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Transforming Your Prayer Life (Part 4)

Prayer releases God’s power. Prayer unlocks the doors of heaven and releases the power of God. How fervently would you pray if you believed it unleashed the power of God in a way nothing else can? When we pray honestly, we are energized, and God gives us confidence, trust, and freedom. Prayer refocuses us on God and not on ourselves or other people. Real power comes from God, not our humanistic abilities or talents. When we pray, we stop believing we’re the only ones capable of solving problems, and we focus on the God who loves us and is in control of the future. 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 often. 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.

Prayer is powerful. I believe in the miraculous power of prayer because I have been an eyewitness to miracles. If you believe in the power of petition, that God answers prayer, do you faithfully take the needs of your family, the church, one another, your city and the world before the throne of God and ask for grace? Do you take seriously the requests for prayer you receive hold them up in prayer persistently, beseeching God expectantly for an answer? I believe that prayer is essential to the success of every endeavor, that without Him we can do nothing, and whatever we do in His behalf without dependence upon Him is less than it might have been, given dependence in prayer? Is this the rule of your church: no one works unless someone prays? When the church unites in specific prayer, God does what only God can do. If prayer has as much power today as in Bible times, are you taking advantage of it?  Why don’t we see more miracles today?

Prayer transforms others.  Praying for others changes the course of their life in ways we may never know. They may not even know why, but it’s true. Our prayers can give others courage, influence their decisions, and change their outcomes. Do I hear someone saying coincidences happen? Billy Graham once said, “There is no such thing as coincidence in the life of a Christian. God is involved in every aspect of our lives.” Don’t fall into a kind of cynicism that suggests that things happen whether we pray or not. If we don’t pray or don’t think prayer makes a difference and what happens is just a coincidence, we’ll consider prayer a big waste of time. Without prayer coincidences don’t happen! Do you want to be a person of prayer? Start keeping track of answered prayer and you’ll be amazed at how many “coincidences” happen around your prayer life. My cousin for whom I have prayed for year had not spoken to his mother (my aunt) in 32 years. Was it coincidence that he just happened to reconcile with his mother after 32 year’s estrangement? Hardly. I’ve prayed for this family for years. Because we pray amazing “coincidences” happen.

Praying for others changes the course of their life. They may not even know why, but it’s true. Our prayers can give others courage, influence their decisions, and change their outcomes.  When praying, try making a concentrated effort to not just pray selfish requests. Think about who you know that is in need of help, or who needs a breakthrough in a particular area in their life. Who needs your prayers?
How devoted have you been to prayer every day? How can you start praying differently? When we realize the power we have available to us we should take our authority in prayer.  Supernatural help is on the way when we pray.

Prayer opens doors! Even doors that are closed, locked, and sealed shut! We can’t hope to reach people for Jesus without the presence and power of God upon us. We won’t pray if we won’t love. “Prayer is love on its knees.” A burden to pray begins with a burden to love. Without love we won’t pray long. Love prays. If you love a person, you’ll pray for him or her—your family, friends, and colleagues; your church, and your leaders (especially your pastor) your community, your country—even your enemies.

We won’t receive unless we ask. But prayer must be more than a means of acquisition. “God is more than the clerk of heaven’s storehouse.” We must align ourselves with the purpose and power of God, and when we do, we are changed! My prayer mentor likes to say, “Fifteen minutes in the presence of God can change the entire trajectory of your day!” Because when we pray, God moves! He alters our actions and attitudes! He empowers us and others to do things we/they could not otherwise do! Prayer is absolutely indispensable! It must be the heartbeat of the church.

To whom do you offer the gift of prayer? Remember, prayer is always a gift. Some events we’re invited to have these words: “No gifts please.” It means, of course, no gifts are necessary. When family or friends discover that I pray regularly for them, they are surprised.  If, as S.D. Gordon wrote, “Prayer wonderfully clears the vision; steadies the nerves; defines duty; stiffens the purpose; sweetens and strengthens the spirit,” think what your gift of prayer is doing for others. It is a wonderful way to fulfill Paul’s admonition to “Bear one another’s burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ.”  (Galatians 6:2). “Everywhere we look,” wrote Doug Small, “we can see people who are heavy laden and burdened with the cares of life, grief and pain. Our hearts break with compassion over the pain of the brokenhearted people we encounter every day.” How might you ease their burdens by offering the gift of prayer?

