A desperate prayer is a deep, intense call on God that comes from a place of urgent need and longing for Him to move in a situation. It is crying out to God from a heart burdened with an unbearable trial or circumstance.
Desperate prayer expresses raw honesty, transparency, and vulnerability before God. There is no holding back in desperate prayer or trying to sound “spiritual.” Instead, people pouring out desperate prayers freely voice their pain, confusion, doubt, and longing for God to act.
Characteristics of Desperate Prayer
Intense Emotion
Desperate prayers are charged with deep feeling. Those praying desperately are not calm or reserved, but rather pour out their spirit before God. Their prayers may be accompanied by tears, weeping, and anguished groans as they wrestle through pain or hopelessness.
Raw Honesty
People praying desperately hold nothing back. They voice exactly how they are feeling and what they are thinking to God, no matter how messy their emotions may be. There is no pretense or attempt to sound polished.
Persistence
Those praying desperately do not give up easily. They continuously cry out to God, even if answers do not seem forthcoming. Their persistence reflects their deep trust that God hears them and can act.
Focus on God
The focus of desperate prayer is on God – His character, His promises, His abilities. People praying desperately plead to Him over and over, expressing their trust in Him even in seemingly impossible circumstances.
Surrender
Desperate prayers ultimately reflect surrender to God’s will. People praying desperately acknowledge that only God can move in their situation and humbly ask for His intervention, willing to accept whatever He chooses to do.
Sacrifice
People praying desperately are willing to sacrifice comfort and pride to seek God wholeheartedly. Desperate prayer requires humbling oneself fully before God.
How God Answered Desperate Prayer
God often chooses to act mightily when His people cry out to Him in desperate, trusting prayer. Throughout Scripture, we see examples of those who poured out impassioned pleas for God to move, redeem, heal, and restore. Their raw, vulnerable prayers reflect a dependence on God alone to come through in seemingly impossible situations.
When God’s people desperately seek Him in prayer, trusting fully in His character and abilities, He acts in power to redeem, heal, provide, protect, and restore, often in miraculous ways that display His unequaled might and love.
Biblical Examples of God Answering Desperate Prayers
Hannah’s Desperate Prayer for a Child
In 1 Samuel 1, Hannah was in anguish because she was unable to have children. She wept bitterly as she poured out her pain and longing to God, even making a vow to dedicate any son He gave her to His service. Although Hannah prayed so passionately that the priest Eli thought she was drunk, God heard her desperate cries. He opened her womb and gave her a son, Samuel, who became a mighty prophet and judge over Israel.
Jehoshaphat’s Desperate Prayer Against Invasion
When Judah was being invaded by Moabites and Ammonites in 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat desperately pleaded with God to deliver them from this vast army. He confessed total reliance on God, saying “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” God heard their desperate cries and caused the enemy armies to turn on each other, sparing Judah without them even having to fight.
Hezekiah’s Desperate Prayer for Deliverance
When the Assyrian King Sennacherib besieged Jerusalem and taunted them to surrender in 2 Kings 19, King Hezekiah desperately prayed to God to rescue His people. He reminded God that the Assyrians had blasphemed Him. God heard Hezekiah’s impassioned prayer and sent an angel to strike down 185,000 Assyrian troops in one night, saving Jerusalem from destruction.
The Blind Man’s Desperate Prayer for Sight
In Luke 18, Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, passionately cried out to Jesus for mercy as He passed by. Though others tried to shush him, Bartimaeus only shouted louder. Jesus stopped and restored his sight, affirming that His desperate faith had made Him well.
Jesus’ Desperate Prayer in Gethsemane
On the night before His crucifixion in Matthew 26, Jesus prayed desperate, anguished prayers in the Garden of Gethsemane. He fell facedown weeping and asked His Father if there was any way to avoid the suffering ahead. Yet Jesus surrendered to the Father’s will, committing to drink the cup of suffering on our behalf. God answered by raising Him from the dead in victory over sin and death.
Read Also:
- Who Is The Holy Spirit And How To Know Him?
- 7 Simple Ways To Become Good Friends With the Holy Spirit
- Bible Study for Beginners – 5 Easy Keys
Why Does God Respond to Desperate Prayer?
There are key reasons why God is compelled to answer when we desperately seek Him in prayer:
It aligns our hearts with His will
Desperate prayer softens our hearts before God to understand His thoughts and ways better instead of our own.
It draws us into deeper intimacy with Him
Our pain and desperation drive us to passionately pursue His presence. We gain greater spiritual insight through His word as we cry out to Him.
It reflects genuine reliance and humility
Desperate prayer acknowledges that God alone can move the situation; we cannot manipulate but must rely fully on Him.
It Brings deeper faith
As we witness God answer desperate prayers, our faith in His power and attentiveness grows.
It brings greater glory to God
When God answers desperate prayers miraculously, it powerfully displays His surpassing greatness, goodness and faithfulness.
