PRAY

For the last month and a half, the Lord as overwhelmed my spirit with the sense of urgency to pray. I would be given very random dreams of family members, and friends, and issues in this country is facing that I should pray for.

As Hurricane Irma was about to pass over Florida, I felt lead to pray, I would open a map of the storm that was headed to that state and placed my hand over the storm and prayed. I prayed, and prayed for the storm to weaken. I prayed that the LORD, in whom the winds and waves obey would have this hurricane dissapte in the mighty name of Jesus! 

Although I felt I did what the Lord asked of me, I know that in the back of mind the enemy was causing my heart to doubt the validity of my prayers to God. "What could my prayer really actually do to help a teen, a marriage, to heal a body,  or a friends struggle, to stop a hurricane?!" Thoughts like this hindered the belief in my prayers. Doesn't the enemy always try to put doubt on GOD's truth? What a liar he is!! 

A few years ago I stumbled across a sermon that Pastor C. H. Spurgeon had preached on August 12, 1860. While the whole sermon was very profound for me, there was a particular part of the sermon that I was reminded of when these tiny pieces of doubt would try to enter my mind. Pastor Spurgeon stated the following. 

"Brothers and sisters, do you believe in prayer? I know you pray because you are God’s people; but do you believe in the power of prayer? There are a great many Christians that don’t, they think it is a good thing, and they believe that sometimes it does wonders; but they don’t think that prayer, real prayer, is always successful. They think that its effect depends upon many other things, but that it hasn’t any essential quality or power in itself. Now, my own soul’s conviction is, that prayer is the greatest power in the entire universe; that it has a more omnipotent force than electricity, gravity, or any other of those secret forces which men have called by names, but which they do not understand. Prayer has as obvious, as true, as sure, as invariable an influence over the entire universe as any of the laws of matter. When a person really prays, it is not a question whether God will hear them or not, he must hear them; not because there is any compulsion in the prayer, but there is a sweet and blessed compulsion in the promise. God has promised to hear prayer, and he will keep his promise. Since he is the most high and true God, he cannot deny himself. Oh! to think of this; that you a puny person may stand here and speak to God, and through God is controlling the entire universe. Yet when your prayer is heard, creation will not be disturbed; though the greatest prayer is answered, providence will not be disarranged for a single moment. Not a leaf will fall earlier from the tree, not a star will stray from its course, nor one drop of water trickle more slowly from its fount, all will go on the same, and yet your prayer will have effected everything."

As I reflect on those words, I remind myself over and over that my prayers do not go unheard! The Lord saw if fit to tell us this in Isaiah 55:11. 

"So shall my word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it"

My prayers for marriage, health, healing, protection, wisdom, peace, stillness of a storm, our country, our students, our nation, all of them, every single prayer, each and every single one are all heard by the Sovereign Lord, and my friend so are yours, lest we forget. 

To pray is not an act of duty, rather it is a treasured gift to God, and to those whom you are praying for. 

Prayer-

Lord, thank you for prayer. Thank you that I can come before you at any moment, anytime and you are available to me. Thank you for understating that I doubt at times. Thank you for your truth and promises that never falter! Help me to designate a solid prayer time with you in my daily life. A time that I can come before the throne room, and the mercy seat and lay my requests at your feet. Give me the wisdom to know and understand that while I may not see the fruition of my prayer immediately, that you are orchestrating every detail to the thing in which I am praying for. And Lord, help me to block the lies of the enemy and stand firm on the promises in your word, and in my life. Thank you for loving me as you do! In Jesus Name - Amen. 

God Bless Family