Breakthrough PrayerSample

How Momentum in Prayer Achieves Breakthrough

In this devotional, we have been learning about breakthrough prayer. To break is defined as “to separate into parts with suddenness or violence.” Similarly, breakthrough prayer generates an abrupt and sudden rupture of what is hindering us, pushing us beyond that limitation and into freedom. Breakthrough prayer must be engaged in persistently and consistently until we sense that something has broken in the spiritual realm, and until what we are asking for manifests. With a breakthrough, what we need is brought from the spiritual world to the natural world, so that we can see it in a visible or tangible demonstration of God’s power or provision.

Therefore, breakthrough prayer requires the ability to persevere and endure, to keep pressing on and resisting with courage. It necessitates relentless diligence, tenacity, boldness, and importunity—the capacity to stand firmly against opposition until you see the answer. We must develop a faith characterized by holy stubbornness and daring, unafraid to challenge what comes against us. For breakthrough prayer, we must also maintain an outlook that sees beyond what is naturally impossible to what is supernaturally possible.

The Law of Accumulation

In the kingdom of God, breakthrough prayer operates under the “law of accumulation,” which takes us “from faith to faith” (Romans 1:17) and “from glory to glory” (2 Corinthians 3:18). It is as if we are placing one brick on top of another in order to build a wall, and then continuing the same process for the next wall, until an entire house is finished.

However, when we place these “bricks” of prayer, we do not offer our requests in a mechanical way—what the Bible describes as “vain repetitions” (Matthew 6:7). Rather, each time we pray, God gives us more revelation of His Word and purposes, and we pray fresh prayers according to what He reveals to us. We can call this pattern, which is mentioned or illustrated often in the Bible, “praying without ceasing.” (See, for example, 1 Thessalonians 5:17; Psalm 88:1; Nehemiah 1:4; Acts 12:5; Romans 1:9; 2 Timothy 1:3.)

Continuing with the above example of the construction of a house, perseverance establishes the base or foundation for the succeeding building phases. When we are constant in prayer, the Lord can work in our life because this causes us to enter into the supernatural momentum of the Holy Spirit, who brings God’s plans into existence. It is clear that the more persevering we are in prayer, the closer we will be to a sudden manifestation of the supernatural. Remember that such results are not achieved overnight; we must first persist in faith and prayer.

Why Should We Always Pray?

Jesus emphasized this reality to His disciples: “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1). This verse brings to mind two important truths, which are worth reviewing here. Why should we always pray? First, prayer is necessary because, through it, we develop our relationship with the Father. Just as our body regularly needs food in order to maintain its health and strength, our spirit and soul regularly need prayer to maintain their health and strength. In prayer, we can receive the Father’s instructions, guidance, and love, and we can be warned about coming attacks of the enemy so we can counteract those assaults. 

Second, prayer must not be given up on. There are miracles that won’t happen, situations that won’t be resolved, and doors that won’t open unless we persist in prayer. Many people fail to see their miracle because the rhythm ceased right at the point that the answer was about to manifest. The enemy uses various methods to make us lose this rhythm, such as sidetracking us with the cares of life or causing us to focus on our disappointments or on the apparent delay in seeing the manifestation of our requests. The devil is ready to steal our blessings at the slightest distraction that diverts our attention. That is why developing perseverance and spiritual resistance is so important.

The best way to stop the enemy is by praying without ceasing. The apostles learned this principle and made sure they taught it in all the congregations they formed. Hence, the new Christians “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42). Paul asked the Christians in Rome to keep themselves “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer” (Romans 12:12).

Have you ever had the experience of praying continually over a long period of time, but then suddenly ceasing to pray, and, when you wanted to restart, you found it very difficult to do so? The reason is that you lost the spiritual rhythm of prayer. No matter how hard it might seem, I urge you to return to praying without ceasing. You can enter that rhythm again and begin to build momentum in prayer once more.

The simplest way I can describe perseverance in prayer is the illustration of water constantly dripping onto a rock. A small drop of water seems harmless compared to an enormous rock; however, over time, the water begins to pierce the surface of the rock until, amazingly, it penetrates it. The same thing happens in the spiritual realm. Perseverance in prayer can cause the hardest difficulty or circumstance to give way and break.

This is the pattern the first Christians applied when King Herod sent Peter to prison. “Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church” (Acts 12:5). The believers put in a claim to heaven on Peter’s behalf, based on God’s will for him. Peter was about to be executed, but the church’s prayers of faith kept him alive for his apostolic purpose to be fulfilled.

Perseverance Creates Momentum

This is the way I think of momentum in prayer: In the natural world, momentum is the force, power, or propulsion that an object gains while it is in motion. During momentum, there is a point at which an object reaches its maximum impulse. When a long jump athlete reaches his full momentum, he gives his best jump. Similarly, in the spiritual realm, when we continue to pray, we reach the precise measure of accumulated prayers that brings the spiritual atmosphere into its fullness, producing a supernatural impulse that brings the breakthrough.

Jesus knew that to produce miracles, He had to build spiritual momentum. That is why “He Himself often withdrew into the wilderness and prayed.… And the power of the Lord was present to heal them” (Luke 5:16–17). Jesus operated in the spirit of increase, which always seeks more from God—accumulation, growth, and expansion. Today, we must pray more and with greater revelation than we did yesterday, until we reach the necessary peak of momentum. Many people don’t receive answers to their prayers because they are trapped in the past, praying the same things all the time; yet believers—whether as individuals or corporately—should always pray something fresh, putting something new into the spiritual atmosphere. This adds to the momentum, until it reaches its fullness.

Thought: Whoever doesn’t have spiritual perseverance won’t have a longstanding prayer life.