Nothing happens just like that. There is always a cause in the spirit realm, then the effect in the physical. We must wake up and begin to control our midnights through prayers. This is where we have the battlefield. And our exploits here will determine how great, powerful, prosperous and healthy we will become in the daytime.
Please, we'll go into the examples of great men and women (including Jesus) in the bible; who won their midnight battles and consequently controlled the day.
I was encouraged the more to put this work together by the responses I received after publishing this message in parts in my newspaper columns with the Guardian Newspapers of Nigeria and the others. I got responses as far as Canada, United States, Europe, and of course, Nigeria. A renowned Canadian writer who read the article on the internet was so thrilled that she sent me a feedback commending the message, and also confessing that it is at this same time of the night that she receives attacks from satanic agents. She said she agreed with all I said in the write-up.
Yes, spiritual principles are universal. The mode and methods of operation could vary from place to place, but the principles are basically the same. It is still that old Satan and his mischievous dark host. We know that the battle is between the kingdom of God and that of Satan. The battlefield is man. The struggle is about who will control the activities and destiny of man.
Whereas God wants to control man for good, the devil and his agents detest man. They hate and envy him; because they know what God has in stock for him. They know the place of man in God's programme. They are aware of the wonderful and blissful destiny that God is preparing for man, so they battle day and night to see how that plan could be derailed. Remember, they (Satan and rulers of darkness) are fallen angels. They have been with God before they were thrown down to the earth because of their disobedience. So, what we are highlighting here is that midnight is the main arena for this great battle of the kingdoms. Jesus puts it this way,
"The thief's purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give life in all its fullness."
John 10:10.
And you know that the thief will always want to come in the night, when he will not be seen or challenged. So also is our enemy – Satan. Now, let's get into the main business. And that is to look at the examples of great men and women in the bible who fought and won the greatest battles of their life in the midnight. Let's start with our great master and perfect example Jesus Christ.
Jesus
He fought and won all His battles while on earth. When He was about to start His earthly ministry, He went into the wilderness to fast for forty days and forty nights. When His critics confronted Him, He used the word of God and word of the prophets. To convert the unbelievers, He did miracles, signs and wonders. Then, to displace the demons, He rebuked and cast them out. But when He eventually came to the point of His ultimate sacrifice for mankind, He again went into midnight battles. And that is what I call the 'Battle of Gethsemane'.
The Battle of Gethsemane
The battle to save man was fought and won by Jesus in the midnight at the olive grove called Gethsemane. At that point, the reality and weight of what He came to achieve came heavily upon Him. And He had a choice to make – whether to continue with the project or to back out. But He chose to stay awake and slug it out with Satan, sin and self. It was a night that ushered Him into the last 12 hours of His life. It was indeed very crucial to the whole salvation idea. I believe the main battle to save man was actually fought and won here at the ‘Gethsemane front'. What later happened at the cross was just the consummation of the process. Let's go through the account in Matthew 26:34-46
“Peter', Jesus replied, 'the truth is this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times'. No! Peter insisted, 'Not even if I have to die with you! I will never deny you!' And all the other disciples vowed the same. Then Jesus brought them to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, 'Sit here while I go on ahead to pray.' He took Peter and Zebedee's two sons, James and John, and he began to be filled with anguish and deep distress. He told them 'my soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.'
"He went on a little farther and fell face down on the ground, 'my father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.' Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, 'couldn't you stay awake and watch with me even one hour? Keep alert and pray. Otherwise temptation will overpower you. For though the spirit is willing enough, the body is weak!' Again he left them and prayed, 'my father! If this cup cannot be taken away until I drink it, your will be done.' He returned to them again and found them sleeping, for they just couldn't keep their eyes open. So he went back to pray a third time, saying the same things again. Then he came to the disciples and said, 'Still sleeping? Still resting? Look, the time has come. I, the son of man, am betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let's be going. See, my betrayer is here!"
I had to run the whole story so that you can understand what I am saying. It was a night when Jesus took His closest followers to an olive grove to do the midnight battle. It was indeed a tough one. He had to decide whether to continue the salvation plan or drop it. What He was to go through between Gethsemane and the Easter Sunday came stirring in His face. He was going to pass through a horrifying experience – the Jews antagonism, the disciples' betrayal, denial and abandonment. He was going to take in the 39 strokes of cane, the crown of thorns, the spear piercing his side, mockery, the sharp nails and ultimately, the grave.
The reality of all these came upon Him and He decided to stay awake and battle through the night. He knew that it was going to be a midnight show, and immediately He was through, He quickly told His disciples, "Up, let's be going." He knew he had won the battle in the spirit, and as a result, was fully prepared to face the physical challenges. This is exactly what happens to a midnight prayer warrior. He/she is always fearless and ready to face any situation in the daytime. You will always be bold and confident that every circumstance will ultimately work in your favour.
To understand this message better, I suggest you watch the film (that is, if you have not) ‘The passion of The Christ' by Mel Gibson. There, you will graphically see what transpired between Jesus and the devil at Gethsemane. Satan almost prevailed on Jesus to drop the idea of going to the cross. But Jesus resisted him and consequently won the battle that night. The battle is indeed at the midnight. Start today.
