Is There Power in Prayer?

Our prayers lay the track down which God’s power can come. Like a mighty locomotive, his power is irresistible, but it cannot reach us without rails. ~Watchman Nee

I'm teaching a senior adult class Sunday on the power of prayer.  Don't you love the Biblical story of Elijah praying fire down from Heaven?  Talk about powerful prayer!  The priests of Ba'al, nearly 1000 strong, prayed most of the day, begging their god to send fire from Heaven.  But a dead god cannot send fire and their sacrifice was unburned.  When it was Elijah's turn, he prayed only a few words to his God.  

O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be know this day that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Answer me, O Lord. Answer my water with your greater rains. Answer me, that this people may know that you are God.

The true God of the Heavens answered with fire.  It forked out of heaven in a direct route to the altar.  Why?  Because there is power in prayer.  Prayer to the true God.

Yes, I love this story.  But I'm such a practical person.  Sometimes I hate that.  I love to read about what God did -- but my heart keeps waiting for what He will do today. Can we have that same power in our prayers?

Let me tell you about Lorna's parents.  Lorna's brother was saved and was so enthralled with Jesus that he felt like the whole family should experience the blessing of salvation.  Her father was not interested. He was a farmer, and he worked in his fields on Sunday.  Unfortunately for the farmers, revivals usually happened right during fall harvest, and Lorna's dad had over 600 acres of crops to get in.  When James invited the family to attend revival, his father finally said he would go if...If...it rained (knowing full well that it would not, because there was no rain in the extended forecast). But James prayed, and on that first day of revival, it rained...and rained for ten days. There were three converts from James' family during that revival, and in Lorna's words, "Somehow, I never seem to mind the rain in the fall!"

Fast forward to Lorna and her husband, Ken's, first pastorate.  When they announced the end of their ministry, the treasurer decided to withhold several weeks' pay.  They had absolutely no food in the cupboards or the freezer.  Lorna's parents picked up the kids for the Easter weekend, just so they would not know how bad it was.  Praying for food, Ken and Lorna went home from church to a lunch of absolutely nothing.  They had snacked on ice cubes for dinner the night before and it looked as if that was about to happen again.  While seated at the table, they heard someone in the driveway.  When a horn tooted, Ken went out to investigate -- it was a lady from another church with an unopened canned ham.  "Our church has one too many," she told them.  They had ham on Easter after all.  Later that evening, Lorna felt compelled to check the back door of the church and there, nestled in the grass, was a five dollar bill.  Lorna told me, "Monday morning, I walked to the bread store and came home with a large sack of bread, buns and donuts for that five dollars.  We made that bread and ham last all week long, and it was the most delicious answer to prayer we ever had!"

Are you praising our God?  The ice cubes-turned-into-ham incident occurred several years ago.  Is there still power in prayer today?  More recently, Ken and Lorna's son began to have escalating problems with asthma.  A search for answers led to the discovery of mold in the walls of their home.  Without a choice they began looking for a new home. Did they pray? Oh yes.  And God directed them right to the perfect home -- not only for them, but for the horses they loved.  A big farmhouse kitchen, the bedrooms they needed and a small apartment in the back that would shelter many who needed a quiet retreat.  God didn't just provide
them a home -- He gave them a home designed for the whole family.

I'm so excited for Sunday to arrive.  So thrilled to retell Elijah's story.  And tears visit my eyes when I think of some of the "current" answers of powerful prayer I can share with the senior adults.  I hope I can encourage them to keep praying...there's still power in prayer.  Elijah's God is our God.  His miracles can be our miracles.  I intend to pray with Elijah, "Answer me, that this people may know that you are God."

Linked to:
Brag on God Friday

Thought Provoking Thursday

Thirsty for Comments Thursday

Thoughtful Thursday 

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