Prayer Changes Things

I remember when I was little seeing a plaque that hung in my parent's bedroom in our parsonage in Oglesby, Illinois. There were three words. "Prayer changes things."

This picture is my mom, 31 years ago. If you can't tell, she's expecting. Expecting me. Well, that may not seem so amazing, until you know that she had been praying for a child for eight years prior to this picture being taken.

What does that have to do with prayer? My mom tells the story of a little old lady in the church named Mrs. Peterson. She came up to my mom one night and asked her if she could pray that she would have a baby.

Of course my mom agreed. And around nine months later I was born.

I've been thinking about prayer. I said in my post about suffering that I knew I needed to pray, and I was resisting that. Well, I did give in to the Spirit and committed myself to pray every day, not just for myself, but for five friends who, like me, are trying to conceive. I have prayed daily for 14 days so far. I have seen prayer work in four exciting ways:

1. Prayer really does change things. James 5: 16 says that "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." This isn't because the righteous man has any ability of his own, it's only through the Spirit of God that prayer works to change hearts, change minds, change attitudes, and change circumstances. I have been overjoyed to hear the news from two of the five women I've been praying for... they are expecting. One of them, amazingly so.

2. Prayer deepens love. This is probably the biggest reason Jesus encouraged his followers to pray for their enemies. 1 John 3:18 reminds us that we should not "love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth." One of the ways to do so is to pray for others. The friends that I have been praying for have become so much more precious to me. My affection and concern for them has multiplied immensely over these past two weeks.

3. Prayer strengthens. As Galations 5:16 says, "live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." The opposite, I've found, is also true. Don't let the Spirit have freedom in your life by prayer and the Word, be sure you'll satisfy those sinful desires. And end up miserable. There is strength in relinquishing control to Christ. With him running the show, things get done you couldn't have dreamed of.

4. Prayer shines light on the path. Sometimes I feel like I'm wandering around in the dark, not sure where to take my next step. Prayer is essential in these moments of indecision. Proverbs 3:6 speaks of this truth. "In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight."

I urge you to give prayer a higher place in your priorities. You will find the Spirit take over and lead you so lovingly into His will that you will never want to leave His presence again.

Prayer changes things. So may we be found on our knees, bleeding our will onto the altar of His perfect and loving plan.