When my problems are bigger than my prayers I go to this verse:
Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear. Isaiah 59:1
Holding onto this verse when I pray for family and friends really adds zest to my prayers, and bounce to my worship.
My voice is not too faint,
My prayer not too small.
My God bends down to listen,
and grants me mercy when I call.
I love the LORD because he hears my voice
and my prayer for mercy.
Because he bends down to listen,
I will pray as long as I have breath!
Death wrapped its ropes around me;
the terrors of the grave overtook me.
I saw only trouble and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the LORD:
“Please, LORD, save me!”
How kind the LORD is! How good he is!
So merciful, this God of ours!
The LORD protects those of childlike faith;
I was facing death, and he saved me.
Let my soul be at rest again,
for the LORD has been good to me.
He has saved me from death,
my eyes from tears,
my feet from stumbling.
And so I walk in the LORD’s presence
as I live here on earth!
Psalm 116:1-9 NLT
Have you ever thanked God for prayer? Think about it, the Creator of all, who is the Alpha and Omega, the King of kings and Lord of lords, invites us to commune with Him in prayer. It is beyond my ability to comprehend… yet this privilege is given to me. Sometimes I fail to show up… yet this privilege is not taken away. At times I pray with a wrong attitude… yet this privilege is God working in me, not to kick me to the side, but to bring me closer to His side. Thank you Lord for the gift of prayer.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and make me willing to obey You. Psalm 51:12 NLT
What a wonderful prayer.
I know the verse says Your (God’s) salvation, and I have put “my” in there. Truly it is God’s salvation of me, but now it is my joy also. This joy struck me as I was praying this morning—God’s salvation, my salvation allows me to commune with Him. That when I pray for people, the mighty power of God will be brought to bear for good in all situations, no matter how dire. Prayer with real purpose is part of the joy of Your (my) salvation. How good is that?!
The reason I sometimes fail to pray Is that God appears to be a long way off. The reality is I don’t comprehend the power and purpose of prayer. The purpose of prayer is to commune with Jesus, to spend time with Him. As I do that, I refresh my awe at His power, love, and mercy. Worship and praise follow when I draw close to God. Humble worship stops me from asking God to tag along in what I want to do, instead I fall at the feet of Jesus and desire to follow Him.
“Come near to God and He will come near to you… Humble yourselves before the Lord and He will lift you up.” James 4:8-10
A prayer for when I am anxious and consumed by worry. To remind me God is good and loving and greater than all my fears.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords.
His faithful love endures forever.
Give thanks to him who alone does mighty miracles.
His faithful love endures forever.
Psalm 136:1-4
Clouds of heaven invading the darkness
Prayer is one of the great undervalued gifts from God. Think about it—in Jesus, I have a clear, secure channel to talk directly with God.
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? Romans 8:34-35
Jesus has made it so easy that often I take it for granted.
So, if the problems of this day have crowded out your praying, stop right now and ask God to restore one of the joys of salvation in Christ—talking with Him, and worshiping up close and personal with the Lord of all.
Oh, one other amazing thing He wants to talk with you right now.
Hope in the dead of Winter
I find it hard to pray without my mind wandering in the best of times. But, when I am hurting and in pain, then I find it difficult to put two words together in prayer. So what are we to do when our prayers are moans and groans… rasping laments beginning and ending with two feeble words—O God!
How does God expect us to pray in pain?
We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23-24
I have attended many deliveries in my career and for most anesthesia was not available. I would often hear screams during labor—“O God help me!” or “Lordy, Lordy!” Were these words of anguish really prayers? The one thing that kept these mothers praying through the pain was the thought of new life coming.
Pain, or grief, or a deep hurt from our point of view seems to interfere with our prayers to God. But like a woman in labor who cries out to God—keep praying for our groans are not lost upon God. There is new life coming.
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will. Romans 8:26-27
The flow of life, some is smooth and some rough.
It was an epiphany of sorts. I saw my parents and grandparents praying for me and knew their prayers had played a vital role in the flow of my life. As if they had been pouring goodness into me.
Timothy in the New Testament benefited from such prayer—
Night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. I long to see you again, for I remember your tears as we parted. And I will be filled with joy when we are together again. I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you. 2 Timothy 1:3-5 NIV
The prayers poured out for Timothy by Paul and Timothy’s Grandmother and Mother, helped him in his life.
That is one of the major reasons for being part of a local church so that we can pour prayer into each other.
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18 NLT
Paul states that prayer is one part of armor we should not neglect in our battle with the powers of this dark world.
Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Ephesians 6:13 NLT
So I encourage you to pour out prayer for your family and friends and not give up.
The higher up I go the more insignificant I feel.
No prayer is too small and insignificant that God will overlook it.
Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Luke 12:6-7
No request too huge that the infinite power of God will not make it look insignificant.
Therefore:
Pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.
Ephesians 6:18
Stephen L Hufman 