I was blessed to have Christian parents and to be raised in a Christian home where God was honored. My mother was a real prayer warrior and encouraged us to pray about everything–nothing was too big or small to carry to the throne room of God.
Our best example of the power of prayer was Jesus himself. Even though he was the Son of God, many times he would slip away to pray to his Father, sometimes praying all night. I believe that these prayers enabled him to do the miracles that he did.
You might say, “well, he was God, of course he could do miracles. It was easy for him.” Sometimes we forget about the human factor that was dwelling within him. Like us, he got tired, hungry, sleepy, bled when he was injured, etc. He knew he had to stay in close communion with God, the Father, if he was going to be able to do his will and to accomplish all the Father sent him to earth to do.
Why do we think we are any different? The only way to truly live the lives God sent us to live is, like Jesus, to not only have a daily specified time of prayer but to pray without ceasing. And then along with that, we must have the faith that God hears us and is working all things out to his glory and our good. If we pray without believing that God hears and answers us, we are praying “to the wind”.
We have no idea just how much God loves us and wants to work through us. This is all through the Bible. So when we combine the Word of God with our faith truly believing that what God said He would do, He will do, nothing is impossible to us. We must also pray for God’s will to be done in the situation the way Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane.
Sometimes our prayers are not answered in the way we hoped. We cannot fathom the mighty mind of God, but I would rather pray for healing in every situation because I don’t always know what the will of God is.
Each person’s walk with God is different because we are special individuals. However, I know that God wants us to pray and to make it a big priority in our lives. Not “now I lay me down to sleep prayers” with no passion or faith behind them. But like James said, “the fervent (passionate and filled with faith) effectual prayers of a righteous (Christ’s righteousness) man (person) avails (brings about) much. And I believe that when we pray with our brothers and sisters here at Three Point,, even more power is released from heaven.
Do you want to be closer to God? He’s only a prayer away.
By Brenda Allen