Israel
Now, let's see the role midnight played in the deliverance of the children of Israel from Egypt. Because of Pharaoh's obstinacy in releasing the children of God to proceed to the Promised Land, God decided to visit that land with different plagues. Moses and Aaron performed signs and wonders, released plagues upon the land of Egypt, but still, Pharaoh refused to let them go. There were plagues of frogs, turning Nile into blood, flies, lice, cattle murrain, boils, hail, locust, and darkness. But all these could not change Pharaoh's heart. Rather he arrogantly asked Aaron, "Who is that your God that I will obey him. I will not listen to that your God and I also will not let Israel go. And mind you, I don't want to see you people (Moses and Aaron) in my palace again. The day you come here again, I will kill you. Is that understood Moses?" And Moses said, ‘Very well. I will never see you again.” And they left.
Now God told Moses that He was going to send just one more disaster on Pharaoh and the land of Egypt and after that, Pharaoh will be begging the children of Israel to leave Egypt. God told Moses that He was going to institute an ordinance called Passover for their sake. And it will be done in the night. He said that after they would have performed the ordinance, He (God) would pass through the land of Egypt killing every firstborn son of man and beast, while executing judgment against all their gods. And that is exactly what God will do for you at midnight. He will judge your enemies and their gods. He is ready to institute a new ‘ordinance’ for your sake, if the need arises. Yes, powerful and deliverance ordinances are best set at midnight altars!
Now my interest here is that God brought out his last joker for Pharaoh, to make him allow Israel out of Egypt, and that He also chose to do it in the midnight. He told them specifically to perform the sacrifice in the night and also to be ready to leave that country that same night. And truly, He came at midnight.
"And at midnight the LORD killed all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on the throne to the firstborn son of the captive in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. Pharaoh and his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died."
Exodus 12:29-30
Yes, God struck the pride and strength of Egypt – their first sons in the midnight. You can imagine the commotion throughout the land that night. Both men and beasts wailing! Our God is indeed powerful!
Please before we continue with what happened at that night of Passover, there is something I would want us to note here. The plague of killing the firstborn of Egypt unlike others was extraordinary and strange to the Egyptians. They had somehow seen these other nine that came earlier, but the last one (death of all the firstborn) was not known to them before this time.
To the Egyptians, plagues are not unusual. They are part of their local colour. The water of the Nile turning into blood and the frogs coming to cover the land were not totally strange. Flies, lice, cattle murrain and boils, hail, locusts and darkness were not new. These things, which the bible described, are still being experienced by the Egyptians. For example, the 'Red Nile '. Deposits from the Abyssinian Lake often colour the floodwaters with dark reddish-brown, especially in the upper Nile. That might well be said to look like 'blood'.
At the time of the floods, frogs and also flies sometimes multiply so rapidly that they become regular plagues on the land. Under the heading of lice would come undoubtedly the dog fly. These often attack whole areas in swarms, affect eyes, nose and ears, and can be very painful. Then, Cattle pest is known all over the world. The boils which attack human beings as well as animals may be the so-called ‘Nile heart' or 'Nile-itch'.
This is an irritating and stinging rash, which often develops into spreading ulcers. This horrible skin disease is also used as a threat for punishment by Moses in the course of the Journey through the desert. The same could be said about hail storms and darkness. Only the death of the firstborn is a plague for which there is no parallel. It was designed to be the last straw that will break the Carmel's back. And Pharaoh, as expected, immediately caved in.
Now back to the Passover night. God told the Israelites that what they were doing that night was going to be an ordinance for the rest of their life. They should observe it every year, and also pass same to their children. That is exactly the way I see midnight prayers. Decrees made while praying at this period are always very strong and they often bring great results.
Most times, they bring about generational breakthrough and blessings; which will out-live you. And we must also ensure that we pass this same practice to our subsequent generations. Then, as we have noted earlier, it is also in the midnight that most of the satanic ordinances are set against us, against our families, towns, churches, etc. So, when we pray in the midnight, we destroy such satanic ordinances and set up fresh and favourable ones that will begin to speak for us all the rest of our life.
The Passover midnight broke the chains of bondage off the Israelites. It smote their enemies with their gods and also gave them great wealth. In fact, the bible said, "So like a victorious army, they plundered the Egyptians!" This is exactly what happens to you when you engage in midnight prayers. Start today and you will see mighty deliverance coming your way.
Jacob
“But during the night Jacob got up and sent his two wives, two concubines, and eleven sons across the Jabbok River. After they were on the other side, he sent over all his possessions. This left Jacob all alone in the camp, and a man came and wrestled with him until dawn. When the man saw that he couldn’t win the match, he struck Jacob’s hip and knocked it out of joint at the socket. Then the man said, ‘Let me go, for it is dawn’. But Jacob panted ‘I will not let you go unless you bless me’. ‘What is your name?’ The man asked. He replied, ‘Jacob.’ ‘Your name will no longer be Jacob’, the man told him. ‘It is now Israel, because you have struggled with both God and man and have won.’
“What is your name?’ Jacob asked him. ‘Why do you ask?’ the man replied. Then he blessed Jacob there. Jacob named the place Peniel – 'face of God' – for he said, ‘I have seen God face to face, yet my life has been spared.' The sun rose as he left Peniel.
Genesis 32:22-31
Now, we want to see how Jacob utilized his midnight to change his unfavourable situation. You already known that very few people in the bible could be said to have the same level of divine grace as Jacob. God had blessed him to the extent that his children, wives and other possessions were now moving in groups and camps. And by this time, he had left Padan-aram (Laban’s place) to Canaan, according to God’s direction.
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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.
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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.
GOD OF HANNAH
Chapter Two
God of Hannah
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.
