The Power of Prayer
Is there really power in prayer? Have you ever asked that question? I have often asked that question throughout my life. Sometimes when I pray I hear God answer. Sometimes in prayer He is silent, and other times it seems as if my prayers just bounce off the ceiling back to me. The book of James says
Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. James 5:16
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” Really? Then why does it seem as if my prayers don’t get answered? Does that mean that I’m not righteous? I really haven’t seen my prayers “avail much” in my life.
So Thankful for the Internet
I am so thankful for the resources of the internet because I am able to listen to Godly pastors who have studied the Word and share it online. When I spend time with the Lord each morning I listen to one pastor in particular who has preached through the entire Bible and it is all online for anyone to watch and listen to. You can find him here: www.joncourson.com
Pastor Jon is a wonderful teacher of the Word and he kind of reminds me of my dad. I have been working my way through Exodus, and his sermon from Exodus 17 had a profound influence on me, so I wanted to share with you what I had learned about the power of prayer.
The Story of the Amalekites and the Israelites
After the Israelites had left Egypt on their way to the Promised Land, they were attacked by the Amalekites. The Amalekites were descendants of Jacob’s brother, Esau, and like Esau, they were very carnally minded. The Amalekites did not attack them straight on, but they ambushed the back of the group. They began to pick off the weary, tired, and the burdened. Moses told Joshua to take some men and go out and fight with Amalek. Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill.
I have read this story so many times and just saw it as a story of God protecting the Israelites. But in my daily life this story really did not apply to me. I’ve never met an Amalekite and I won’t ever go out with a sword to fight.
But Pastor Jon made this story apply to me in my daily life, and now I can see how my prayers “avail much”
How Does this Story Apply to My Life?
Amalek is a symbol of the flesh. Our flesh is the natural way that we do things. Our fall back position when we try to solve problems with our own strength. We sin with our flesh. Our flesh has no need for God, and is incapable of trusting in Him. Just like Amalek, our flesh comes on strong when we are tired, burdened, worn out. It also attacks when we become complacent. When I start to “coast” in my faith, my flesh is right there to take over. The trouble is, my flesh is sneaky. Most of the time it takes me a little while of “coasting” before I realize that I have slipped back into my fleshly way of doing things. It attacks me little by little, just like the Amalekites picked off the stragglers.
I don’t know about you, but my spiritual growth comes in waves. There are times when I feel the Lord’s presence strongly. I read the Word and pray daily. Everything feels smooth, and I feel my feet planted on the Rock. But once I realize this, that moment becomes my greatest time of danger. Complacency starts to set in, because I feel as if “I’ve got this!” Since I’ve finally figured out the secret of how to stay strong in the Lord, I don’t have to fight so hard. I believe that at that moment, my flesh attacks. After awhile, I lose my footing on the Rock, and I’m not sure how to find it again.
The safest place in the fight is front and center
The safest place to be in my fight against the flesh is front and center. When I remember that the fight against my flesh is constant, I am less likely to become complacent and kick back. I need to be fully engaged at all times in the battle against my flesh.
But the battle against the Amalekites was not won down in the valley. The battle was won on the hilltop. But how can that be? Joshua and the men were swinging the swords and engaging with the Amalekites. Moses was just sitting on the rock, praying. How can it be said that his prayer won the battle?
The Battle was won through the Power of Prayer
Take a look at the story:
Exodus 17:11
Moses was holding up his hands in prayer! When his hands were high, Israel overcame the Amalekites. But when his hands grew heavy and tired, then the Amalekites surged back. This was truly intercessory prayer. Joshua’s leadership nor his military prowess had nothing to do with the victory that day. And one thing that I had never thought about before: Not even his ability with the Sword created the victory that day. In Ephesians Paul calls the Word of God the Sword of the Spirit. So not even my knowledge of the Word or my ability to use it will win in my battle with the flesh. What will win the battle? Prayer.
After the battle was over, God told Moses to write this account in a book. This passage may very well be the first part of the Bible ever written, because this story happened before Moses climbed Mount Sinai. The reason that God gave for writing this down pointed to remembrance. God wanted Joshua and the people to remember that He would utterly blot out Amalek from under heaven. This fills me with hope! If Amalek pictures my flesh, then God still works to utterly blot it out. He is continually making me more like Jesus so that my flesh becomes increasingly subdued.
Where is the Power of Prayer in My Life?
But how does prayer apply to this? What does my prayer have to look like in order to win the victory over my flesh? How do I pray in order to obtain this victory?
I have found no formula to make this happen. But I do know this: I need to be fully engaged in my prayers. My prayer cannot be lethargic, lazy, or ritualistic. My mind and heart need to fully engage with the Lord. That is when I find power in my prayers.
God already knows each situation better than I do. He knows what I pray before I pray it, and He also knows what is best for me. If all that is true, what is the point of praying? Why should I expend the time and the emotion to pray? And why doesn’t He answer me the first time?
Because God wants me to keep coming to Him. Jesus said to keep asking, seeking, and knocking. When I come to the Lord in prayer, I get to know Him better, and that is what He wants. The more I know Him, the more I become like Him. He may not change my circumstances, but He WILL change me. The more I get to know Him, that is when I will be happy, content, and blessed. The power of prayer is contained in the change that He brings to me. Prayer forces me to continually come to Him.
My favorite picture of prayer is a little child crawling up into the lap of her father. The child snuggles into his lap, and asks for what she needs and wants. In this picture you will find complete trust. The child trusts that her father cares for her completely, and that he is completely focused on her.
He wants me to come to Him: He will NOT force His way in
But Jesus is the ultimate gentleman. He doesn’t force His way into my life, and He won’t force His will on my situation. He wants me to come to Him. According to Revelation 3, He says that He stands at the door and knocks. But if I open the door, He will come in and fellowship with me. But that doesn’t mean that He answers every prayer the way that I pray. If He doesn’t answer the prayer in the way that I want, then I know that He has something infinitely better for me.
There is a saying out there: “Prayer changes things.” But that is not always true. A more accurate saying is this: “Faith changes things; prayer changes you.” That is the secret. I can pray for God to change my circumstances, to change the people around me, but ultimately, the purpose of prayer is to change me.
But I still get tired and weary
It is easy, though, for me to get weary in my prayers, just as Moses got weary after awhile. At that point, two men used their strength to keep Moses’ hands in the air until Israel won the battle. God commands us to bear each others’ burdens. I cannot win this fight against my flesh on my own. I need to have one or two people around me that can pray for me. People who know me so well that they know how and what to pray for me.
But there is one Person who is always praying for me – Jesus! It’s hard for me to remember that fact. He always intercedes for me. When Joshua looked up from the valley, he saw the man in the middle, raising his hands in prayer. I see that same picture. Jesus, in His death, prayed for me, and He continues to intercede for me. He has won the ultimate victory – He has saved me!
He guarantees my salvation, and the war has been won, but while I am here on the earth, there are still mop up skirmishes that take place. I can experience victory in those battles, but I need to continually come to Him, even cry out to Him. He hears every prayer and will answer. He will change me. In my prayers I get to know Him more, and when I pray, He never lets me down.
This is my prayer…
So ultimately my prayer becomes “Help me to pray more. Bring me to my knees so that I can get to know you. Help me find one or two others who can pray for me. Show me who You want me to pray for. Teach me to pray.”
The battle against my flesh is going to be won through prayer!
Teach me to pray!
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