PART 2 from Friday’s post, The Power of Your Prayers (Part 1)
“Same list as always for [name] — please do a miracle in her life!”
This prayer was written in my prayer journal earlier this year…
Prayers are powerful because they get answered.
“In prayer, we are invited to join him in directing the course of his world.” – John Mark Comer, God Has a Name
For many years I have been praying for a miracle in someone’s life who is very important to me. I have also been praying for God to heal my best friend’s mom of a recent cancer diagnosis. My prayers sometimes might simply read like this, “Lord, do a miracle in [name’s] life. Lord, heal [name’s] mom of her cancer. I know you will do it. Amen.” Or, they look like a very sad version of the above where I write “same list as always…” like God is Santa or something.
Perhaps not so surprisingly, as I would write that prayer what was really going on in my head was a lie from the enemy: “Well, it’s been more than 20 years and this miracle hasn’t happened, but OK, keep wishing for a miracle.” And, “OK, Bailey, you know cancer doesn’t magically go away. Get real.”
Then one day I get a call that tells me the miracle is indeed happening. What?! God is seriously answering that prayer?! I really couldn’t believe it! The next day my friend tells me her mom’s cancer is at a level “zero,” meaning it’s dormant for now. What?! God is answering that prayer, too?! I really couldn’t believe it!
Really, Bailey? You really couldn’t believe it? We know he will do it: 1 Thessalonians 5:24, Deuteronomy 7:9, John 14:12-14.
Though I would go through the motions and pray nightly — and the enemy loves to use prayer as a means of going through the motions — lies were crashing up like waves against my faith: “If it makes you feel better, Bailey, keep praying. But it’s been twenty years, and that person is not going to change,” or “Cancer doesn’t magically go away, get real.” But I learned something that can cast out that lie every time. It requires looking at a Hebrew translation:
Naham, a Hebrew word found in Jeremiah 18 and Exodus 32, was pointed out to me in this book I’ve been referencing, God Has a Name. It has caused me to get what happened. It means that God is responding to our prayers. While God does not change his mind, God DOES interact with us through prayer. I’ll repeat it: God RESPONDS to us. That we serve a God that responds to us is worth rejoicing, friends.
So prayers are powerful and God responds to them. Our minds believe, but our hearts aren’t quite there (mine still isn’t). So what now?
Start by praying right now. Pray that God does not let you lose sight of the upward goal and pray that you never become numbed by the power of prayer. When you are with someone later today who is hurting, who is rejoicing — stop and say, “Let’s pray.”
He is a God who is near to each of His children. And to that, we rejoice.