21/09/13

Power of prayer

Acts 4:31 - And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spake the word of God with boldness.


In my spiritual life I have seen great things happen when I prayed unto the Lord, some of them are so unimaginable that I cannot even share them openly. And among them was shaking of the place when praying in tongues. I live on the 3rd floor in a society and this shaking was not just a feeling but physical for the plates kept on a stand in my house fell and even the chandeliers and fans shook but yet there was no earthquake or anything like that at that time. My adjacent neighbours did not feel anything but only those in my house did.

People may think I am a very strong prayer warrior, but on the contrary I have been accused many a times of 'weak prayers'. In fact the very first time the Lord told me to go and preach to people after a long period of sitting and learning from Him, I said a prayer while ministering to a sister. The prayer I made, I, myself did not expect much from it. By my worldly understanding I would have rated 2 out of 10 for my prayer, yet when I opened my eyes after praying I was in for a surprise. The sister was touched and her eyes were full of tears, not only that the situation for which we were praying for had completely changed the very next day, something none of us could imagine. So praying is not about using strong or big words, nor about screaming and shouting or jumping around. I would not be surprised if Jesus were to be among us as man and was called on stage to pray, today's leaders would have send Him back for His simple, short prayer, they would possibly call His prayers too, as 'weak prayer'.

We also see in today's message the place shock when they prayed, so should we ask for the place to shake when we pray?

We see this happened for a reason and the reason was to build those in the congregation with boldness and this was the very thing that happened with me when the shaking happened. The people praying with me were charismatic Catholics and they were praying for me and then the Lord led me to pray in tongues and after that incident I have not seen them come again to pray with me and it has been years since. More than the shaking of the place they were shaken within.

When praying external signs are not important but spiritual results are so we should not be praying for or seeking signs. They may happen or may not happen, let us leave it to the Holy Spirit for that, but the main reason concerning His people, we should only seek that.

Prayer should start with acknowledging God for who He is and then thanking Him for revealing Himself to us by blessing our lives, is the next most important thing in prayer. Jesus' most powerful prayers were simple words of thanking the Father, and they followed with great miracles.

The Bible says signs and wonders with follow us who seek the Lord and His Kingdom in spirit and truth. So let us learn to really pray and experience the real power of prayer not in signs but in glory of the Lord and then signs and wonders will fail to show up.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, You are God, You do not seek big words nor loud voices, You seek depth of the cry that comes from our hearts. Even in the silent on our lips we can make might prayers that can change history only if they come from our hearts in spirit and truth. Lord, our prayer will have power only when we know You more and seek You more. Lord, we pray reveal yourself more and more unto us and fill us with more and more thirst and hunger for You and your Kingdom...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference ]
Luke 11:1-20

Matthew 15:36 - And he took the seven loaves and the fishes, and gave thanks, and brake them, and gave to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.

John 6:8-11
8 One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter's brother, saith unto him,
9 There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?
10 And Jesus said, Make the men sit down. Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand.
11 And Jesus took the loaves; and when he had given thanks, he distributed to the disciples, and the disciples to them that were set down; and likewise of the fishes as much as they would.

John 11:41-45
41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.
42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.
43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.
44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.
45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others. (All rights are with God)