It accomplishes His redemptive purposes
God moves in response to desperate prayer to redeem people and restore His Kingdom purposes on earth.
Cultivating Desperate Prayer That Draws God’s Attention
Desperate prayers are birthed out of a genuine sense of need and reliance on God. We can cultivate conditions in our lives that lead us to cry out to Him in this way:
Fasting and extended times of prayer
Fasting from distractions and spending longer times focusing on God’s presence realigns our hearts with desperation for Him.
Immersing ourselves in Scripture
Seeing the examples of God’s past mighty deeds in response to prayer stirs our faith in His ability to answer our desperate cries.
Receiving counsel from spiritual mentors
Wise believers can help us identify areas of hardness or complacency that could be blocking us from desperate reliance on God.
Exposing areas of compromise or sin
Asking God to search our hearts and show us any areas that need repentance is vital for desperation.
Asking God to burden our hearts
We need to pray for Him to give us His heart of compassion and concern for people, situations, and purposes.
Reflecting on past deliverances
Remembering difficulties God has brought us through in the past fills us with hope that He will intervene again, fueling desperate prayer.
Step out in faith
When we follow God into challenging assignments in utter reliance on Him, desperation comes more naturally as we recognize the need for His intervention.
What Happens When You Pray Desperately To God?
- Strongholds of the enemy in our lives and sphere of influence are broken.
- Greater clarity and wisdom are granted to know how to move forward.
- Faith rises to a whole new level as we experience God’s miracle-working power.
- We gain victory over areas of struggle and bondage.
- Healing, restoration, and reconciliation occur, both inwardly and in relationships.
- A marked increase in spiritual authority, vision, and Kingdom purpose is released.
- There is a deepened desire to partner with God as passionate intercessors.
- Our testimony shines brightly, giving hope to others facing impossible situations.
- Worship, gratitude and awe of who God is explodes from seeing Him show up powerfully.
Cautions Regarding Desperate Prayer
As important as passionate, desperate prayer is, there are a few cautions to keep in mind:
- Our desperation should drive us to God, not bitterness or despair. Our cries reveal our need for Him.
- Desperate prayer should be combined with listening to God’s voice through Scripture for wisdom and direction.
- We need patience as well as persistence, trusting God’s timing and greater purposes as we pray.
- While fervently asking, we must submit our desires to God’s sovereign will, trusting Him as a loving Father.
- We should pray expecting God’s spiritual provisions more than physical comfort or convenience.
Why Desperate Prayer is Needed
There are several important reasons why desperate prayer is needed in the lives of believers:
1. It reflects dependence on God
Desperate prayer expresses that God alone can move in impossible situations. Those praying desperately rely fully on Him instead of their own strength and understanding.
2. It shows our trust in God
Praying desperately reflects trust that God is loving, powerful, and attentive to the cries of His people. Continuing to call out to Him shows confidence that He hears and cares.
3. It draws us to seek God wholeheartedly
The pain and desperation drive us to passionately pursue intimacy with God above all else. We set aside distractions and focus fully on Him.
4. It aligns our hearts with God’s will
Desperate prayer softens our hearts before God so we can understand His ways rather than our own. Our agenda gives way to desiring His perfect will.
5. It brings breakthrough from spiritual oppression
When we desperately cry out to God, He often moves to break the influence of the enemy attacking us and open doors that seemed impossible to open.
6. It births new faith and purpose
As we witness God answer desperate prayers, our faith is strengthened. We gain new vision for our lives and purpose in Him.
What Hinders Desperate Prayer?
There are certain mindsets and attitudes that can hold us back from crying out to God in desperate, trusting prayer:
Self-sufficiency
If we think we can handle situations ourselves, we won’t plead desperately for God’s help. But we need to embrace that we need Him.
Apathy and Distractions
When we are preoccupied by comfort or entertainment, we lack the passion and focus for desperate prayer. But trials require our full attention.
Doubts About God’s Goodness
We may wrongly think God does not care about our plight or hesitate to help His children. But we need to trust His unfailing love.
Unwillingness to Surrender
Pride can make us resistant to fully surrendering our situation to God in desperate prayer. But we need to humble ourselves before Him.
Lack of Spiritual Hunger
If we are content with lukewarm faith, we will not desperately pursue God. But difficult trials can reawaken spiritual hunger.
Wrong Mindsets About Prayer
We can have wrong views such as thinking prayer is simply informational for God or that He is limited in His ability to answer. But desperate prayer recognizes His attentiveness and power.
Conclusion
In summary, desperate prayer expresses total reliance and trust in God to move in even the most difficult or hopeless situations. It involves humbly surrendering to Him with raw, honest cries for His help. And it opens the door for Him to come in mightily. Desperate prayer acknowledges that we absolutely need God’s intervention, and that He alone is powerful enough to act.
