The Power of Prayer

Posted On June 14, 2020

“Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.  You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:12-13 NIV

“An ordinary simple Christian kneels down to say his prayers. He is trying to get into touch with God. But if he is a Christian he knows that what is prompting him to pray is also God: God, so to speak, inside him. But he also knows that all his real knowledge of God comes through Christ, the Man who was God — that Christ is standing beside him, helping him to pray, praying for him. You see what is happening. God is the thing to which he is praying — the goal he is trying to reach. God is also the thing inside him which is pushing him on — the motive power. God is also the road or bridge along which he is being pushed to that goal. So that the whole threefold life of the three-personal Being is actually going on in that ordinary little bedroom where an ordinary man is saying his prayers. The man is being caught up into the higher kinds of life — what I called Zoe or spiritual life: he is being pulled into God, by God, while still remaining himself.”

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Prayer is amazing and mysterious. It’s influential and powerful. It’s an awe-inspiring, wonderful adventure. Prayer is our link to God. The more we depend on Him, the more we will want to spend time in His presence. Randy Alcorn reminds us that the heart of prayer is learning to become “the Christ-empowered righteous self that God designed me to be, in continual, conscious recognition of Him.” In this post we will examine different aspects of prayer, including the power it has to change us and to change the world.

Our Link to God

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”

Jeremiah 33:3 NIV

Judson Cornwall, in his book Things You Don’t Know About Heaven, describes prayer as the communication link between spaceship Earth and home-base heaven. Through prayer we can commune with God and receive His wisdom and instructions. We can escape our earthly confines for a period of time and rest in His love. We can let our spirits breathe. Prayer allows us to bridge the gap between us and our immortal God. While earthly things will pass away, the prayers we have prayed will survive into eternity.

“Prayer is beyond any question the highest activity of the human soul. Man is at his greatest and highest when, upon his knees, he comes face to face with God.”

D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Types of Prayers

“Pray all the time. Ask God for anything in line with the Holy Spirit’s wishes. Plead with him, reminding him of your needs, and keep praying earnestly for all Christians everywhere.”

Ephesians 6:18 TLB

The Weekly Prayer Project by Scarlet Hiltibidal is a guided prayer journal. It includes the following types of prayers based on those found in Scripture: requests, gratitude, lament, intercession, faith, repentance, and awe. The author challenges us to intentionally seek God, pray for ourselves and others, and to reflect on God’s faithfulness. Below is a brief description of each type of prayer. I have also included stories, paraphrased from the “What Prayer Can Do” column in Guideposts magazine, of real people whose prayers were answered.

REQUESTS
God is our loving Father. When He looks at us, He doesn’t see our mistakes. He sees His perfect, forgiven children. He wants us to come to Him with our wants and needs. We are instructed in Philippians 4:6: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (NIV).

“Raising the Roof”

Nadine Covey planned to move in with her daughter Sandy. In order to combine two households into one, they decided to have a yard sale to sell Nadine’s furniture and downsize some of their other belongings. Sandy suggested they donate the earnings to their church, praying that God would help them raise around $350. Nadine’s friend Alma contributed a few items, including five pairs of children’s shoes, to the yard sale as well.

As the day went on, they sold many items, but there was not much interest in the furniture. At five o’clock, they called it a day and moved everything to the curb for people to take for free. Shortly thereafter, Alma’s neighbor, who was running late for the yard sale, showed up with a truck. When she saw the free furniture she was so happy she started dancing in the street.

Alma explained that her neighbor, a mother of five, had recently lost everything in a fire. “We’ve all been praying for her,” Alma told Nadine. Alma’s neighbor also took the five pairs of children’s shoes: it turned out that one pair fit each of her five children. The prayers for Alma’s neighbor were answered that day. And Sandy’s prayer? She counted the money they earned from the sale: $350 exactly!

Taken from “Raising the Roof” by Nadine Covey in Guideposts “What Prayer Can Do” (Oct. 2019)

GRATITUDE
This world is full of hardship and pain, but it is not our home. Hebrews 12:28 says, “since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe” (NIV). James 1:2-4 says “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (NIV). No matter what our circumstances, we can be thankful that God gives us what we need and that He can God can use all circumstances, even hard ones, for good.