Have you experienced the power of praying together with other believers? Do you regularly participate in corporate prayer meetings? If not, why not? What prayer meetings do you participate in? In my city, I’ve participated with a group of men and women at 9:00 p.m. on Thursdays to pray for revival and the next Great Awakening our nation so desperately needs.  Things just don’t just happen whether we pray or not! Join a prayer meeting already in progress or why not start one?

Praying together is a form of discipleship. The act of praying together is itself a form of discipleship. We learn to pray by praying. Prayer is better caught than taught. The discipleship-training-teaching effort of the church should include a prayer training component, in which, a deeper understating of prayer is cultivated, and again, neither can replace the other. In fact, it is one of markers of a Praying Church–to offer regular training in the area of prayer. We need an at-home-to-be-like-Jesus-prayer life but also to experience the joy of praying together with other people.

Miracles happen in answer to prayer.  In recent days I’ve had the privilege of leading many people to pray what Batterson calls their “Bravest Prayer, the prayer you can barely believe God for because it seems so impossible.” What is your bravest prayer? Perhaps it is one you have prayed hundreds of times that hasn’t yet been answered. Why not pray it one more time anyway. Believe for it! God loves doing miracles in different ways. We can reduce him to a formula. We don’t need to tell God how to do what He does. He  loves to surprise us when and we least expect it. God is as unpredictable now as He was when He gave His disciples instructions when it was time to celebrate Passover: Luke 22:10-12. Or how bout tax time when He told Peter to go fish and the first one, he caught to open its mouth. There he would find a four-drachma coin:  Matthew 17:27.

On the closing night at a recent revival I preached from Acts 12 and Peter’s miraculous escape from prison affirming the truth that miracles happen when God’s people unite in earnest prayer. At the invitation, the small group of people were challenged to pray their bravest prayer, the prayer they barely have faith to believe because it is so impossible. For many people that miracle was for physical healing for themselves or a loved one or friend. For others, their impossible prayer was for a prodigal or person they wanted to reach for Christ and the Kingdom.

As we moved forward in our extended prayer time around the altar, I asked, “Does anyone need a financial miracle?” Just then a little boy sitting on the front row shot his hand up. I asked, “How can we pray for you?” With brokenness choking back tears he spoke of his divorced mother’s struggle to put food on the table though she works for hard to provide for him and his three brothers.

I asked the eleven-year-old boy to step forward. “What is your name?” “Benson,” he replied. “Benson,” I said,  “We’re going to ask God for a financial miracle for you and your family.” Benson’s head was chest high to me, and as I prayed for him I held his head in my hands. We all were in tears as we lifted Benson and his family to the throne of grace. This boy had taken courage to ask for a miracle and we prayed believing God would provide a good job for his Mom and adequate income that there would always be food on their table. It was a Jesus’ prayer…give us this day our daily bread!

As Benson turned to leave, I knew what I needed to do. I could not send that precious boy away empty handed. So I reached for my wallet and pulled out the largest bill I could find and stuck it in his pocket. Still holding his head in my hand I gave him a holy kiss of blessing on his forehead. I then asked if anyone would join me in blessing Benson and his family. There weren’t that many of us, but cash was found and placed in hands of Benson. His brother had to catch the cash that was falling on the floor. Tears of joy flowed from Benson’s grateful eyes as he and his brother were assisted by an adult to cram handfuls of cash into three envelopes.

His mother later reported to the pastor that he was still crying. I just imagine that those were tears of joy, not sadness. An unforgettable beginning to his answer to prayer. I pray Benson will never forget how God began to answer his prayer. I know I won’t. Miracles happen when we pray. We have not because we ask not. But then, sometimes we get to be the first answer to somebody’s impossible prayer. Priceless. Unforgettable. Transforming prayer.

 

 

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