Bringing Power Back to Prayer

Daily Thoughts and Encouragement for January 5, 2015 

Bringing Power Back to Prayer

Daily Thought: Prayer is Powerful!

Daily Reading: Matthew 6:5-14

Lets start with using a little bit of imagination. Picture yourself as a person brand-new to church. You don't come from a Christian background. You don't know the Christian lingo or the ways that services are conducted. You don't see God in a personal or even real context. You are "going in blind". As you enter through the doors, what you know is what you have seen on television or heard through the media (and it is not typically the good side of it). You have basically already counted the whole thing out. But your there. 

A handshake is extended at the door. Then you take a seat. You can't figure out why an older couple just coming in is now scowling at you. The services start. A few announcements of programs and desperate urging for assistance and commitment emits from a few tired looking and clearly overly extended individuals. Now its time for joys and concerns. The first woman stands up and asks for something called "travel mercies". You think to yourself- is she really asking for people to pray for her two hour trip to see her family?! Another stands to brag about her children making honor roll yet again and hopes that they will get into an expensive college. Then a third man stands to condemn the "government liberals wrecking the nation". You shut down. "Are these people serious?" You ask yourself, suddenly unsure if you said it aloud. Someone then speaks on behalf of a woman who just lost her husband of fifty years. You are touched and expect someone else to say something. Then the Pastor ushers the people into prayer, saying something like this: "Lord God, thank you for the blessings we have in our lives, please be with those who are hurting, and those in leadership, and bring people to you. Amen."

That's it?! You ask yourself. You now spend the rest of the service justifying why the media is right about church. 

You don't need a M-Div to recognize that there are a lot of problems in the example above, but to keep it short and simple, I would like to tackle prayer. Or the lack of true, meaningful prayer 

in so many of our churches. Forgive me for being bold- and then let me tell you that I was once guilty of the same thing. Then I changed how and for what I prayed for- with life-altering success. 

There are countless studies on "how to pray". I can't possibly cover it here. But what I want to cover is this: we should know to make it count.  As a whole, the Christian community has devalued prayer. So much in fact, that saying the words "I'll pray for you" is used condescendingly by some. If we are "doing our jobs" right as Christians, those that prayers are offered for should feel uplifted and loved by it. Even knowing that you are in prayer can bring healing, hope and peace!

Make a commitment to bring power to your prayer. Try this for even thirty days: Only pray and ask for prayers on things that are significant and have a profound impact on your heart and attitude. Likewise- do not offer prayer without the same. Do not tell a single person that you will "pray for them" unless you are going to be on your knees crying out to God on their behalf. Next, if your bold enough or can muster the courage to be, when prayers are asked for, offer them up on the spot. That person will, in turn, know that they were/are indeed prayed for, which helps to feel validated and loved. 

As you can imagine, there are countless scriptural references on prayer, the purpose, and how to do it. Today's reading discusses what is referred to as the Lords Prayer, and is a guide on some of the how-to. But read and reflect on the words. Do so especially if you have recited these words for a long time. Take a time out to rediscover what it means. 

We can do this! We can bring value and power back to prayer. The Bible tells us that prayer is so powerful that it can change our hearts and minds towards even our greatest enemies. We owe it to God, to HIS people, and to ourselves to make prayer count!