Prayer is Powerful
Joshua 10:12-14 says, "At that time Joshua spoke to the Lord in the day when the Lord gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,
“Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon.”
13 And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.
Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. 14 There has been no day like it before or since, when the Lord heeded the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel."
What an incredible visual representation of the power of prayer that we see here in the book of Joshua. The sun stands still. This transcends all we believe and understand from a logical or scientific perspective, BUT God. The Lord wanted to intercede for His beloved Israel, Joshua's prayers were pleasing to God and he interceded magnificently. If God can make the biggest star in our solar system stand still, I will choose to believe that he can take away my anxieties, provide for my family, shower me with His love, and provide peace that surpasses understanding when I seek Him in prayer.
November 22nd, 2008. I remember the day like it was yesterday. This is the day that I lost my Mother at 14 years old. I remember when my Dad shared the news with me, I walked outside in complete disarray, fell to my knees, and simply prayed. I was not much of a churchgoer at this time, nor did I spend a ton of time in prayer, but my instinct in this moment of devastation was to pray to my heavenly Father who created me and loves me dearly. This prayer didn't bring my Mother back or take away the pain, but it did give me the strength to endure the tragedy set before me. That's the power of prayer. When a 14-year-old boy loses his mother and instinctually falls to his knees to pray for peace and understanding, the Lord shows up with arms open wide, hears his prayer, and provides comfort and peace that surpasses understanding. When we come to our Father in prayer, he bends down His knee to listen every single time. He may not answer our prayers in the way we would hope every time, but He will show up in power and love, every single time.
Prayer is Necessary
Sometimes I lay awake and think about what life would be like if I spent hours or days in the same house as my wife without ever saying a word to her. (Sounds crazy doesn't it?) I think about this as a reminder of what it's like to go through my day without praying to Jesus. When it comes to a healthy marriage, communication is key! What would my marriage look like if my wife and I never spoke a word to one another throughout the day? Any healthy relationship needs communication to flourish. In the same way, our relationship with our Heavenly Father must include prayer. Thanks to the Holy Spirit, God is always with us. Washing the dishes, driving in the car, waking up at 3 am to care for a crying baby, God is in our midst. I sometimes wonder how lonely Jesus would feel sitting by my side day in and day out without speaking a word to one another. Even though Jesus isn't physically sitting by my side, His Spirit is, and I'm sure it pains Him to sit with his beloved and not get the adoration, conversation, and attention that He deserves. Just as conversation and communication are necessary for marriage or friendship, prayer is crucial when it comes to our relationship with God. Like the breath in our lungs, we can't truly and fully live without prayer and communion with God. What would it look like if we talked to God as our Father and friend, as much as we shared with our friends? Or posted on Facebook? The world would likely be a radically different place. When you're joyful, pray. When you're afraid, pray. When you don't know what to say, simply cry out to God. Prayer is a necessity in our lives so as 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 says, "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."
Prayer is Transformative
Prayer is powerful, prayer is necessary and prayer is absolutely and wonderfully transformative. Prayer completely transforms our hearts and minds beyond what we can comprehend. I have lost count of the number of worldviews I've held, opinions I've had, or conversations I've partaken in, that I disagreed with or shut down initially, but through prayer, the Lord provided me with a fresh perspective and a new heart.
Isaiah 55:8-9 states “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." This scripture holds such profound truth. Since His ways and His thoughts are higher, when we approach the throne room with a humble spirit in prayer, the ways and thoughts of Jesus take root in our hearts and transform us from the inside out. When I lost my Mother I experienced feelings of anger, the Lord transformed my heart and gave me comfort. When I was laid off from my dream job, I sought the Lord in prayer and he provided peace. If there is any area of your life where you might desire to be more like Jesus, go away with Him. Encounter the beautiful intimacy of prayer and watch Him transform your heart and mind. Prayer is powerful and God still works miracles today. However, the beauty behind the transformative power of prayer is that even if we don't receive the outcome of our prayer that we hoped for, God through His transformative power can soften our hearts to accept the outcome no matter what comes. Like Daniel Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we can approach prayer knowing and believing that our God can and will come through, but we can find peace knowing that even if he doesn't come through in the way our heart desires, He is still worthy and He is still good.
My prayer for myself and all who read this is that you might experience the profound love of Christ this week through the power, necessity, and transformation of prayer. Make prayer a priority in your life during this season and see what God can do in and through you. There is no more beautiful encounter, than encountering our Holy and Magnificent Father through prayer and worship. I implore you to try and see.