The Power of Possibility in an Impossible Place

“All thoughts of holiness are God’s; all manner of loving-kindness and tender mercies are His. All weaknesses are made for us so that we might be in a place of absolute helplessness, for when we are weak, than we are strong (2 Cor. 12:10). All divine acquaintances with Him today will put us in the place where we may be the broken, empty vessel ready for Christ’s use.” - Smith Wigglesworth 

Dear intercessors,

Have you ever felt like you were in an impossible place? Have you ever felt like you were praying for the impossible? There is a power of God that is released in the impossible place. God is looking for faith, and real faith has to do with the impossible. I encourage you to pray impossible prayers - to launch out into the deep and pray God-sized prayers. God loves it when we pray for the impossible, when we believe Him for things that are beyond our abilities. He is looking for those with faith who will still press through in prayer when the going seems absolutely impossible. He is the God of the impossible. Smith Wigglesworth, a well-known man of faith who saw many healed by the power of God, said:

“Get ready, so that you may be touched by His inward earnestness, so that you may see the power of possibility in an impossible place, until you see that God can change you until you will change other things, until you see today that your song will remain in flight.” 

For many years we have been involved in training cross-cultural workers to go to the nations. My husband and I lived for years on a ship that was built in 1914 with over 300 young people from 40 different nations. We traveled on that ship all over the world and from nation to nation. We saw God break through impossibilities on a regular basis. We saw stormy seas cease, closed nations open their doors to our visit, critical financial breakthroughs, and multitudes of salvations of people of every language, background, and color. Even though at times we were trembling in our boots, we learned about the God of the impossible and how He requires our faith to step out and believe. We were small, but He was great!

One thing that I always stress with individuals regarding their personal destiny, is to believe God for something that is bigger than what they can personally accomplish. We each must learn to pray for the impossible on a regular basis. We must learn to believe God for something that is greater than anything we can ever humanly achieve. We must let our faith be tested to the very core and pray for something that is bigger than ourselves.

We are earthen vessels but God is mighty and great. We need to raise our view of Him and realize that He is able to do the impossible. It is right in the midst of the impossibility that God will be highly exalted. He loves the impossible place in our lives, because it is here that He will show His supreme greatness.

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us” - (2 Corinthians 4:7).

What Happens in the Impossible Place?

“The possibilities of prayer are the possibilities of faith. Prayer and faith are twins. One heart animates them both. Faith is always praying. Prayer is always believing. Faith must have a tongue by which it can speak. Prayer is the tongue of faith. Faith must receive. Prayer must rise and soar. Faith must give prayer the wings to fly and ascend. Prayer must have an audience with God. Faith opens the door, and access and audience are given. Prayer asks. Faith lays its hand on the thing asked for.” - E. M. Bounds

Several things happen in our lives when we face the impossible place. We often do not like to be challenged in this way, but God does a deep work within us when we face the impossible with persevering faith. The Apostle Paul learned to delight in the impossible place because he realized that it was there that he experienced the true power of God. This is what happens:

We lose control - We are divinely sustained by a power greater than ourselves. When we lose our own control then we experience the power of Christ’s control. 

“Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me” - (2 Corinthians 12:10).

We become absolutely dependent - We are weak, and He is strong. We become broken vessels, empty and ready for Christ to use. 

“That is why for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong” - (2 Cor. 12:10).

We are changed - We move into the place where God is on the throne, and it changes us. When we are changed, we can change other things. We lose our identity in Christ, and it is He that is living through us. 

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” - (Galatians 2:20).

We cease from our own works - We give place to God’s ways and His work. We become an instrument of noble purposes. 

“In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work” - (2 Timothy 2:20-21).

We rest in faith - God is teaching us to rest in faith and we learn to enter His rest. This means that we cease from our own fleshly works. 

“There remains, then a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from His" - (Heb. 4:10). 

Do you think it was easy for the Apostle Paul to live in the impossible place? Was it comfortable for him to become weak and lose control? Was it easy for a face-paced and successful apostle to cease from his own works and learn to rest in faith? No! He had to learn to live in this way. In the natural, Paul was strong and very competent. He was a high achiever, a very gifted and capable man. He was intelligent and able to do great things. But God touched him deeply, and he learned to live a crucified life. He counted everything as rubbish that He might gain Christ and be found in Him. He lost control and became absolutely dependent so that God could be in control and do the impossible through Paul.

Perhaps you are like most of us. There are situations in your life that call for the power of God. You are in an impossible place. You may have an impossible, God-sized dream. You can’t do it or see it happen in your own strength. There is the need to pray for something that is absolutely impossible in the natural realm. Don’t give up. God loves the impossible place. Keep on praying for in due season He will show Himself strong on your behalf. He loves to answer impossible prayers of faith. With God all things are possible.

“And Jesus, replying, said to them, ‘Have faith in God constantly. Truly I tell you, whoever says to this mountain, be lifted up and thrown into the sea and does not doubt at all in his heart but believes that what he says will take place, it will be done for him” - (Mark 11:22-23, Amplified).

Together in the Harvest, 

Debbie Przybylski
Intercessors Arise International
International House of Prayer Kansas City (IHOP-KC)
deb@intercessorsarise.org
www.intercessorsarise.org