Devotional Life in Prayer
1 THESSALONIANS 5:16-18 Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
The Power of prayer.
What is the power of prayer? How can prayer bring a person back to life? How can it heal the sick? How does prayer comfort those who are anxious or sinking into the depths of depression? Why do Christians pray for their future spouses or pray prayers of protection over their children as they send them off to school? How can prayer impact those who don’t know Jesus or help in a time of crisis like a pandemic?
The answer is found in one pivotal scripture. In Matthew 18:18-20, Jesus tells us about the power of prayer when he said,“Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” There are dozens of real-life accounts in the Bible where Jesus and other disciples battled in prayer. God shut the heavens and prevented rain from falling for three years at Elijah’s request. He parted the red sea for Moses to lead His people through. He cast out demons; Jesus healed the sick and gave sight to the blind, and, on more than one occasion, raised people from the dead, like Lazarus.
Do we realize the power we have available to us when we take our authority in prayer? If we did, we would be praying in Jesus’ name more. There would be no such thing as doubt, fear, or anxiety because we would be on our faces before God, storming the heavenly realms in battle with the darkness and evil forces in our world. So, what exactly is the power of prayer? The power of prayer isn’t in the words you utter. It’s not about what you pray or even how you pray. Prayer can be defined as talking to God, but it is much more than that. Prayer is an act of worship that glorifies God and reinforces our need for Him. Through living a life of prayer, we communicate with the very source of and purpose for our existence.
It is our fiercest weapon against the enemy and all things in this fallen world. Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth. It is kryptonite to the enemy and to all his ploys against you. In other words, who you become, the circumstances in your life, and the core of your character are all determined by what you talk to God about. According to the Bible, the power of prayer is the power of God, who hears and answers prayer.
Let's consider the following.
God Is All-Powerful
For nothing will be impossible with God(Luke 1:37). The character and heart of God is the very fabric of the gospel. When we close our eyes, get on our knees, the spirit of God whispers, “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?”(Jeremiah 32:27) I read that as if it’s saying to my hearts, no need is too great or small.
God Asks Us to Pray
He invites, encourages, and wants us to talk to him. We are to come to him in faith, (James 1:5), with persistence (Luke 18:1), with thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6), within his will (Matthew 6:10), and from a heart that is right with God (James 5:16).
In fact, in Luke 18:1 we read, ”And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.” Hebrews 4:14-16 talks about Jesus as our High Priest and says He can sympathize with us.
Hebrews 4:16 says, “Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” We have been given access to the very throne of God through prayer.
He Answers Our Prayers
The Lord God Almighty answers prayer. “I call on you, O God, for you will answer me” (Psalm 17:6)...“The righteous cry out, and the LORD hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles” (Psalm 34:17), .
In John 16:23-24, Jesus makes a stunning, sweeping glorious promise to us:
In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.
In other words, when we ask God to give us love for our neighbors, he does. When we ask for patience, he begins to tend to our hearts, uprooting areas of impatience and then provides an opportunity to practice patience. When we ask him to be near to us, his presence sweeps in and surrounds us with his peace and strength. Even when we lack faith or have very little faith. Sometimes learning to trust God with our prayers is like being a toddler. While we may wobble, stumble and fall. But he doesn’t chastise us. Instead, he encourages us to get back up and try again with his hands held out as he says, He said to them, “Because of your little faith. For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you.” (Matthew 17:20).
Power of Prayer and How Do I Tap into It? The power of prayer isn’t in the person praying. It’s not a magic formula. There aren't any keywords.…It’s meant to be done with an open and humble heart that’s filled with awe of who our mighty God is.
1 John 5:14-15 tells us, 14 And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. 15 And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him. In fact, Jesus rebukes those who pray using repetitions or those who pray in public to seek attention or those who don’t have the right heart ,7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7-8). In Fact back in Psalm 107:28-30 we’re told, 28 Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. 29 He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. 30 Then they were glad that the waters were quiet and he brought them to their desired haven.
There is power in prayer!!!
PRAYER CONNECT US TO GOD
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. 7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. 9 Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. (Matthew 6:5-13).