“Posting Praise”

Diane Stark was going a little stir crazy taking care of her five children during summer break. The seven-year-old wanted her to play a game while the eight-year-old wanted her to fill water balloons and the twelve-year-old and five-year-old were waiting for lunch. One wanted grilled cheese, but the other declared, “I hate grilled cheese!” even though she loved it the day before. Meanwhile, the baby was teething and wanted to be picked up.

Diane was getting a fed up, not by the work, but by the kids’ lack of gratitude. She had been trying to fulfill every demand, but not one of them had given her a word of thanks. Hoping for a moment of peace, she went outside to check the mail. She unloaded her frustrations on God as she walked to the mailbox: “God I need help. I need time to get the laundry done in peace. I need to get through this month without any surprise expenses. I need Julia to remember she loves grilled cheese. I need . . .” Suddenly, she stopped and realized she was doing the same thing to God her kids had done to her — piling on demands without a word of appreciation.

“Thank you, God, for my family . . . ,” she said. She thanked him for all her blessings, especially the blessing of motherhood. By the time she got back to the house, she felt she had all she needed to manage the kids. Her “mailbox prayers” of gratitude became a daily habit that helped her handle the challenges of that summer and beyond.

Taken from “Posting Praise” by Diane Stark in Guideposts “What Prayer Can Do” (Sep. 2019)

LAMENT
The Bible is full of stories about those who have suffered. In Lamentations 1:20 we read, “Lord, see my anguish! My heart is broken and my soul despairs, . . .” (NLT). Jesus cried out to God in the midst of His suffering on the cross: “About three o’clock, Jesus shouted, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?’ ” (Matthew 27:46 TLB). No matter how bad things get, God is still good and He still loves us. When we are worried, angry, or upset, we can turn to Him. He will carry our burdens.

“Comic Relief”

Marcus Hamilton had been a successful commercial illustrator for decades before computer graphics put him out of work. No one needed an “old-school artist” anymore. He prayed for guidance and trusted that God had a plan for his career. But three years went by and he still hadn’t found regular work. Is this how I’m going to spend the rest of my life? he lamented one afternoon. He began to think God wasn’t listening to his prayers.

The next morning, feeling even more discouraged, he flipped on the TV to distract him from his worries. The morning show that was on had a guest named Hank Ketcham, a cartoonist. “I’ve been drawing the Dennis the Menace comic strip for over 40 years,” he said. “Now I want to find someone else to draw Dennis . . .” Marcus rarely watched morning shows. What were the odds he would happen to be watching the same morning someone was looking for an “old-school artist”?

He tracked down Hank Ketchum and got the job. Marcus Hamilton has been drawing the Dennis the Menace daily cartoon for 25 years now: “That’s more than 7,000 drawings. Or maybe I should say more than 7,000 answered prayers.”

Taken from “Comic Relief” by Marcus Hamilton in Guideposts “What Prayer Can Do” (May 2020)

INTERCESSION
Jesus interceded for us even as He was dying on the cross: “Jesus said, ‘Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing’ ” (Luke 23:34 NIV). After Jesus returned to heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit: “In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God” (Romans 8:26-27 NIV). As Christ’s image bearers, we can intercede for others. We can pray for God to help those around us. He will listen.

“Blessing for Baby”

Roberta Messner was a college student when she volunteered to babysit the newborn daughter of one of her professors. She didn’t feel overly qualified for the job, but the professor’s wife had just passed away and he needed someone to help take care of his daughter.

One afternoon, as baby Becca napped in her crib, Roberta thought about the future Becca would face without a mother by her side. “Be with her, God, through all her firsts,” Roberta whispered. “First day of school. First date. First day on the job . . .” She babysat Becca for just a few months and had no idea how her life had turned out.

Twenty years later, on a summer day, Roberta stopped by a roadside ice cream stand and ordered a two-scoop strawberry ice cream cone. The poor girl trying to fill Roberta’s order, obviously new to the job, struggled terribly. Roberta, hoping to encourage the girl, thanked her sincerely and walked back toward her car. Suddenly, someone called her name. It was her old professor! “That’s Becca up there,” he said proudly, pointing to the ice cream stand. “I’m bringing her the lunch she forgot to take this morning. She had so much on her mind. Today is her first day on the job!”

