Once you’ve gained the altitude advantage over the Devil with the Word of God, maintain it. Keep watching in the spirit. Keep praying and don’t stop until the battle is won.
Spiritual victory requires perseverance.
Why? Because the Devil is persistent! Unlike many Christians, he doesn’t give up easily. So you must stubbornly hold the Word against him. As Ephesians 6:13 – 14 says in the Amplified Bible, “… resist and stand your ground on the evil day [of danger], and, having done all [the crisis demands] … stand [firmly in your place]. Stand therefore [hold your ground]….”
If you want to see what happens in the realm of the spirit when you persist in prayer, read Exodus 17. There you’ll see the Israelites under attack by the Amalekites. During the battle, Moses climbed to a hilltop and lifted the rod of authority that represented God’s covenant promise to Israel of victory over their foes.
What’s most interesting is this: Moses didn’t just raise the rod once then lower it, turn his back on the battle, and go back to his tent. He found that when he raised the rod, Israel prevailed but when he lowered it, Amalek prevailed. So with the help of Aaron and Hur holding up his hands, Moses kept the rod raised against his foes until the sun went down and the battle was won.
Such is the victory of prayer. It takes its place above the battle, opposes the enemy with the Word of the Lord, and refuses to quit until that Word is an accomplished fact on the earth.
Scripture Reading: Exodus 17:8 – 16
On the chilly March night in 1972 when Lynne Hammond took her first step into a life of Spirit-led prayer, she had no idea what was about to happen. All she knew was the hunger in her heart for God wouldn’t let her sleep. In the few short months she’d been born again, her desire to fellowship with Him had grown so strong she could hardly contain it. “Help me, God!” she cried. “I want to know you. I want to be able to talk to you. Please, teach me to pray!”
Suddenly, a heavenly presence flooded the room. Lynne sensed waves of spiritual fire sweeping over her and a beautiful language began to flow like a river from within her. Although she’d never heard of the baptism of the Holy Spirit, she knew instantly, without a doubt—this was God!
What began that night soon blossomed into a life of prayer that ultimately became a ministry of prayer when, in 1980, Lynne and her husband, Mac, founded Living Word Christian Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Under Lynne’s leadership, the prayer ministry at Living Word has become an internationally recognized model for developing effective pray-ers in the local church.
A teacher and an author, Lynne publishes a newsletter called Prayer Notes, has written numerous books, and currently serves as the national prayer director for Daughters for Zion. Her passion for inspiring and leading others into the life of Spirit-led prayer continues to take her around the world to minister to believers whose heart cry, like hers, is “Lord, teach me to pray!”