PRAISE & PRAYER PROMPT ••• I’m reading a book called “Handle with Prayer,” by Charles Stanley.
He wrote, “Our prayers are the link between God’s inexhaustible resources and people’s needs.”
Woah.
That little sentence packs a powerful punch, doesn’t it?!
When it comes to powerful prayer, my go-to verse has always been James 5:16b.
But let’s read a bit more today.
Verses 16-18 say, “Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results. Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years! Then, when he prayed again, the sky sent down rain and the earth began to yield its crops.”
The reminder of Elijah’s powerful prayer is wonderful and can be referenced in 1 Kings 17-18.
But I love that James wrote, “Elijah was as human as we are.”
If you’re like me, it’s sometimes hard to read about these people in the Bible without relegating them to the role of a character.
Yet, these were real people, with real flesh and blood, and real problems.
And when we remind ourselves of that truth, it’s easier to realize that we too can have powerful prayer, strong faith, and wonderful relationships with God.
After all, times may change, but people—eh…
Not so much.
The sins of the past are still sins that people wrestle with.
The hurts and pains of the past are still dealt with today.
The faith of yesterday can still be realized today.
If Elijah could pray with the faith to stop the rain, why can’t you and I pray a prayer strong enough to move the mountain??
God’s resources are endless.
And as Christians, we are called to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
Today, as you pray, thank God for the power of prayer.
Thank Him that He has no limits and our prayers can tap into His limitless resources.
Ask the Holy Spirit to empower you to pray with the kind of faith that Elijah had…
Ask Him to help you remember the people of the Bible whose prayers made powerful impacts because of their faith in God.
