Prayer – a Matter of Faith
Do you believe in prayer? I’d guess that most of you who stop by my blog here do. You’ve probably had plenty of times when your prayers were answered. Sometimes just as you hoped while other times you may have had to wait for an answer or accept an answer different from the one you sought.
On Facebook, we see plenty of requests for prayer when our friends or someone in their family has some sort of crisis – medical or emotional. You may wonder about whether our prayers in those cases really make a difference. But the Bible says prayers matter. That they not only matter to us, they matter to God. The Bible tells us He wants to hear from his people.
Pray Always
In my book that releases this summer, The Innocent, prayer is one of the recurring faith themes. My character’s mother has continually admonished her to pray in all situations as Corrie ten Boom suggests in the following quote.
Any concern too small to be turned into a prayer is too small to be made into a burden. (Corrie ten Boom)
Prayers Answered
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve seen prayers answered on Facebook and down here on the farm. On Facebook prayers were requested for two youngsters involved in accidents. One a near drowning. The other a child finding and swallowing prescriptioin medication. Both children were in dire conditions with worries they might not come out of the experience. Both children, on last report on-line, were playing and back to their normal selves. I didn’t know either of these families or children, but along with other concerned friends of friends, I prayed. Prayers answered.
Pinpoint Prayers
I’ve been dipping into a book titled The Power of Praying Boldly by Will Davis, Jr. In one section, he advises not making general prayers asking to be blessed in a vague way, but to send up pinpoint petitions asking for just what you need or want. A good way to pray that helped my husband a week or so ago.
He had a problem here on the farm with his cattle. Nothing earth-shaking, but a definite concern. He needed to get his bull up but the animal refused to go into the barn. This went on for weeks. Either the bull would not go in the corral or if he did, he would calmly find a way to push out. My husband was frustrated to the point of arranging to tranquilize the bull. But then after pinpoint prayers from him and from me, the bull went in the barn. Problem solved. The Lord to be thanked.
Another prayer story from the last week is about my niece who is taking treatment for cancer. Things are often hard for her when she goes for the chemo. Last week, the technician wasn’t able to get blood for a test before the chemo. It looked like Julie would have to go to a different part of the hospital, go through the process of registration again and have a perhaps more difficult procedure to get the necessary test results before her chemo. But she asked the technician to try one more time, that she had asked her friends, via Facebook, to pray. Friends had prayed. The hospital worker said she had prayed too and was willing to give it another try. Julie says the blood flowed easily. Prayers answered.
Several years ago, I was in a low place with my writing. Nothing had sold. I wondered if I should quit. But I wrote one more book and prayed for the story. Prayed for myself as a writer. That book, Scent of Lilacs, found a publisher and gave me new hope and purpose as a writer. Prayers answered.
But if we have doubts about some of what we consider impossible prayers being answered, we are not alone. Think about the story where Peter’s friends and family were have a prayer meeting for him because he was locked up in jail. And yet, when the Lord led Peter out of the prison and Peter went to his house where the people were praying, it took a while for his friends to believe the servant girl who told them Peter was at the door.
Comments 6
First of all I love Shirleys story.God knew to use that pen to forever change her life for the better. God has showed me throughout life that he has been there for me,saved me when I was 11 and I have strayed from him but he has never strayed from me. As a loving father he has always been there when I come to him humbly.I had prayed for my grandson so much the past few months,he was born with a serious heart defect and had to undergo open heart surgery plus multiple other surgeries. I always prayed that Tuff would just live, but there came a time my prayer changed. One day Tuff got really sick and it wasn't looking good. I prayed that we could see him one more time. We live over 100 miles from the hospital. God let us make it there that day and we got to spend three more days with him before we had to say our final goodbyes.He went from his mamas arms o the arms of the Lord on 3-26-15. This is not the ending that I would have liked but I know that there is a purpose for everything.(
Ecclesiastes 3 King James Version (KJV)
3 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die;) Tuff touched a lot of people in his life, people in 6 countries were following him. I have heard stories of people starting back to church because of Tuff. He only got to live 33 days but he was loved. So yes Ann, sometimes prayers aren't answered he way we wish but that's where Faith comes in.
Author
It is difficult when the answer of your prayers isn't what you so fervently want it to be, but sometimes we can't see the whole picture. As something I read once said, we only see the underside of the weaving on our lives. That doesn't make losing your precious grandson any easier. And what a very special name for a little fellow that had to fight to even live those 33 days. May the Lord comfort you and his parents as only the Lord can comfort those with sad hearts. Your witness here to us is strong too, Lisa. Thank you for sharing. We'll all shed a few tears for Tuff or maybe more for you since as you say he's in Glory Land.
Absolutely Ann. What a lovely post! I had a prayer answered in an amazing way. I was a child by the way. I had borrowed my sisters favorite pen and lost it! I just knew I was in big trouble if I didn't find it. I tore my bedroom apart looking for this pen. I promised to take care of it. Promised I'd return it. I did not want to disappoint. I was so distraught I finally fell to my knees and prayed. When I finished and opened my eyes, there it was just behind the dresser. I could just see the tip of it. I thanked God of course but I come from a family who never prayed as a family. We never went to church. I think they believed, I know my mother did but we never went to church. I went. I went with an Aunt and cousin. I believed as a child because He answered my prayer. Often when I pray now, God puts this memory into my heart and I smile. He remembers everything.
Author
That's a great story, Shirley. What a way for the Lord to tell you, "Yes, child. I'm here." And He saw through the years how that answered prayer would continue to help you through the years as you prayed. Thank you for sharing your prayer story with us.
Sure have! I lost my wedding ring while working in the yard. I noticed it gone just about dusk, and believe it or not, I found it! I wrote about that on my blog. God has answered so many prayers for me – I definitely believe in the power of prayer.
Author
God is in the big things, Nancy, but He's also in what some might call the little things. Perhaps we should all talk more about those answered prayers and shout it out the way you did on your blog.