Discover the Power of Prayerናሙና

God answers prayer. Sometimes, He responds swiftly with a resounding yes. That solution brings relief and optimism. Yet, many of our prayers are answered slowly with Heavenly strength only for the next moment. We understand the answer when we look back months, or perhaps even years later and begin to see that God delights in answering the prayers of His children. That is the kind of God we have: a God big enough to see the whole picture. This God isn’t a genie in a bottle, waiting for us to recite a certain meditation or perform certain works. He is omniscient and all-powerful and responds to the cries of His children.

God wants us to be His prayer warriors. We may not feel much like prayer warriors as we sit in that hospital room holding the hand of a loved one. We may not feel like mighty men or women of God when we pray for a friend’s salvation or spiritual growth. Yet, that is one of the secrets of prayer warriors. They are not great in and of themselves. They are only powerful because of the One who hears their prayers.

Prayer is not getting God to adjust His program to what we want; it is adjusting our lives to the revealed will of God. When we pray, it isn’t God who changes, but rather, it is us! The purpose of prayer is to glorify God through His work here on earth.

When Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, He prayed for His Father’s will to be done. He was not relishing the thought of going to the cross, yet He submitted Himself to His Father’s will. Jesus longed for there to be a different way, yet, “…for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame…” (Hebrews 12:2).

We are not to use prayer as a tool to change the will of God; rather it is a tool to see His will performed on this earth. We must recognize that prayer will change us as the prayer warriors more than it will change any situation we face. When we consistently set ourselves toward the work of prayer, we will find that God will show us ways that we need to change.

What do your prayers consist of? Are they full of requests for God to change your situation? Take some time to think through some of your recent prayers. How would they change if you asked God to change you instead of your situation?