Power Of Prayer - How powerful is it?
The power of prayer should not be underestimated. James 5:16-18 declares,
"…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. Elijah
was a man just like us. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it =
did
not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the
heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops." God most definit=
ely
listens to prayers, answers prayers, and moves in response to prayers.
Jesus taught, "…I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small=
as
a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and=
it
will move. Nothing will be impossible for you" (Matthew 17:20). 2
Corinthians 10:4-5 tells us, "The weapons we fight with are not the
weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to
demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ." The Bible urges us, "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of
prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying
for all the saints" (Ephesians 6:18).
Power of Prayer =
- How
do I tap into it?
The power of prayer is not the result of the person praying. Rather, the po=
wer
resides in the God who is being prayed to. 1 John 5:14-15 tells us, "T=
his
is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything accor=
ding
to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask=
-
we know that we have what we asked of him." No matter the person prayi=
ng,
the passion behind the prayer, or the purpose of the prayer - God answers
prayers that are in agreement with His will. His answers are not always yes,
but are always in our best interest. When our desires line up with His will=
, we
will come to understand that in time. When we pray passionately and
purposefully, according to God's will, God responds powerfully!
We cannot access powerful prayer by using "magic formulas." Our
prayers being answered is not based on the eloquence of our prayers. We don=
't
have to use certain words or phrases to get God to answer our prayers. In f=
act,
Jesus rebukes those who pray using repetitions, "And when you pray, do=
not
keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of
their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need
before you ask him" (Matthew 6:7-8). Prayer is communicating with God.=
All
you have to do is ask God for His help.
Psalm 107:28-30 reminds =
us,
"Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble, and he brought them=
out
of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea =
were
hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desir=
ed
haven." There is power in prayer!
Power Of Prayer - For what kind of things should I pray?
God's help through the power of prayer is available for all kinds of reques=
ts
and issues. Philippians 4:6-7 tells us, "Do not be anxious about anyth=
ing,
but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present yo=
ur
requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understandi=
ng,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." If you need an
example of a prayer, read Matthew 6:9-13. These verses are known as the Lor=
d's
Prayer. The Lord's Prayer is not a prayer we are supposed to memorize and
simply recite to God. It is only an example of how to pray and the things t=
hat
should go into a prayer - worship, trust in God, requests, confession,
protection, etc. Pray for these kinds of things, but speak to God using your
own words.
The Word of God is full of accounts describing the power of prayer in vario=
us
situations. The power of prayer has overcome enemies (Psalm 6:9-10), conque=
red
death (2 Kings 4:3-36), brought healing (James 5:14-15), and defeated demons
(Mark 9:29). God, through prayer, opens eyes, changes hearts, heals wounds,=
and
grants wisdom (James 1:5). The power of prayer should never be underestimat=
ed
because it draws on the glory and might of the infinitely powerful God of t=
he
universe! Daniel 4:35 proclaims, "All the peoples of the earth are
regarded as nothing. He does as he pleases with the powers of heaven and the
peoples of the earth. No one can hold back his hand or say to him: 'What ha=
ve
you done?'"