Prayers That Strike The MarkCampione

Praying from a Victorious Perspective For each of us, life will involve many ups and downs, trials and tribulations, winds and waves. This is the normal Christian life: “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22 NIV). In God’s economy, our hardships work for us, not against us. But the outcome does not depend on our own strength. Christ’s victory : this is the perspective from which we must live and pray. This perspective keeps our prayers from falling to the ground before they strike their intended target. Like court heralds, we proclaim God’s sovereign greatness and we announce good news. (Well, it is bad news to the demonic forces over whom Jesus has won the victory.) As we intercede, we praise God and exalt His strength—and we remind Him of His promises. Tirelessly and persistently, we petition Him. By entering into His presence through our praises and reminding everyone within earshot (including ourselves) of His powerful benevolence, we shift into asking Him for what we need. Because we are praying with a heavenly perspective, enforcing the victory won by Christ’s shed blood, we are enabled to intercede and pray prayers that strike the mark. From a position of victory, we pray prayers of victory. We proclaim the all-sufficiency of our God and we draw heaven’s blessings down to earth. We pray expecting God and His angels to break up the darkness with the brilliant light of His glory. Do we see His glory every time? No. Often, we pray in the dark. But we keep on praying because He has furnished us with indomitable faith. Eventually, our prayers shift again. I can’t tell you how this happens or how quickly it will occur. All I know is that there comes a time when you actually stop asking. This is because of an almost fierce and well-won peace that, even when the darkness still seems to prevail, makes you sure that your prayers have been heard and God’s best answers are bound for their destination. You start to thank Him and praise Him for the provision that may not yet be visible, confident that in due time, it will become manifest. At that point, all you can do is praise Him anew, and you do. Your prayers are striking the mark!