Do You Understand the Power of Prayer?
Good Morning Friends,
Grace abounds in my life. In many ways I am the poster child for predestination. I grew up in a loving family. I have had people praying for me all my life. I have the security of love in my relationships and enjoy moderate success in my work. But that is not to say that I did not pursue acceptance from others things instead of God. The world trains us to do that and if you think you are immune. Think again. We all seem to worship idols of products instead of intimate relations with people and God. One has to face a dark night of the soul to be retrained. Friends, when we buy into the life of fear it is as if we are worshipping other gods and it always leads to a helpless and seemingly hopeless situation. Amazingly God comes to us in our suffering through theses lies…the Holy Spirit comforts us in our bleakest moments. And in these moments prayer is powerful and collective prayer is transformative. Here the unfinished work of Jesus’ prayer for us to be in unity takes form. Here the coming consummation of all things in Christ takes our tacit knowledge and unconsciousness reality and moves into awareness of the spiritual journey of life. Do You Understand the Power of Prayer?
Scripture: Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified.
Romans 8:26-30 (NRSV)
He said, ‘Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.’ Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence.
1 Kings 19:11-12 (NRSV)
And now I am no longer in the world, but they are in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy Father, protect them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one, as we are one. The glory that you have given me I have given them, so that they may be one, as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become completely one, so that the world may know that you have sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.
John 17:11; 22-23 (NRSV)
Message: Paul in his letter to the Romans shares with us that God’s will is primarily focused on the transformation He wants to do in us. When we understand that what God is ultimately seeking to accomplish in us, the trials and tribulations of life become easier to deal with. When we understand that the Lord’s will is for us to rest in His love and sufficiency, we discover a good way to live. Only when we are filled with the Spirit can our lives be everything God wants them to be. The command is not to try harder but to trust. The command is to live lives that honor God not things. Here the fruit of the Spirit and the power of the Spirit work in us and through us to bring us victory over our darkest times.
Friends, prayer is not designed to change God, it is designed to change us by helping us to sort through all our pain. Prayer is not calling God in to bless our activities. Rather, prayer takes us into God’s presence, shows us His will, and prepares us to obey Him. Seeing a little of God each day revealed in new mercies and new love. Here we have our consciousness raised to new understandings in a joyous and surprising experience. There is an interesting relationship between prayer, miracles, surprises and how we experience our faith. We are not surprised by what we know but we are surprised by learning something new and joyously that relates to God’s purpose for us. You see the purpose of prayer is not that He would grant us a miracle to satisfy our desires but an experience like a burning bush to bring our desires closer to the presence and will of God. Something surprising happens when we experience God in this way. We learn that God’s ways are not our ways. God does keep life interesting… revealing so many things. And once God’s will for us is revealed we should not be surprised if when we disobey that things do not go well. There are so many new discoveries about our emotions and perceptions and the physical world that every moment is a new present. So greet this day in anticipation that your purpose will be revealed and you will not be surprised by something you already know but did not act on… but regardless learn in love something in God’s surprises.
Pray we realize that God is bigger than our problems. Pray we realize that Christ gives us the ability to experience victory in any situation we face in life. Pray we discover the power of living positively using our unique gifts in our unique ways to serve God. Pray we make the most of the opportunities God gives to us. Pray we are filled with the Holy Spirit and live according to God’s influence. Pray we realize that sometimes we need to work through all our pain. Pray our souls awake. Pray we call on God in humility, repent and see the healing and hear from heaven the coming surprises of Christ here on earth.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 