Alvin Vandergriend- James 5:16 "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." "Prayer," said C. Samuel Storms, "in and of itself possesses no power." I was astounded by that statement, and I didn't understand it until I read what Storms said next: " Prayer is powerful because God is powerful, and prayer is the means through which that divine power is released and channeled into our lives" (Reaching God's Ear, p 223) In other words, all the power in prayer is really God's power activated by prayer. (Google image, Praying man in red cap)
When you pray for another person, there is nothing that flows from you to them — no vibes, no force, no energy. Instead, your prayers go heavenward, and the power of God moves from Him to the ones you pray for.
When the Bible says "prayer . . . is powerful and effective," it means God acts powerfully and effectively through the prayers of His people. Prayer is the instrument by which God has chosen to have His power directed in the universe. Ole Hallesby provides something of a mental picture of how this works:
"This power is so rich and so mobile that all we have to do when we pray is to point to the persons or things to which we desire to have this power applied, and He, the Lord of this power, will direct the necessary power to the desired place" (Prayer, p. 63). What a surprising arrangement — God partnering with human beings to accomplish His purposes!
R. A. Torrey, enthralled by the enormity of this power, states, "Prayer is the key that unlocks all the storehouses of God's infinite grace and power. All that God is, and . . . has, is at the disposal of prayer. Prayer can do anything that God can do, and as God can do anything, prayer is omnipotent" (The Power of Prayer. p. 17)
Prayer can do what political action cannot, what education cannot, what military might cannot, and what planning committees cannot. All these are impotent by comparison.
Prayer can move mountains. It can change human hearts, families, neighborhoods, cities, and nations. It's the ultimate source of power, because it is the power of Almighty God.
This power is available to the humblest Christian. It was "a man just like us" who prayed "that it would not rain," and God stopped the rain in Israel for three and a half years. Where will the power of your prayers be felt today?
(pp. 94, 95 in Love to Pray- 40 Day Devotional for Deepening Your Prayer Life by Alvin Vandergriend)
Father, let it be known to us today, where You want Your power directed through our prayers. Put on our hearts the burden for our neighborhoods or workplaces to be praying about.
621- Psalms 36:9 "For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light."
Today's Popular post-
Putting God First
Joyce McCullough tells us about her sister's thoughts:
“How can I possibly feed my family this month if I also pay my tithe to the church?”
"My sister, Debbie, sat at the kitchen table mulling over her grocery list. Times were tough.
She had been forced to cut back on her hours at work after the birth of her second child, and a flexible mortgage rate now required a higher house payment for the last several months."
The North Country Christian Fellowship Center Churches,
located in the St. Lawrence county of NY,
broadcast their Sunday services at 10 or 10:15
You can view past services too.
Sermon listing:https://www.
Thursday our bible study was on the Holy Ghost and revival. It was so powerful. I prayed that God qould cause a greater anointing on my life to touch people.
ReplyDeleteAmen! Let His power fall on more of us!
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