Powerful in Prayer

At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped

forward and prayed: “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac

and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in

Israel and that I am your servant and have done all

these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD,

answer me, so these people will know that you, O

LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts

back again.”  Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned

up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and

also licked up the water in the trench. When all the

people saw this, they fell prostrate and cried, “The

LORD—he is God! The LORD—he is God!”

                                              I Kings 18:36-39 

     Have you known a powerful pray-er—someone who opens the gates of heaven in prayer? Do you long to hear them pray in church prayer time or Bible study? Do you desire to open your eyes and peek heavenward as prayer rises because you know you will be able to see heaven’s splendor?

     What makes a powerful pray-er? Like you, I have seen them in varied shapes and sizes. I have listened as grannies, who could barely walk, shook the rafters of the church with powerful praying. I have heard an elderly gentleman, whom I did not know, pray in a soft unassuming voice that escorted me directly into the presence of God. I have heard pastors pray with a burning fervor over the condition of their flock.

     What makes a powerful pray-er? Is it the words we use? I do not believe it is. Is it our tone of voice? No! Is it the posture we take when we pray? I think not. After reading and re-reading the Scriptures relating to Elijah, I consider the following to be the basics of a powerful prayer life. Keep in mind that I am not a theologian; I have not studied Hebrew and Greek and admit that I do not understand all the nuances of every word. However, like many of you, I have spent some time with my God, and I believe I can make the case for a powerful prayer life, from Scripture, for the following:

1.   Know God – I must spend time with Him

2.   Believe God – I must know and believe what He says (read His Word)

3.   Trust God – I must trust that His plan is best for my life

4.   Obey God – I must, without reservation, obey 

5.   Love God – I must love Him with all my heart, soul, mind and strength

     I submit to you that there is something better than knowing a powerful pray-er. Be a powerful pray-er. You may already be that person who opens the gates of heaven when you pray. If you are, please pray for me and others as we continue our journey and spend time with Jehovah God Almighty, the Great I Am.  

©JP2014

Repost