Prayer and the cosmic conflict

As a young lad, I thought the expression “golden oldies” referred to great songs from yesteryear. That may well be true, but perhaps “golden oldies” can also refer to great books of past generations that still have tremendous value for our lives today. One such volume is Power Through Prayer by E. M. Bounds.

Edward McKendree Bounds was born on August 15, 1835, in Shelby County, Missouri. Even as a young man, Bounds discovered a great passion for God and was strongly influenced by the writings of John Wesley. Though trained as an attorney, Bounds decided to become a pastor in the Methodist church. During the last 20 years of his pastoral ministry, he published exten­sively on the topic of prayer. He also left an indelible mark on the Christian church as a powerful prayer warrior. 

I recently decided to read Power Through Prayer once again.¹ His keen insights cut like a knife: “The little esti­mate we put on prayer is evident from the little time we give to it.”² In stark contrast to the Twitter prayers³ of many Christians, Bounds spent from 4:00 A.M. to 7:00 A.M. every morning in private prayer. While true that the length of time in prayer does not guarantee power through prayer, it is unlikely that one who rushes hastily through prayer will ever make a lasting impact for the kingdom of God. Bounds reminds us that “the preacher is commissioned to pray as well as to preach. His mission is incomplete if he does not do both well.”⁴ Those of us who have a passion for powerful biblical preaching would do well to heed this wise counsel: “The character of our praying will determine the character of our preaching. Light praying will make light preaching. Prayer makes preaching strong, gives it unction, and makes it stick. In every ministry weighty for good, prayer has always been a serious business.”⁵

Not only do preachers need to devote themselves to prayer as did the early Christian leaders (see Acts 6:4), but they also desperately need prayer cover. Having encouraged believers to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests,” Paul also makes this appeal: “Pray also for me” (Eph. 6:18, 19).⁶ Some might wonder why Paul would request intercession on his behalf. After all, he was such a powerful ambassador for Christ. Did he really need to send out appeals for Christians to pray for him? The answer is a resounding “Yes.” In fact, continued prayer on his behalf combined with his own devotion to prayer were reasons for his high-impact ministry. No wonder he appealed to the Christians in Colossae, “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” And then he adds, “And pray for us too” (Col. 4:2, 3).

At no time is personal and corporate prayer more important than when we find ourselves in the midst of the cosmic conflict between good and evil. It is not coincidental that Paul’s appeal to pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers comes immediately after his exhortation to “put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand” (Eph. 6:13).

In this month’s lead article, Richard Rice reminds us of the reality of this great cosmic conflict. He answers a question that many are asking: “If there is a good God who rules over history, why is there so much suffering in the world?” The answer is found in the scriptural teaching about the great conflict that began in the courts of heaven (see Rev. 12:7–11). That conflict continues on planet Earth and intensi­fies as we draw near to the day of the Lord (see Rev. 12:12). Consider adding Power Through Prayer to your 2015 reading list. Its timeless message may be more relevant than ever before.