Praying Ahead – Part 2

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.” Mark 1:3 KJV

Last month, we considered the ministry of John the Baptist specifically in terms of praying about things farther in the future, rather than waiting for them to be upon us before we recognize the need to pray. This month, let’s think about John the Baptist from a different viewpoint. Think about the great faith he walked in as he declared the Truth of the coming Messiah and the need for repentance to prepare His way. There is no indication that the Father had told him exactly when Jesus was going to begin his earthly ministry; yet John was so sure of and focused on the kingdom of God and preparing the way of the Lord that he willingly took the insults, rejection, misunderstanding, etc., that came as a result of living by faith.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) “We live by faith, not by sight.”

Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”

John was sure of what he hoped for and certain of what he did not yet see. He probably had a strong sense in his spirit that Messiah would be made manifest very soon, but was willing to continue preaching the message God had given him, no matter how long it took. This is such an important lesson for us as people of prayer. Whether we are praying about a backslidden loved one, authorities in our nation, or some other issue, we must understand that we are always praying ahead. Sometimes we will see the manifested answer to our prayer immediately. There may be things, however, that we never see answered fully while we are still alive. Regardless of the length of time before the answer comes, we must stay in faith that, as we have sought after and prayed from the Father’s heart for the matter, it will be done on earth as it is in heaven. We must remember that we are praying ahead, though we don’t know exactly how far ahead. Consider those people noted in Hebrews 11, the hall of fame of faith. They were living by faith – living ahead – focusing on something not seen by the human eye. Not one of them received (in the natural) what had been promised (verse 39), but not one stopped believing.

There are situations about which I have prayed for a long time, knowing that the Lord has moved in me and through me as I prayed, sometimes even having “seen” the changes in my spirit as I prayed. I have been so convinced that the Holy Spirit has worked through me, and that the difference has been made, only to struggle with disappointment and doubt when I don’t see it in the natural. In His mercy, the Lord reminds me that the work I do in prayer is in the spirit realm, not the natural; that things must be changed in the spirit before they will be changed in the natural. It’s in my continued prayer and life of faith, by His Spirit, that the spiritual things will be accomplished, which prepares the way for the natural changes to occur. God promises this in James 5:16 AMP “. . . The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].” Which will I believe – what I see with my natural eyes, or what God has told me in His holy Word?

The next time you find yourself disappointed that your loved one hasn’t given their life to the Lord, or that the authorities didn’t make a decision for righteousness despite your powerful prayers by the Spirit of God, remember this simple phrase, “We pray ahead,” and let the faith of Christ arise in you once again!

© Copyright 2005 Kay V. Stocking