Power In It

Max Lucado once said, "Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference."

I encountered someone many years ago, who deemed prayer a sign of weakness, a notion I strongly rejected then and now.

To me, prayer is the most powerful force in the universe; a direct line to God's throne room.

If you are my age, or older, you are familiar with the emphasis “red phone”. A supposed phone, red in color, that directly connected the White House with the Former Soviet Union.

This black-and-white file photo shows the White House Kremlin "hot line" becoming operational. On August 30, 1963, the Moscow-to-Washington hotline went live. The first test message from the U.S.? “The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog’s back.” It was used because it contains every letter in the alphabet.

 The Soviets fired back a description, in Russian, of a sunset. (source: voanews dot com)

A direct line, put in place for the sole purpose of avoiding what would have been a major missile disaster.

The 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis made the hotline a priority. During the standoff, official diplomatic messages typically took six hours to deliver; unofficial channels, such as via television network correspondents, had to be used too as they were quicker. The experience of the crisis convinced both sides of the need for better communications. (Source: Wikipedia dot com)

You have something even better. A direct line from anywhere you are, straight to the Throne Room in Heaven.

We are invited to: "…come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." Hebrews 4:16 NKJV

What this world needs is more warriors; prayer warriors.

Daniel comes to mind. His unwavering faith and loyalty to God earned him favor and kindness. The story of Daniel in the lion's den stands out as a testament to God's deliverance.

Despite a royal decree forbidding prayer to any god for 30 days, Daniel continued praying openly. Accused and thrown into the lions' den, he trusted God for deliverance. Miraculously, God sent an angel to shut the lions' mouths, sparing Daniel.

This event deeply affected King Darius, who acknowledged the living God's power and authority. The king issued a decree proclaiming the greatness of Daniel's God.

In contrast, Daniel's accusers faced a grim fate, along with their families. There are consequences for our actions.

The lesson? Our one true living God can save us from real danger. Just as He shut the mouths of hungry lions, He can rescue us from the devil's snares. We have the honor and privilege of seeking His help whenever we need it; as often as we need it!

Whether it is to avert a crisis or praise Him for His goodness, He is only a prayer away.

by Jeanette Stark – Tuesday, January 23, 2024