The Power of Prayer
(2 Chronicles 30:27 NIV)
“The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, His holy dwelling place.”
It is important to understand that the power of prayer does not come from us. Prayer is not special words we say or the special way we say them or even how often we say them. The length of our prayer is also not important. A powerful prayer is not made by standing on the street corner with dirt on your face or any other means to show others your piety. The power of prayer is not based on a certain direction we face or clothes. Moreover, a powerful prayer does not require candles or beads.
The power of prayer comes from God alone who hears our prayers and answers them. Prayer is a “hot line” that places us in contact with Almighty God, and we should expect almighty results, whether or not He chooses to grant our petitions or deny our requests. Our prayers never receive a “busy signal.” Whatever the answer to our prayers, the God to whom we pray is the source of the power of prayer, and He can and will answer us, according to His perfect will and timing. We pray with joy, thanksgiving, and anticipation because we know that our loving Father hears us and wants good for us. We wait with child-like wonder to see how and when God is going to move.
Prayer is the first step of the Christian in any situation. God wants His people to pray to Him for petitions and thanksgiving. Prayer to God should be made persistently (Luke 18:1), with joy (Philippians 4:6), in faith (James 1:5), within the will of God (Matthew 6:10), for the glory of God (John 14:13-14), and from a heart right with God (James 5:16). “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). There is absolutely nothing that cannot be accomplished through prayer if it is consistent with His will. And prayer is never futile. True prayer is always true power. You may not always get what you ask, but you shall always have your real needs supplied.
I think the ultimate power of prayer comes when we pray for those that have hurt us the most. Matthew 5:44 teaches us, “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” Once we truly understand this and do it with sincerity, a supernatural peace will come upon us and the hurt will be a distant memory compared to the ever present love of God.
Prayer: Thank you for the power of prayer and the peace that comes from knowing you hear all of our prayers. Help up to pray with joy and confidence and then wait patiently for your mighty hand. Dear God please help us to sincerely pray blessings for those who persecute us and as we do we do so with the knowledge that you will be glorified.
Todd Shupe is a native of Carrollton, IL, a small rural town in west central Illinois. He earned his BS and MS in Wood Science from the University of Illinois and a PhD in Wood Science from Louisiana State University. He has a Black Belt in Lean Six Sigma and is a Green Associate in LEED. He worked as a Professor and ISO 17025 Lab Director for 20 years and now works as a wood science consultant at www.drtoddshupe.com to continue to help companies bring new building products and wood preservatives to market, conduct in house training, improve product quality and production, and serve as an expert witness. Todd is currently in training to be a Men’s Ministry Specialist under the direction of the General Commission of United Methodist Men and is concurrently in training to become a Lay Minister under the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, reading, fishing, and writing inspirational Christian blogs at toddshupe.com and todd-shupe.com.