Psalm 129:1-2
Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say: Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.
Prevailers are people who win against the odds. Everyone likes a good story about a person who faced the impossible and somehow overcame inevitable failure to become a great winner. We like the story of David who faced what others were fleeing, because it stirs us to want to face the impossible in our lives. We love to hear the story of Gideon who prevailed over the great Midianite army with three hundred men, especially when we feel like an underdog. We love the story of Elijah who prevailed over the religion of his day to show that God has the power to do the impossible. We love reading about the church in Acts that prevailed over religious attacks and persecution to turn a world upside down.
The verse above is one of those stories that ought to motivate every believer. The psalmist said that his enemies afflicted him many times, but they had yet to prevail. The attitude of the psalmist was that he was going to prevail no matter what they threw at him. He talks about them plowing furrows on his back, yet he prevailed. You can be like the psalmist and choose to prevail over impossible circumstances or be like the crowd who surrenders and succumbs to the pressures of the oppressors of life. However, you must embrace four characteristics if you are to become a prevailer.
First, prevailers don’t make excuses when they have a good excuse. You will notice that the psalmist said many times they afflicted him, but he still prevailed. You will always have an excuse for why you can’t, but you must never accept any excuse no matter how good the excuse. Once you accept using one excuse, you will always find it easier to use excuses instead of choosing to prevail. Excuses are plentiful, but you must choose to close the door to excuses and decide to prevail if you will do anything great for God.
Second, prevailers don’t quit when they have every reason to quit. Just like excuses, you will always have a reason to quit, but prevailers would rather die trying to overcome than take the easy road of excuses and quitting. It is not that prevailers never wanted to quit, but prevailers never took the option to quit because quitting is what keeps them from obtaining what they set out to do.
Third, prevailers don't complain when they have every reason to complain. One thing you will notice about prevailers is that they have a prevailing attitude instead of a complaining attitude. You can always complain, but complaining is the first step to accepting excuses and eventually quitting. If you don't want to accept excuses and quit, you must never allow complaining to be a part of your thought process or vocabulary. You must quickly shut down the complainers who surround you if you are to prevail. Prevailers have a positive attitude about what they face because they see victory instead of defeat.
Fourth, prevailers find a way to overcome when they have every reason to flee. Prevailers are solution-oriented; they take the difficult as a challenge and move forward when others around them are fleeing. You must have an overcoming spirit and determination if you are to be a prevailer. Prevailers never quit, are always positive, and are determined to overcome any obstacle they face.
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