Last night something fantastic happened.
Last night a small group of people gathered together, reached out into the heavens, and spoke with God.
In other words, last night a group of people gathered to pray.
It seems like the significance and the majesty of prayer has become somewhat lost in the church today. We cannot help but view prayer as something passive; something you do when you can’t do anything else. I often find myself saying, “What can I do for you… besides just pray?” It is as if I am saying that prayer is insignificant or that it doesn’t really matter.
But this is clearly not the case; prayer is by far and away THE most powerful tool that the Christian has today. It should be our “go to” weapon against the world and the evil one, and it should saturate every move the church makes. Prayer should be central to the life of the Christian and the life of the Church. We should above all else be a praying people.
So what happens when God’s people pray?
- God hears our prayers.
Do not miss the significance of this statement! God, the Creator of the Heavens & the Earth, He who put the stars in the sky and keeps them burning, is listening to our prayers. It does not matter how significant they may seem or how often we pray; God always hears our prayers. The apostle John said it this way, “This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14) How wonderful it is to know that God is listening! - God not only hears He also acts on our prayers.
One of the most tragic developments of the modern age is a concept called “moralistic therapeutic deism”, which is the belief that God, generally speaking, leaves you alone unless He wants to reward you for being good. Under this mode of thinking, God does not really listen to our prayers, nor does he act unless it’s just to be nice to us, but the Bible paints a very different picture of God. According to the Bible, God does act on our prayers and He can and will do amazing things if we cry out to Him and seek His will. The Lord himself says, “And [if] My people who are called by My name humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” The God of the Bible will certainly step in to deliver his people and do wonderful, miraculous things. Believe it or not, this church has experienced it!!! We have seen prayers answered in miraculous ways that moved us all to worship God!! - God will also change us.
I think the most unexpected thing about prayer is the effect that it has on the person praying. Last night I came to church overwhelmed, frustrated, and burdened with concerns. However, as I gathered with the saints I was confronted with the reality that God is still working, answering prayers, and advancing His Kingdom. I was reminded that God has not abandoned me or His people, and I realized that God already has the victory over Satan, sin, and the grave. I don’t need to fret because God is in control. When I walked in, I was a man feeling the pressures of defeat. When I walked out, I was renewed and ready to fight the good fight. In 2 Kings 6, Elisha had been surrounded by the Arameans. His attendant thought they were doomed, but Elisha was not worried. Elisha then prayed that his attendant would be able to see what was really happening. Suddenly, the attendant could see a whole host of angels prepared to do battle with the Arameans. Now, nothing actually changed about the situation; the Arameans were still there and the angelic army had always been there. It was only his perspective that changed! God still does this today. Sometimes it is not the situation that needs to change, but our perspective of it. Listen as God helps you see clearly!
If you are a member of my church (or any church) and you skip those prayer meetings because you have other more important things to do, please reconsider!!! Every powerful movement of God throughout history began with a small group of people praying, and that is exactly what we want God to do now! To Him be the glory, amen!
