The War Room

Travailing Prayer
Pastor Mike Hendon
• We are in a war and we all know it.
• “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not
WAR after the flesh..” 2 Cor.10:3

• What does the church need right now?

• “For the weapons of our warfare are not

carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling
down of strong holds..”
• There is a clarion call going forth from heaven
TO the Church right now for prayer.

• Even more so God is raising up PRAYER

WARRIORS!
• What is a prayer warrior?
• “a man engaged and/or experienced in
warfare”
• Note those 2 words:
• ENGAGED: involved and busy
• EXPERIENCED: practical knowledge, skill, or
practice derived from direct… participation
in… a particular activity
• We are not talking about engaging the devil,
but engaging God. There is a time to engage
the enemy—but not until you have engaged
God. “This kind does not go out but by prayer
and fasting…” Mt.17:21

• It is not something you are ‘born’ with, but a

discipline that is learned through ‘direct
participation’.
• The term prayer warrior is used to describe
someone with enough courage and faith to
storm the gates of heaven with petitions and
spiritual declarations.
• God is calling people to this ministry today like
never before, in the Old Testament they are
called watchman. They were set in strategic
locations for early detection of the enemy.
• I have set watchmen on your walls, O
Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or
night.
You who make mention of the LORD, do
not keep silent,
And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the
earth. Isa.62:6-7
• “shall God not avenge His own elect who cry
out day and night to Him.” Lk.18:7
• “For what thanks can we render to God for
you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for
your sake before our God, 10 night and day
praying exceedingly that we may see your face
and perfect what is lacking in your faith?” 1
Thess.3:9-10
• Most teaching on prayer in the past has been
centered around how to get what YOU want.
But real prayer is not about how you can get
your greedy, selfish prayers answered, but
how to align yourselves with heaven in such a
way that God’s will is done ON earth as it is in
heaven!
• “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous
man avails much. Elijah was a man with a
nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that
it would not rain; and it did not rain on the
land for three years and six months. And he
prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and
the earth produced its fruit.”
 • Effective: here it is in a present participle and
does not have so much to do with the prayer
that is prayed but the EFFECT that is produced
in the praying man bringing him into line with
the will of God. i.e. Elijah
• Fervent: ‘zeo’ to be hot, to boil, used
metaphorically of fervency of spirit.
• This fervency, or fire comes from sitting at
Jesus feet, hearing is heart, knowing His will.
Prayer is intimacy.
• Elijah did not just speak a word to Ahab, but
from his time with the Lord he had a word to
speak—”As the Lord God of Israel liveth,
before whom I stand…” I Kings 17:1
• Prayer is an ALIGNMENT!
• “Delight yourself also in the LORD,
And He shall give you the desires of your
heart.” Ps.37:4
• When you get in proper alignment He GIVES
you your desires. Then:
• And this is the confidence that we have in
him, that, if we ask any thing according to his
will, he heareth us 1 Jn.5:14
• This is an aspect of prayer called travailing
prayer we need to see.
• Travailing prayer gives “birth” to something.
• It is born of dissatisfaction:
– Hannah
– Israel in bondage
– Jacob in trouble
• It has the ability to envision the will of God.
• This is the ‘gap’ principle. The difference
between the way things are and the way they
are supposed to be.
• “And I sought for a man among them, that
should make up the hedge, and stand in the
gap before me for the land, that I should not
destroy it: but I found none.” Ez.22:30
• Remember Moses stood in this gap in Ex.32
when God was going to destroy them for their
idolatry and He interceded and God changed
His mind!
• Think about Hannah- barren and desperate–
God granted her travail
• This is where prayer actually is birthed
through us to CREATE the future
• Her prayer shaped the nation and impacted a
whole generation for God.
• Travailing prayer is like having a baby;
– It takes time--
– It involves pain--
– It always ends in joy--
– “for as soon as Zion travailed, she brought forth
her children” Isa. 66:8
• “He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious
seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing,
bringing his sheaves with him.” Ps.126:6