Prayer

“And the LORD said to him: “I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before Me…” 1 Kings 9:3a

I recently went to the Lord in prayer about how I should be involved in a community event put on by our church. There were many areas where I could be of service, but I wanted to be where the Lord wanted me, not just where I thought I should be. As I named off the areas I was thinking about I got a “no, nope, and not there either.” I finally asked the Lord how He wanted me to be involved and He simply said, “I want you to pray.” I thought to myself, that’s all well and good, but they need people to DO things, Lord. He gently reminded me that praying is doing… in this instance and in this season, this is what I am to do.

There are many spiritual and fleshly battles going on and the most effective way I can help is to be a prayer warrior. As we see in James 5:16b: “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man (woman) avails much.” Paul says this about prayer in Philippians 1:19: “For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ,” and Jesus said regarding the healing of a boy possessed by an unclean spirit, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting...” (Mark 9:29). In Acts 10:31, we see God’s grace and redemption for the Gentiles: “Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.”

Prayer is the final element of the whole armor of God discussed in Ephesians 6. We are told in verse 12, “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” We are in a battle, ladies, and along with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God (Ephesians 6:13-17), we are called to be “praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints” (Ephesians 6:18).

So, on my knees, in my car, at my job, in the market and wherever else the Lord puts it on my heart, I will be in prayer for this event and for all those involved. I will stand in the knowledge that God hears and answers my prayers, and they avail much. I won’t know this side of heaven what kind of impact my prayers will have made, but I will not doubt that they will indeed have made an impact.

Thank You, Lord, for leading us in the way You would have us be involved in Your Kingdom business. Help us to be faithful to the areas You have called us. Amen.