The Power of Prayer
“So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16
The overwhelming message of the Holy Bible is the picture painted by God of His massive love for all of us—every single one of us that He created. To that end, He has provided us with the opportunity to directly communicate with Him through prayer.
Prayer is powerful. It is by prayer that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were spared from the fiery furnace. Through prayer, the mouths of the hungry lions did not consume Daniel. Prayer turned back time for Hezekiah (2 Kings 20:8-11), and stopped the rains for Elijah (1 Kings 17-18). We could go on and on and on again with the miracles of our own lives, the powerful answers to prayer that He gives.
He gives us very specific instructions and examples on how we ought to pray in Matthew, Chapter Six, and many other places throughout the Holy Bible. The condition of our heart and the level of faith we have in Christ also have a direct impact on the effectiveness of our prayer life.
The Holy Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
We must believe in order to be pleasing to God.
In the past, I struggled in this area. There have been many times when I have prayed this simple sentence prayer, “Lord, help my unbelief.” Each time I have prayed that prayer, God has answered me by strengthening my faith. In each crisis I have faced, God has used it as a way of refining me into the person He wants me to be.
The Holy Bible says in Hebrews 11:6, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.”
We must believe in order to be pleasing to God.
In the past, I struggled in this area. There have been many times when I have prayed this simple sentence prayer, “Lord, help my unbelief.” Each time I have prayed that prayer, God has answered me by strengthening my faith. In each crisis I have faced, God has used it as a way of refining me into the person He wants me to be.
I don't struggle to believe God anymore. He has proven Himself to me, time after time after time--and time again. Oh, He is so good!
When I was a little girl, I gave my father a plaque which read, “Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for greater things.” After many years of trouble from which God has always delivered, I know that to be true.
When I was a little girl, I gave my father a plaque which read, “Troubles are often the tools by which God fashions us for greater things.” After many years of trouble from which God has always delivered, I know that to be true.
Is it true for you? Have you decided to follow Jesus?
Hebrews 3:15 tells us, "But now is the time. Never forget the warning, 'Today if you hear God’s voice speaking to you, do not harden your hearts against him, as the people of Israel did when they rebelled against him in the desert.'”
And, Hebrews 4:7 says, "But he has set another time for coming in, and that time is now. He announced this through King David long years after man’s first failure to enter, saying in the words already quoted, 'Today when you hear him calling, do not harden your hearts against him.'”
If you know Him, then it is time to come boldly before His throne on behalf of our nation.
If you do not know Him, it is time that you choose to follow Him with all of your heart. Read His Word and learn what it is He requires of you and has called you to do.
Goodnight, Runners.
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