Taken from “Blessing for Baby” by Roberta Messner in Guideposts “What Prayer Can Do” (June/July 2020)

FAITH
We are told in Hebrews 11:1: “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see” (NIV). God wants us to trust Him like a child trusts a parent. Our Father loves us and wants to give good things to us. He wants us to earnestly seek Him. When we pray in faith, He will hear us and He will answer. We can believe that!

“I Saw the Sign”

Alexandra Chipkin attended her first two years of college in California, but she missed her family in Maryland and decided to go home. She was ready to return to school, this time to The New School in New York City, but she was afraid of making the same mistake. Was this the right school for her?

“I need a sign, God,” she prayed. Then she caught herself. Did she really did just say that? She was never one to ask God for signs. She felt it would be expecting God to do all the work without her taking any responsibility. No, she would figure this out on her own. But after a few days she realized she couldn’t. Just this once, she decided to ask for some guidance: God, is New York the place where I should be?

That same week she received a letter from The New School offering her a scholarship. “I didn’t even apply for one!” she told her boss at the store where she worked. “I don’t suppose you’re looking for a place to live that’s close to campus?” he asked her. His sister was about to give up a great apartment in the area. The apartment was in the perfect location and was being offered for the perfect price. Alexandra signed the lease, accepted the scholarship, and felt grateful to God for showing her the way.

Taken from “I Saw the Sign” by Alexandra Chipkin in Guideposts “What Prayer Can Do” (Apr. 2020)

REPENTANCE
Psalm 145:8 assures us, “The Lord is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love” (NIV). When we mess up, He is waiting to forgive us. All He asks is that we confess to Him sincerely and turn away from our sin.

“No Pushing”

Colleen Curry sat down with her prayer journal and looked at the lists of names there — family, friends, even strangers. Every day she prayed for all of them, telling God exactly what He needed to do for them. One woman needed a new job. Colleen specified it needed to be something creative with a good salary. A man from church needed a lung transplant, but Colleen asked God to heal him completely. Colleen’s son had been looking for a new house. She prayed that God would lead him to the right place or make him stop wanting it, and to do it quickly!

Colleen imagined God right there with her as she instructed Him on the best way to take care of everyone’s needs. And when a prayer had been answered, she crossed the name off the list — job done. This particular morning, however, Colleen was feeling discouraged by all the names still not crossed out. “Why do I even bother, Lord?” she said aloud. Then it hit her: Was she being too pushy, telling God what to do instead of asking for His help? After all, a prayer is a request, not a demand.

She bowed her head in repentance: Lord, please forgive me if I’ve been a pushy prayer. Your will, Lord, not mine. She looked again at her journal. The morning sun streaming in through the window cast a perfect shadow of a cross on the journal’s top page. Don’t worry, God seemed to be assuring her. I’ve got this.

Taken from “No Pushing” by Colleen Curry in Guideposts “What Prayer Can Do” (Mar. 2020)

AWE
We were created to worship God. Only in Him will we truly find peace, joy, and contentment. Psalm 65:8 declares, “The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades, you call forth songs of joy” (NIV). The more time we spend with Him, the more awestruck we’ll become. Everything else, including our problems, will pale in comparison.

“A Pop of Beauty”

Vie Herlocker was not a beach person. But for some reason she decided to go on a beach vacation. She was hoping to escape her never-ending responsibilities at home, longing for the carefree life she’d had as a child. But as she climbed a boardwalk over the dunes in the early morning, the sky still dark, she didn’t feel any more at peace. She prayed: God, I’m not sure what I came here looking for, but please help me find it.

She gazed at the beach and spotted a man with a cane making his way down the boardwalk steps. He joined her on the beach and struck up a conversation. He told her he had been coming to that beach nearly every morning for the past 30 years to watch the sun pop. “Two minutes and 22 seconds,” he announced as he pointed at the horizon.

Vie looked out at the sea in anticipation. All her cares seemed to fall away as she focused on the tiny bit of golden light in the distance. Cliff whispered, “Now.” And then suddenly the full orb broke free from the ocean into the sky. Vie gasped. “How does that happen?” she asked Cliff. He answered, “Everything happens in God’s good timing. Be thankful for every sun pop you see. It’s another day God has give you to enjoy.” Vie had gone to the beach looking for something. God made sure she found it.

Taken from “A Pop of Beauty” by Vie Herlocker in Guideposts “What Prayer Can Do” (Nov. 2019)

Making an Eternal Difference

“God’s greatest works, accomplished through prayer, are often invisible to us now. We pray now in faith, believing our prayers are making an eternal difference . . .”

