Guiding Light!
Power of Prayer!
So he said to me, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel: 'Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,' says the Lord Almighty. Zechariah 4:6
This scripture has been quoted by ministers and preacher for many years. Whenever one recognizes the need for revival or spiritual renewal, we refer to this scripture. But there is one thing that is sometimes overlooked. How did the spirit first come into our lives?
The angel answered, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you. Luke 1:35a
Yet sometimes we seem to lack that power. the Apostle Paul said,
Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? Galatians 3:3
After looking at these things we see some fail, even when they seemed to have such a good start after accepting Jesus. Many with miraculous deliverance's from drugs, spirits, and many other things. If we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, and we are to walk in His footsteps, then let us examine His life and see where He received His strength and power.
At the beginning of His ministry, when He was baptized by John, it is recorded
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." Luke 3:21-22
Jesus was PRAYING when the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. This act of communication with His Father seemed to be a major key to His power. And how is it that the Holy Spirit comes on us and leads us? By the same key, by prayer. Let us now follow through this, our Savior's life of Prayer.
There was a time when a man with leprosy came to Him and He spoke "Be clean" and he was clean instantly. Being a Rabbi who kept the Law of Moses, He then told the man to go offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded. One would think with such power as this, that Jesus was self-sufficient and complete in himself. But as we read on it says:
Then Jesus ordered him, "Don't tell anyone, but go, show yourself to the priest and offer the sacrifices that Moses commanded for your cleansing, as a testimony to them." Yet the news about him spread all the more, so that crowds of people came to hear him and to be healed of their sicknesses. Luke 5:14-15
Again,
Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35
As we follow this compassionate, caring life, we find prayer, prayer, prayer. After the miracle of turning five loaves and two fish into a banquet enough to feed five thousand men, besides women and children, he did it again.
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone, Matthew 14:22-23
It seems that after the mighty works of God He performs, He returns again to His father to be, as it were, recharged with that heavenly power. Power through prayer!
Jesus taught his disciples to pray, and part of his instructions were to pray "Your will be done." He himself followed this same theme throughout His ministry. We too should follow the same steps, one at a time, that Jesus gave as instructions for prayer, which have come to be known as "The Lord's Prayer"
Matt. 6:9-13. These steps are
1. To come before Him first in worship,
2. Then surrender your will,
3. Present your requests and needs before Him, and
4. To ask forgiveness as we forgive those who are indebted to us,
5. Pray His guidance and protection around us and our loved ones with deliverance from evil and the adversary.
6. Then, as we started, let us close praising and worshipping the Eternal Heavenly Father who will give us all good things in Jesus' name.
In Luke's writing of Jesus' life in chapter 11, following the instructions on prayer, we find admonition to persevere. We are to know God's will from scripture, then come before Him with boldness.
Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.' "Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:5-10
Because of his "boldness" we must believe and not give up as Jesus showed us here.
Then, at the close of his earthly ministry, with a troubled heart He turned again to His father,
"Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? 'Father, save me from this hour'? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!" John 12:27-28
And, as His final Passover approached, He prayed His Great Prayer, for Himself, His disciples, and all those who would believe in Him,
After Jesus said this, he looked toward heaven and prayed: "Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him. John 17:1-2
Then, in the closing hours of the Master's final sacrifice, it is recorded:
"Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray."
If he had to pray to receive power and strength, are we any better?
Then Jesus went with his disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to them, "Sit here while I go over there and pray." He took Peter and the two sons of Zebedee along with him, and he began to be sorrowful and troubled. Then he said to them, "My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me." Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. "Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour?" he asked Peter. "Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak." He went away a second time and prayed, "My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." When he came back, he again found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy. So he left them and went away once more and prayed the third time, saying the same thing. Matthew 26:36-44
In all, He prayed what could be calculated to be at least three hours. Here is the Lord of Glory, the Son of the Most High, falling on His face before His Father. It has been witnessed that if one will pray just one hour, wonderful things begin to happen! Just try it and you will see!
And then there are times you feel a burden, and know prayer is in order, but just to engage in it seems to elude you. The problems, the answers, where are they? We must, by faith, come before our Heavenly Father and pour our hearts and our needs out before Him and as Paul wrote to the Romans,
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God's will. Romans 8:26-27
And praise God, we have an advocate, Jesus Christ the Messiah,
Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died--more than that, who was raised to life--is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Romans 8:34
Yes, Jesus is still praying, as he is interceding for us. Bless His Name, for His compassion, His love, and His saving, keeping power is still available.
Let us praise Him for
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:37-39
Yes, there is power in prayer, and if we will exercise and lengthen our prayer time, mighty things will happen. Just as our Savior, after He ministered healing and miracles, went before God in prayer to receive strength and power for the next day, likewise and ever so much more, we must spend more time in prayer and intercession. Set aside a special time.
Besides this, you should set aside a quiet time, a time to commune with God in a personal and private prayer time. It will become the most precious time of your day! If you do, you too will soon witness and experience that there is truly, "Power through Prayer."
In Christ's Service,
Kenny Millhouse
kenny@guidinglightministry.com
Guiding Light Ministry - an evangelistic outreach!
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