Gabriel Agbo - Power Of Midnight Prayer

When they came to a place where he named Mahanaim (God’s Camp), he sent messengers to his brother Esau, to inform him of his home coming. But the response Jacob got from his brother was terrifying. The messengers came back to tell him that Esau was coming to meet him with a four hundred-member elite squad. Instantly, Jacob was thrown into confusion. In panic, he thought of what to do. Then he prayed and sent gifts to appease his enraged brother.

You remember that Jacob dubiously took Esau’s birthright and blessings. It was now Esau’s opportunity to pay him back. And also after the flight of Jacob, Esau had regarded himself as the sole heir of their father’s possessions. He could have also thought that Jacob was coming back to displace him of their father’s large estate or at least ask for his own share.

Jacob knew the above possibility that was why he impressed it on the messengers to tell Esau that he was not coming home to struggle for inheritance, because God had already blessed him with oxen, asses, flocks, men-servants and woman-servants.

Jacob and his family had now reached the River Jabbok, and as night came on, he sent his family across the ford of the river, while he alone remained behind. He had decided to spend the night in prayer, and he desired to be alone with God. It was in a lonely, solitary and unprotected place. Jacob bowed in deep distress upon the earth. It was at midnight. The reality of Esau’s threat to him, his children and wives came stirring in his face. He wept, cried and reminded God of all His promises to him.

And all of a sudden, a strong hand was laid upon him. He thought that an enemy was seeking his life, and he endeavoured to wrest himself from the grasp of his assailant. In the darkness, the two struggled. Not a word was spoken but Jacob put forth all his strength, and did not relax his efforts for a moment. He battled for his life.

This is exactly what the midnight prayer is all about. It is about the battle for your life and destiny. When you’re faced with life-threatening situations, when you’re faced with destiny- threatening circumstances, the best place to settle them is at the midnight arena. At midnight, you wrestle with God, with man and with spirits. And you know that when one is fighting a life-battle, you don’t really need to beg the person to be courageous. He faces the situation with his last strength. There are problems in your life today that I believe can only be dismantled by midnight prayers. And you must fight it as if it is your last battle.

Jacob told the being that wrestled with him that he (Jacob) would not leave him unless he was blessed. And this must be our attitude each time we are going into prayers. We must go into it with a ‘do or die’ mentality. Jacob persisted and prevailed. He refused to give up until he was blessed. Though sometimes, while praying, it will look as if the situation is getting tougher, but you must continue until you see the victory. Always bear in mind that a victorious end is guaranteed.

Jacob left that place a changed man. He got an everlasting name – Israel. All his fears were dealt with, and God also went ahead of him to soften Esau’s heart. Overnight, his fears turned into courage. He went on to meet his brother and his death squad. By this time, God had turned them to be his friends. In fact, the bible said that as Jacob was leaving the wrestling place – Peniel, “The sun rose”(32:31). The sun will also rise for you today, in the name of Jesus! There is nothing you cannot achieve through midnight prayers. Start today and testimonies will begin to run after you.

Most people that exploit the potency of midnight prayer are those who desperately need the intervention of God in their situations. They have come to a stage where if God does nothing about their circumstances, then it will be over. I mean at crossroads. Before you will leave the comfort of your bed, depriving yourself of a sound sleep, to be crying and asking God to intervene in your situation, then you would have gotten to a place of despair in your life. Sometimes, God also allows us to come to that stage, so as to make us see our limits, and at the same time appreciate His ultimate ability to deliver and restore.

Let’s see the story of Hannah in 1 Samuel 1:6-20,

“But Peninnah made fun of Hannah because the LORD had closed her womb. Year after year it was the same – Peninnah would taunt Hannah as they went to the Tabernacle. Hannah would finally be reduced to tears and would not even eat…

“Once when they were at Shiloh, Hannah went over to the Tabernacle after supperto pray to the LORD. Eli the priest was sitting at his customary place beside the entrance. Hannah was in deep anguish, crying bitterly as she prayed to the LORD. And she made this vow: ‘O LORD Almighty, if you will look down upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the LORD, his hair will never be cut’.

“As she was praying to the LORD, Eli watched her seeing her lips moving but hearing no sound, he thought she had been drinking. ‘Must you come here drunk?’ he demanded. ‘Throw away your wine!’

“Oh no, sir!’ She replied, ‘I’m not drunk! But I am very sad, and I was pouring out my heart to the LORD. Please don’t think I am a wicked woman! For I have been praying out of great anguish and sorrow’.

“In that case, Eli said, ‘cheer up! May the God of Israel grant the request you have asked of him.’

“Oh, thank you Sir,’ she exclaimed. Then she went back and began to eat again, and she was no longer sad.

“The entire family got up early the next morning and went to worship the LORD once more. Then they returned home to Ramah. When Elkanah slept with Hannah, the LORD remembered her request, and in due time she gave birth to a Son.She named him Samuel, for she said, ‘I asked the LORD for him.”

This is a story you know very well. Hannah was married to a wealthy Levite – Elkanah from Mount Ephraim in Israel. The couple lived joyfully and in harmony, but could not produce children. After some years, Elkanah went and married a second wife – Peninnah. Peninnah came in and brought with her strive, jealousy, and acrimony.

Elkanah’s home that was once peaceful suddenly turned into a theatre of war. The evil of polygamy. Hannah was at the receiving end. As if it was not enough that she has been sorrowing for not having a baby, Peninnah began to remind her of how unproductive, worthless and unwanted she has become in that home.

Peninnah would make fun of her and even go to the extent of taunting her as they went to the church. After going through all these, the bible said that Hannah would cry and cry until she was reduced to tears, and would refuse to eat. I believe Hannah must have been a ghost of herself. Imagine a person that would cry, starve and sorrow always – for years.

This was the condition of this woman. In verse seven, the bible made it clear that this was the case of Hannah every year, “year after year it was the same.” It was the same childlessness, the same mockery, the same disappointment, the same fruitless efforts and the same dashed-hopes. I pray that every perennial negative situation in your life would be broken as you read this message, in the name of Jesus!

There are people who are going through Hannah-like situations today. They go into a new year hoping to get the best or at least get better. They hope for a better job, a better relationship, comfortable home, blissful marriage, higher spiritual level, etc. But that same year would end without them achieving any of these expectations. Some keep going in that circle of failure year after year. No promotion, no breakthrough. Something that looks like much motion and less movement.