Randy Alcorn, Seeing the Unseen

C. S. Lewis talks about the power of prayer to make a difference in the world. He explains that God has chosen to give us a role in the events of our world. There are many circumstances out of our control, but God gives us the power to accomplish some things. One way we can do this is through prayer. When we cause something to happen by our actions, we can be sure of the results. Consequently, we are free to do ourselves and others harm if we so choose. But God does not give us that same power when it comes to prayer. He grants or refuses prayers at His discretion. Otherwise, prayer would be too dangerous for us. For our own good not all prayers are granted, but as C. S. Lewis explains, “This is not because prayer is a weaker kind of causality, but because it is a stronger kind.” As humans we exist in time, but God does not. God sees all of the events of the universe at once. He takes into account all our prayers, even the ones we haven’t prayed yet, when adapting the course of all events to our free wills. That’s why we are instucted in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to “pray without ceasing” (NASB). What we ask God for today may affect what happens tomorrow, or it may be what caused past events to occur the way they did. When I think about it this way, it blows my mind!

“Prayer isn’t passive; it’s active. It’s really doing something. Prayer isn’t the least we can do; it’s the most.”

Randy Alcorn, Seeing the Unseen

We are told in Ephesians 6:18 to “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests” (NIV). To know and live the will of God, it is essential to spend time in prayer. When we are connected to Him through the Holy Spirit, He will guide us on our path, and we will develop Christ-like character. We will produce good fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. (See Galatians 5:22-23.) Prayer has power. It has real power to transform us and to transform the world.

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work; prayer is the greater work.”

Oswald Chambers

Our world is in turmoil right now. I don’t need to list the problems. We hear about them every day. They overwhelm us. They scare us. They crush our spirit. We want things to get better, but we feel powerless to do anything. But that’s where we are wrong. We have the power of prayer. Let’s use it! Please share the following image and encourage others to pray for God to bring about healing for our world.

“Dear friends, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have confidence before God and receive from him anything we ask, because we obey his commands and do what pleases him. And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

1 John 3:21-23 NIV

This week’s Scripture passages focus on prayer. There is a printer-friendly pdf version below the image. May they encourage us all to seek God every day . . . in faith, in hope, and in love.

“Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with.”

James 5:16 MSG

References:

• Alcorn, Randy. Seeing the Unseen, Expanded Edition: A 90-Day Devotional to Set Your Mind on Eternity. Multnomah, 2017.
• Chipkin, Alexandra. “I Saw the Sign.” What Prayer Can Do: Power in Our Day-to-Day lives. Guideposts, April 2020, p. 68.
• Cornwall, Judson. Things You Don’t Know About Heaven. Charisma House, 2007.
• Covey, Nadine. “Raising the Roof.” What Prayer Can Do: Power in Our Day-to-Day lives. Guideposts, October 2019, p. 68.
• Curry, Colleen. “No Pushing.” What Prayer Can Do: Power in Our Day-to-Day lives. Guideposts, March 2020, p. 57.
• Hamilton, Marcus. “Comic Relief.” What Prayer Can Do: Power in Our Day-to-Day lives. Guideposts, May 2020, p. 82.
• Herlocker, Vie. “A Pop of Beauty.” What Prayer Can Do: Power in Our Day-to-Day lives. Guideposts, November 2019, p. 72.
• Hiltibidal, Scarlet. The Weekly Prayer Project: A Challenge to Journal, Pray, Reflect, and Connect with God. Zondervan, 2017.
• Lewis, C. S. How to Pray: Reflections & Essays. Harper One, 2018.
• Lewis, C. S. “Mere Christianity.” The Complete C. S. Lewis Signature Classics, Harper San Francisco, 2002, pp. 1-177.
• Messner, Roberta. “Blessing for Baby.” What Prayer Can Do: Power in Our Day-to-Day lives. Guideposts, June/July 2020, p. 62.
• Stark, Diane. “Posting Praise.” What Prayer Can Do: Power in Our Day-to-Day lives. Guideposts, September 2019, p. 60.

Images:

• Kneeling at the Cross featured image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
• Sky image by Daniel Reche from Pixabay
• Bible image by Godsgirl_madi from Pixabay
• Folded Hands image by Jenny Friedrichs from Pixabay