The prophet Daniel foresaw a last-days company that possessed wisdom and discernment in the things of God — a purified, tested remnant that would understand his Word. “Many shall be purified, made white, and refined, but the wicked shall do wickedly; and none of the wicked shall understand, but the wise shall understand” (Daniel 12:10).
Prayer is the secret to spiritual growth, but if we go to the throne only for our personal edification and needs, we are being selfish. The Bible shows us that we cannot neglect to pray seriously for the needs of those around us and gives us examples of “helpful prayers” (see 2 Corinthians 1:11).
Every pastor, preacher and evangelist needs helpers in prayer who will intercede for them continually. I have been carried in prayer by faithful servants.
Scripture says that when Peter was bound in jail, "Constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church" (Acts 12:5). God delivered Peter with a miracle through helping prayers.
Some Bible teachers claim we are walking in unbelief if we ask God for the same thing over and over. That is heresy! God commands us to ask, seek, knock — to cry out in effectual, earnest supplication (see Matthew 7:7-8). From the very beginning, true servants have turned God's promises into prayers:
In the Psalms, David extols God’s greatness in blessing those who trust him.
"Oh, how great is Your goodness, which You have laid up for those who fear You, which You have prepared for those who trust in You in the presence of the sons of men! You shall hide them in the secret place of Your presence from the plots of man; You shall keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues" (Psalm 31:19-20).
The Psalmist David reminds us of God's greatness even in the midst of overwhelming floods. Our current floods may have raised their voices loudly, but God rules over all of nature. He alone is in control.
David voices the pleas of those being overwhelmed by floods in their soul: "Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. I am weary with my crying: my throat is dry: my eyes fail while I wait for my God" (Psalm 69:1–3).
As David composed his psalms, he built up his own faith on the ever-increasing knowledge of God's greatness.
"Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord; nor are there any works like Your works. . . . You are great, and do wondrous things: You alone are God" (86:8, 10).
According to David, all our fears subside in the knowledge of God's greatness. He extols so many dimensions of the greatness of our Lord in order to build our faith.
Faith is a command and God responds to those who exercise it. Most of the written testimonies we receive in our office contain this truth. In every instance when a believer exercised the truth of God's Word, Jesus came to that person. And his ministering Spirit brought them comfort and renewed their strength in their dark hour.
Of course, it isn't always easy to exercise faith when we're hurting. Often we simply don't have the strength when pain is overwhelming us. At such times Christians can let God's promises slip away.
We make a choice of whether to live our lives filled with worrisome fear or with trust in God. If we allow ourselves to worry about one thing today, we'll worry about two things tomorrow. In short, our fears will continue mounting as the waves of problems keep coming. And then, if our fears go unchecked, our worried mind will continue descending into a bottomless pit.
Praying in faith, King David took hold of this truth: "Let not the floodwater overflow me, nor let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut its mouth on me" (Psalm 69:15). It's not unusual for even the godliest person to face troubles rising like floodwaters. And like David, we can be steeped in God's Word, faithful to pray and devoted to the Lord, yet feel overwhelmed by waves of fear.