"; and it is ... woman I prayed for three
years that God would grant ... Sometimes I pleaded for this as for life itself ...
/.../goforth/how i know god answers prayer/i getting things from god.htm

Our Lord's Sacerdotal Prayer
... "Kept by the power of God ... He calls God into service, puts Him to the front, and places
us ... called His Father's attention to it, and see how He pleaded for this ...
/.../bounds/the reality of prayer/xi our lords sacerdotal prayer.htm

That we Ought to Give Ourselves to God with Regard to Things Both ...
... arresting and changing the purposes of God and in relieving the stroke of His power. ...
When staggering under the woeful curses of God, he pleaded with Moses ...
//christianbookshelf.org/bounds/purpose in prayer/chapter ii that we ought.htm

My God Will Hear Me
... How many have pleaded for loved ones, and they die unsaved ... makes us hesitate as we
say, "My God will hear ... prayer, in its power with God, and His faithfulness to ...
/.../murray/the ministry of intercession/chapter xii my god will.htm

Twenty-Eighth Lesson. Father! not what I Will;'
... He had pleaded God's power and love, and had then withdrawn it in His final, THY
WILL BE DONE.' The prayer that the cup should pass away could not be answered ...
/.../with christ in the school of prayer/twenty-eighth lesson father not what.htm

Order and Argument in Prayer
... and will use the next with still greater power, and the ... listened to brethren who
have come before God feeling the ... must have it, for they first pleaded with God ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 12 1866/order and argument in prayer.htm

A Call to Prayer and Testimony
... to explain to him the limits of that power; but I ... not given to be forgotten, but
to be pleaded, and then ... do it for them." It is the rule of God's kingdom that ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 37 1891/a call to prayer and.htm

The Trial by Fire
... the divine gifts and dealings with the patriarchs, is pleaded with God ... petition is
beautiful, both in its consciousness of power with God and recognition ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture f/the trial by fire.htm

Prayer Answered, Love Nourished
... never denied a promise, never broken his word, even when we have pleaded a thousand ...
he is at this very day a living witness of the power of God to answer ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 5 1859/prayer answered love nourished.htm