power of prayer

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Omnipotent God

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After I finished reading my Bible this morning, I leaned my chair back – I have a motorized recliner – and I thought about God, about how Jesus is the Son of God, how God, Himself, came to earth as a “real-life” man. That thought staggered me. We all know this but there are times when we need spiritually recharged. That’s what God did for me this morning. But the Holy Spirit didn’t stop there.

As I continued to meditate on the Lord, I was reminded of a small need I have. It’s not just small; it’s nothing when compared to anything, yet, to me, it is something. Well, I just asked Jesus to intervene. I’ve been a Christian for a long time and many times I have taught about God’s omnipotence. Yet, this morning, I hesitated to ask Him to intercede for me. That’s when the Holy Spirit dropped what I’m about to write into my heart.

God is infinitely powerful. If I ask Him for anything, what I ask does not diminish the power of God at all. God is not like a car. If my car carries me to Walmart, my gas tank is diminished; it has less gas. God isn’t that way.

We can ask God for anything, from the most infinitesimally small thing to a world-changing thing, and He can do it without any loss of His power. It is us that restrain God. We do this by lack of faith or asking for things against His will. But we must remember, I must remember, that God desires to show Himself to us and the world. He is not the God of limited power or resources.

How much remains when we subtract one from infinity? The answer is infinity (∞ – 1 = ∞), and that is how God’s omnipotence is. I should never constrain God with my preconceptions which include thinking something is too small or too big to ask for God’s help. Jesus gave us a wonderful promise:

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened.

Matthew 7:7–8

I’m just finishing this post, and I checked; my prayer has been answered. From the time I started writing until I finished writing, God answered my prayer. God answers our prayers. He will do the same for you as He has done for me.

Image by Pavlofox from Pixabay

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Even a Good Report Needs Prayer

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Today I was reminded of the account of Hezekiah, the king of Judah. For me, it’s one of the most encouraging events in the Old Testament. 2 Kings 19

Being Told That You’re Junior Varsity

The Assyrians, led by Sennacherib, were preparing to attack Jerusalem. The enemy arrived at Jerusalem after having a winning season of attacks, having conquered Israel and many nations that were thought of as bigger and stronger than Jerusalem. However, none of them worshiped the one true God.

Now the Assyrians had a letter delivered to Hezekiah that told him all the reasons why Hezekiah and Jerusalem would be defeated. This was more than “trash-talk,” this was disrespecting All Mighty God. So, Hezekiah does what we all should do when paired against a top-ranked opponent; he sought help from God. For Hezekiah, he sent a message to Isaiah, the prophet, to hear from God.

Keeping it Personal

Isaiah tells Hezekiah’s servants to tell Hezekiah that God spoke, saying that God would send the Assyrians back from where they came; game over.

Here’s the critical part. After Hezekiah heard from Isaiah, Hezekiah took the letter from the Assyrians and laid it out for God to look at it. Then Hezekiah prayed, saying to God that the threat from the Assyrians was not against Hezekiah but against Almighty God! Hezekiah’s prayer came from a deep understanding of the relationship he personally had with God. So, the battle was not against him or Judah; the Assyrians were attacking God!

Why did Hezekiah pray after already hearing from God? Because, as Jesus taught during His earthly ministry, we are to ask. Hezekiah had been told; now, he needed to ask. Then God has Isaiah send a message to Hezekiah to say to the king that because Hezekiah had prayed, God would send Sennacherib and the Assyrians back to their home with, metaphorically, their tail between their legs.

Even a Good Report Needs Prayer

God saved Hezekiah and Judah. What we need to learn is that even when we are told that our enemy will be defeated, we still need to pray and ask God for victory. Maybe we are battling a medical problem, and our doctor tells us that we will be okay; we still need to pray and ask God for victory. Why? Because we need the victory that comes from God. It’s personal.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. Matthew 7:7

Even when we are told that we will be okay, we need to ask, seek, and/or knock. This is the pattern that Jesus has set for us.

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Pregnant With Change

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June 7, 2019 – A volcano in the far eastern end of Russia that was thought to be extinct may now have awakened — and its eruption could be as severe as the one that destroyed the ancient Roman settlement of Pompeii, according to scientists. – https://globalnews.ca/news/5367331/volcano-awakens-eruption-pompeii/

Volcano’s are intriguing for many reasons, primarily because scientists are so often wrong about them. When Mount St. Helens erupted, it killed one of the scientists that was thought to be a safe distance away. Just a few days ago a volcano thought to be extinct has begun showing signs of an impending eruption.

The reason volcanos are so difficult to predict is that all the work taking place is usually so far underground it’s nearly impossible for us to know what’s happening. Only as the earth’s massive energy begins to reach the surface do we become aware that a volcanic explosion is likely. Even then, we aren’t sure when or if, or to what extent, the volcano will erupt.

There are similarities between volcanic activity and prayer. After we pray, there is often a time when we see nothing happening; this means things are pregnant with change. What is real is first manifested in the Spirit, and then they play out in what we can see, sometimes accompanied by thunder! (1 Samuel 7:10, John 12:29)

The following are two passages in Luke when Peter, James, and John became sleepy while Jesus prayed. Let that sink in. The Son of God was visible to them. They could watch and hear Jesus pray, yet their flesh overcame them, they become sleepy and didn’t fully engage in praying with Jesus.

Luke 9:32 Peter and his companions were very sleepy, but when they became fully awake, they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
Luke 45,46, When he rose from prayer and went back to the disciples, he found them asleep, exhausted from sorrow. “Why are you sleeping?” he asked them. “Get up and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.”

Please understand, I know I wouldn’t have done a better job than these three fellows. I’m sleepy even as I write this. My point is simple. The most significant power God has afforded us is to ask of Him and hear from Him. The appearance, often, is that nothing is happening, it may seem tedious, and we get sleepy. But, God is mighty, and He answers the petitions of His saints.

Once we’ve prayed, we should be as expectant parents-to-be. Every little thing should be considered. That pain, was it a contraction? Does it look like the baby’s dropped? That’s the kind of hope we should have once we’ve “prayed through.” Those are exciting times that change lives for God does answer our prayers.

Photo by Yosh Ginsu on Unsplash

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