HOW TO PUT POWER IN YOUR PRAYER (Acts 4:23-33)
The progressives in our country have recently been disparaging prayer as weak and powerless to stop tragedies from happening. For example, a recent incident occurred at a Catholic school while the children were praying in a sanctuary. The progressive’s argument was what use was prayer, for it did not protect those innocent children. It became a talking point for several members of congress castigating those who asked for prayer for the families that lost a child, and for our nation that is being consumed by evil.
It is hard to believe that we, as a nation, have come to this point, but when you consider that these people do not believe that God exists, then it is logical that they do not believe in the power of prayer. They miss the point that prayer is not a talisman to protect us, it is a direct communication with the Almighty God to provide strength to get through the tragedies, and evil, of this world. Prayer is our fellowship with God who loves us, and whom we love.
More than ever, I am totally convinced that the need of the hour is power in prayer. Not merely to pray, but to pray with power—to pray so as to get your prayers answered. You see, prayer is not getting God to agree with you. Prayer is getting you to agree with God about what He is going to do. God is absolutely sovereign. We do not change God’s mind about things that He has foreknown from the foundation of time.
Many of you know that my brother died a couple of weeks ago, and it was not because we did not pray with enough faith to heal him. There were literally hundreds of people praying for him to be healed. He died because it was God’s will that my brother would come home to be with Him. And that was my prayer, that God’s will would be done in my brother’s life. God, as our Creator, decides in His sovereign will, what will happen in this world, and nobody is going to name it, and claim it, to occur differently.
I firmly believe that in order to get our prayers answered, we need to first find out what God’s will is, and then pray for that to occur. Do I believe that we should pray for God to heal those who are sick? Absolutely. Do I believe that God heals people today? Absolutely. But when we pray for God’s will to be done, then we can rejoice and praise God just as loudly when He heals someone, as when He chooses to bring someone home. And I did exactly that, I praised God’s name when God chose to take my brother home.
Click on the link below to hear a message on how prayer is a means of bringing the power of heaven into our lives.
This is a live recording of The Master’s Class Bible Study at LifeChange Church Wichita, KS.
Amen.