How does prayer connect us to God? Prayer is more than just a few words spoken to God before a meal or before one goes to sleep. Though it can simply be said that prayer is how “we make contact with God, and likewise God communicates with us.” Prayer is a lifestyle of communion with God in which we develop a deep intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father. This deep intimate relationship with the father is what allows us to become friends with God. Prayer for us as a Christians should be extremely significant. Prayer is what allows us to come before God and learn who He is and what He wants for our lives. Furthermore, He not only gives us instruction for our lives, but gives us instructions for how we are to lead those that He has put us in charge of as we disciple them. This intimate time with God is needed for every Christian. It is what builds every Christian and helps us grow in our faith.
PRAYING WITH FELLOW BELIEVERS
Prayer, however, is not just a personal practice but one that can and should be done with fellow believers. Corporate prayer opens the door for God’s Spirit to unify all those that are seeking Him in prayer and as they pray to the Father, the Father’s blessing them and unifies them in His name. Without prayer we will not know who we are in Christ and what He wants for our life, because without prayer we can never truly and intimately know Him. Prayer is how we communicate with God and how in return He communicates back to us. Prayer is not a one-sided
Conversation and prayer does not start with us, a prayer is our response to God and what He has done for us.
GOD SEEKS A RELATIONSHIP WITH US
Since the beginning, God has seeked for us to be in a relationship with Him. God has called us to Him and spoken with us. Since the fall of Adam and Eve, we can see God seeking us. “And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day… Then the Lord God called to Adam and said to Him, ‘Where are you?’” (Gen. 3:8-9). God was looking for His creation because He is always seeking to have a relationship with us.
It is in this calling to His children that God opens the door for prayer and our response. This dialogue is extremely clear and when we understand that this was the main reason for the salvation of the world through Christ. God set forth a plan to bring back His children into communion with Him.
Prayer changes things.
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. (James 5:16-17)
At the same time, prepare a guest room for me, for I am hoping that through your prayers I will be graciously given to you. (Philemon 1:22).
Someone once said, “Prayer changes nothing!” That someone could have been me and while I now know better. Is the only thing that prayer changes is us? Okay, while I agree that prayer changes us…. I’m now fully convinced Biblically and experientially that prayer changes actual situations. What I’ve done here is went through the bible and listed 6 reasons why this is:
When the people of Israel created the Golden Calf and God decided to consume/destroy them….
Moses prayed like it would actually change God’s mind (and it did!) 11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people. Exodus 32:11-14
When the five Kings came against Gibeon after it had made peace with Israel.
Joshua prayed like it would stop the sun from going down (and it did!)
12 At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, “Sun, stand still at Gibeon, and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.” 13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, until the nation took vengeance on their enemies. Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. (Joshua 10:12-13)
When Hannah was barren because the Lord had closed her womb.
Hannah prayed like it would result in her having a child (and it did!)
The High Priest, Eli, thought she was drunk but, instead, she was filled with a passionate prayer that so intoxicated the heavens it resulted in Samuel being born, For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted me my petition that I made to him. (1 Samuel 1:27)
In 1 Kings we see that after King Ahab took Jezebel for his wife he went and served Baal and worshiped him. He erected an altar for Baal in the house of Baal, which he built in Samaria. And Ahab made an Asherah( one of the three great goddesses of the Canaanites). Ahab did more to provoke the Lord, the God of Israel, to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.
Elijah prayed like it would actually change the situation (and it did!)
16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. 17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit. (James 5:16-18)
When Lazarus became sick and died.
Jesus prayed like it would raise Lazarus from the dead (and it did!)
41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” (John 11:41-44)
Jesus was so confident that God would answer the prayer in his heart that the only reason he prayed it out loud was so that others would be encouraged by it.
Because it’s promised to us
Jesus said that we can pray like it will change situations (and it will!)
13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it. (John 14:13-14). If our motive is to glorify God then he will give us what we ask for. This means that situations will change and God will be glorified as a result!
To say that the only thing that prayer changes is us is kind of an arrogant statement. It makes prayer seem to be a self-help therapy instead of a kingdom advancing force. It implies that God is not sovereign enough to decide that prayer can be used as a vehicle to influence his decisions. Our Father is not an insecure King who must micromanage every detail of every situation. Yes, there are certain things he has decreed but, within the boundaries of his sovereignty, he allows for situations to be influenced significantly by the prayers of his people. How much do we miss when we underestimate the power of God that is unleashed through our prayers?
