The Power of Past Tense Praying

While preaching in Springfield, Missouri, John Bisagno encountered a woman who asked him to pray for the salvation of her husband.

That sounded like a reasonable request; Bisagno asked if she had already been praying for her husband. She replied that she had - for thirty-five years!

A little confused over why there was no answer after all these years, he asked if she prayed this way - "If it be thy will, save my husband." She admitted that's exactly how she prayed.

Bisagno saw what needed to happen. He reminded her of the Scriptures. He pointed out that the core of God's heart drives him to save people... all people. It was already God's will to save her husband.

Then he instructed her to go home and spend an hour thanking God that he was going to save her husband.

When the woman returned that night, her husband came with her... and became a Christian that evening.

Bisagno wrote, "One hour of praying in faith, believing, had done more good than thirty-five years of endless repetition and doubting hesitation!" (See his book, The Power of Positive Praying)

The power of positive praying reminds me of the power of past tense praying. What's past tense praying?

Well, it's based on this concept: Since God lives outside time & space, he can speak of tomorrow as if it's already happened. The classic example is God's prediction, through the prophet Isaiah, of Christ's crucifixion several centuries before it happened - and he predicted it in past tense.

"He took up our infirmities... he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities... the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all... he bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors." (Isaiah chapter 53 NIV.)

Note all the past tense phrases in that quote. And note how God taught his people to think, and pray, in past tense.

When he revealed to King David that he intended to build David a lineage of kings sitting on the kingdom throne forever, David reacted by praying, "For the sake of your word and according to your will, you have done this great thing and made it known to your servant." (2 Samuel 7:21 NIV).

Actually, God hadn't done anything yet. He had merely spoken it. But for David that meant he could think, and speak, in past tense in his prayer.

This phenomenon of past tense praying glows in Paul's discussion of Abraham's covenant with God as reported in Romans 4:17-18: "As it is written: 'I have made you the father of many nations...' Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations."

Note how Abraham "became" what God had already "made" him!

This awesome principle is why Jesus said, "Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have already received it, and it will be yours." (Mark 11:24 NIV - emphasis mine.)

Since faith comes by hearing, I'm digging into God's word to make sure my faith is up to the challenge of praying in past tense.