Power of Prayer

I am currently working on a Bible study right now about prayer. I am constantly being reminded of the power of prayer and that prayer brings me right into the presence of the Lord. There is no place I would rather be, and not only do I get to enter into His presence, I get the opportunity to increase in my love for Him and for the people I am praying for. Sometimes I see evidence of answered prayers right away, sometimes I wait for a long time as God makes plans perfect for me, and sometimes I am disappointed when the answer is not one I was looking or hoping for.

The idea that prayer melts away any hardness in my heart through repentance and forgiveness gives me hope. Often times it can be difficult to pray for those who have offended you, hurt you, or disappointed you, but God calls us to pray for those people too. I am often convicted that in order to grow in my own faith and walk with the Lord, I must pray for those people and I must allow God to restore in me a clean heart and right spirit.

The truth is that I feel better when I pray. I feel better about the situation, I feel better about God's timing and plans, and if I am praying for a hurt or hang up, I feel differently about the person. That is God's design. He uses prayer to strengthen our faith in Him. He uses it as a means to show us what we need to do and how we need to change. It gives us strength. Prayer builds love.

I find that when I am praying for people, God uses those moments to not only hear my requests, He uses it as a time to shape and mold me into a new person. Many times I find myself saying, "God, change this situation or person" and he opens my own heart and mind to changes that I need to make. He often reminds me, "First you need to look at yourself, your thoughts, your actions, your words." While it is humbling, I am thankful for my personal relationship with Him because I know that in these moments, I am growing closer to Him and my walk is becoming a witness to my family, friends, and even to those I encounter that I do not know.

Thank you God for loving me, for letting me talk to you so frequently, and for hearing and answering my prayers.

Today, I would encourage you to reflect on the power of prayer in your life. Do you set time aside in your day to come to the Father in prayer? Do you talk with him regularly throughout your day? In what ways and at what times do you come together as a family to pray?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for inviting me to talk with you whenever I want or need. Please help me to set time aside in my schedule to meet with you and share my thoughts, fears, or concerns. Shape me, mold me, strengthen me so that I can be a witness to others. Help me to pray for not only those people that I know and love, but for those people who may have hurt or offended me, and especially help me to pray for those who do not know you yet, that they may have the opportunity to learn about you and your amazing grace. I love you Lord! Amen.