Power of Prayer

One Saturday evening, I was at church with a few other ladies working on setting things up for Sunday morning. While we were in the middle of laughing and carrying on, one of the women suddenly stopped and said “I don’t know why, but we need to pray for my husband right now” We all stopped what we were doing and got on our knees and started to pray fervently for her husband. We had no idea why we were praying or what we were praying for, but we knew that we needed to pray for him at that very minute. When we were finished praying, we went back to work, preparing for the service. Later on that week, we found out why we needed to pray right then and there. My friend’s husband was serving with the Marines in Iraq and right at the time she felt the need to pray for her husband, he was getting ready to drive over a road-side bomb with his whole convoy. At the exact same time we started praying, the bomb was noticed and the convoy was diverted. This, folks, is the proof I have that prayer is indeed powerful.

Have you ever had someone come to mind out of the blue? It is probably because the Holy Spirit was trying to tell you to pray for them, or even to encourage them. Urgent prayer needs. We have all had them. Someone is sick, or dying, or in an accident, or in danger and we get on our knees and pray. Sometimes that person is us.

In Psalm 17, David has urgent prayer for his safety. His enemies are relentlessly pursing him, but David has vowed to continue to trust in and follow God, at all costs. David is pleading with God to protect him, save him and examine his heart. He knows that God will find him pure and blameless and he knows that God will protect him. Do you know what David also knows? He knows that God will answer his prayers. He knows that God listens to him when he prays and he knows that the prayers of someone who is found to be pure and blameless are powerful, because God is powerful and mighty to save.

“I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies” (6-7)

David trusts that God will protect him even though to the world his circumstances seem pretty bleak. The very same is true for each of us. God will protect those who love him. He will rescue us from the muck and the mire and he will bring us face to face with him, so that he may receive all the glory and the honor that is due to him. His love for us is greater and stronger than anything this life may throw in our direction. God’s plans for us will always prevail. God will always be victorious. Lay your burdens at his feet. He will take care of you.