Give me a word, Lord: THERE IS POWER IN PRAYER!

Jeremiah 29:12-13 In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.

Isaiah 43:1-3 But now, O Jacob, listen to the Lord who created you.  O Israel, the one who formed you says, “Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you.  I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I gave Egypt as a ransom for your freedom;  I gave Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

How often do we take for granted the power of prayer, or how often do we ignore the most valuable weapon in our arsenal? Sadly, we all too often forget the awesome power that a simple prayer holds. When we look to Christ and wholeheartedly pray, He will hear us. And the most wonderful thing about that is that He will hear us every single time! Christ doesn’t screen our calls and decide which one He will listen to and act on. He hears every single cry no matter how big or how small it may seem in the scheme of things. Prayer changes things. Prayer changes hearts. Prayer changes lives.

Prayer will certainly change things, but we must go to God in prayer with His perspective in mind. Prayer won’t change the perspective of God, but prayer will change the action of God. We’ve seen so many examples in the Bible of times when God had plans to destroy a city because of their vile and evil ways, only to later see God change His action due to the prayer of a righteous person. Oh yes, prayer will definitely change things.

Currently, we are prayer for a change in our country, a change in the health of the nation, and changes in the heart of man. We are offering up some mighty big prayers, and I know that those prayers are being heard. I know that God has a plan, and no matter what He does, it will all work out for our good and His glory. Yes, I am sure of this.

But what about those personal level prayers? The ones we pray for those immediate family members, our spouses, our children, our friends and loved ones. Does God hear those prayers too? Oh yes, my friend, I know that He does. I’ve seen the direct answer to prayers so many times, In fact, I sit here before you today writing a daily devotional blog as the result of answered prayer. God listens. He hears. He acts. He only needs for us to come to Him in prayer, seek Him, praise Him, and ask Him.

Prayer pushes us to our purpose. Don’t you see? Without God, we are just wandering through each and every day, lost, unsure, misguided. But when we turn our lives over to God, and we spend time with Him daily in prayer, He will guide us. He lifts us up and places us on the path that He has designed specifically for each one of us. He gently picks us up out of the pit of despair, gathers us in His arms, and fills us with hope as we walk with Christ leading the way.

I didn’t stumble upon Christ on my own. My Daddy brought me to church the first week after I entered this world. He prayed for me from the time I was born, and still prays for me daily. My grandparents prayed for each one of their grandchildren. My mother prayed for me. My pastors through the years prayed for me. My friends prayed for me. I have been under the umbrella of prayer my entire life, and I am the person I am today because of those prayers. I am forever grateful that the people in my life loved me enough to pray for me. And I don’t take that gift of prayer lightly. I have spent many hours in prayer, crying out to the Lord on behalf of my children, my husband, my parents, my family, and my friends. I know in my heart of heart that prayer changes things, and even though the results are hardly ever immediate, I know that God will answer in His timing. I truly believe that He will.

What or who is on your heart today? Go to the Lord in prayer and share it with Him. You don’t have to pray with fancy words or hard biblical terminology. I guarantee you that God understands the language of your heart. He even understands this Mississippi girl’s redneck lingo. You don’t have to sit in a beautiful church in order to be heard. God will hear you wherever you are. You can pray in your car, your bed, at work, or while taking a nice quiet stroll. If you call on His name, He will hear. You don’t have to wait until Sunday morning to say your prayers. God’s line is open 24/7. I bet He’s waiting to hear from you right this minute. Maybe it has been a while, and you aren’t sure how to reconnect. Don’t fret. It is just like calling up an old friend. Just call on His name, and He will be there, ready to listen, just like the old days. You are never too far to come back home to Christ.

We need Christ now more than ever, and the awesome thing is that He is still right here with us. The same God that parted the Red Sea for the Israelites, the same God that shut the mouth of the lions in the den with Daniel, the same God that brought down Goliath with a sling shot and a young shepherd boy, is the very same God that hears our prayers. There is so much power in prayer. It truly is the greatest weapon we have. Won’t you spend some time with God in prayer today?