Peter therefore was kept in prison; but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him (Acts 12:5).

Prevailing Lent, the discipline of obeying and listening to prophetic voice beyond annual liturgical litanies, routines, and repetitions is a renewing and prophetic experience. Without prevailing prayer, we become deaf like in the valley of dry bones to the prophetic voice and become more confused by many competing and distracting human and secular voices asking for our attention. The Church was born, empowered, and sustained through prevailing prayer as the number one priority. While God is looking for Spirit filled prophetic prayer warriors and intercessors, the church is looking for better method. Like the disciples of Jesus, Prevailing Lent summons us to ‘give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the Word’ (Acts 6:4). Prevailing Lent calls us to pray from house to house, street to street, in prisons, marketplaces, and wherever we go.

It was prevailing prayer that led to Peter’s supernatural deliverance out of prison. It was Passover Week, the Holy Week of the Jews, Peter was cast into prison to be kept until the Passover Week before his execution. Peter provides a good reflection on the state of the church today. Peter was sound asleep, chained to soldiers sleeping either side of him. The church is fast asleep and chained and under the watch of dry system hence, the need for prevailing prayer warriors and intercessors just as Christians across the town were praying, waging war in the heavenlies on Peter’s behalf. Just as Peter was facing possible execution the next morning, the church is facing decline and extinction. Prevailing Lent calls you and me to fervent and earnest cry to God for divine intervention and deliverance. Prevailing prayer overturned Peter’s hopeless situation. He was free from the dungeon.

The church is in the dungeon of decline, and prevailing prayer is the solution. The Church in Jerusalem did not organised committee to plan his escape when they heard that Peter was in prison neither did they circulate a petition in protest demanding Peter’s release. They prayed prevailing prayer. The fourth and fifth verses of the hymn, ‘And can it be,’ written immediately after Charles Wesley’s conversion May 21, 1738 summarised the testimony of Prevailing Lent with prevailing prayer (Wesley knew his Bible well prior to the time, but had not yet experienced assurance of new birth):

Long my imprisoned spirit lay
Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
I woke, the dungeon flamed with light;
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed Thee.

No condemnation now I dread;
Jesus, and all in Him, is mine!
Alive in Him, my living Head,
And clothed in righteousness Divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Prevailing Lent in this Holy Season is the road to the mountain top of Pentecost, power, miracle, growth and revival. Lent offers us all a very special opportunity to grow in our relationship with God and to deepen our commitment to a prophetic prevailing way of life, rooted in our baptism. In our busy world, Lent provides us with an opportunity to reflect upon our moral patterns through the mirror of the Bible and repent of our sins. Prevailing Lent summons us to intense, fervent and agonising prayer. Let us arise and pray for prayer power that will shake our churches, cities and nations.

Prayer: O Lord awake your church from the deep sleep in Jesus’ name.