This Present Darkness by Frank E. Peretti
Week 5: The Power of Prayer — Angels Strengthened, Demons Weakened
Read the sections depicting the intercessory prayer meetings at Hank's church and their direct, visible effects on the angelic battle. Key Scripture: Daniel 10:12-14; James 5:13-18; Luke 18:1-8; Revelation 8:3-4.
Previewing Week 5 of This Present Darkness
Read 3 of 8 discussion questions below. Unlock the complete 12-week guide when you’re ready.
This may be the theological heart of the entire novel — the claim that human prayer is not a polite religious ritual but an act of cosmic consequence with real effects in the unseen world.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Peretti's most striking and controversial creative decision is depicting prayer as having immediate, mechanical-seeming effects on angelic strength — when the church prays, the angels grow stronger and can advance; when prayer wanes, they are forced to retreat. What is your reaction to this depiction? Is it a helpful dramatization of a biblical truth, a dangerous oversimplification, or something in between?
2.Read Revelation 8:3-4: 'And another angel came and stood at the altar with a golden censer, and he was given much incense to offer with the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar before the throne. And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, rose before God from the hand of the angel.' How does this passage support or complicate Peretti's depiction of prayer as having tangible spiritual effects?
3.The small prayer group at Hank's church is depicted as the most powerful force in Ashton — more influential than the conspirators, the college president, or the police. Yet they are ordinary, often struggling people. What does this say about where God chooses to place spiritual authority? How does this connect to Paul's words in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29 about God choosing 'the weak things of the world to shame the strong'?