I've been reading a book by Bill Hybels called Too Busy Not to Pray and I want to pass along some of my learnings. There are three truths you need to know in order to jump start your prayer life. 1. Prayer Makes a Tangible Difference
If we don't believe that prayer makes any difference we certainly won't spend time praying. The opposite is also true! In Exodus 17:8-13 Moses learned that prayer makes a difference. In this story the Israelites (the good guys) were fighting the Amalekites (the bad guys). When Moses lifted his hands in prayer to heaven the Israelites would have the upper hand. When he ceased to lift his hands in prayer the Amalekites began to win. So Moses got some help and continued to lift his hands in prayer - and consequently the Israelites won the battle. From this event Moses learned the same thing we need to learn...prayer makes a tangible difference in our lives! It actually changes things! We've got to believe this is we're going to pray.
2. God is Willing to Hear You and Help You
Some people think the biggest challenge in prayer is getting God to listen to them in the first place. Then they mistakenly think the second biggest challenge is getting God to unlock his bag of blessings that he doesn't want to share. Nothing could be further from the truth! God is willing to both hear and help you. How do I know? Because of Luke 18:2-5. In this story there's a widow with no connections appealing to a judge with no convictions (he's corrupt). Since the judge won't grant her justice she comes up with the strategy to annoy him until he gives in. And it works! The judge finally grants her justice. Some people mistakenly think this story is allegory (where the judge stands for God, the widow represent us, and the moral of the story is that God wil help us if we annoy him enough times with our problems). What many people don't understand is that this isn't allegory, it's a study in contrast. Here's the deal. We are not like the widow (we're not abandoned; we are God's adopted children, Jesus' brothers and sisters. We are in God's family and we matter to him). God is not like the judge (the judge was crooked, unfair, disrespectful, uncaring and preoccupied with personal matters - that's the polar opposite of the God we serve!). The point then is that if an egotistical judge was willing to hear from a widow of no status...how much more will our loving heavenly Father listen to his children - who he loved so much that he sent Jesus to die for them? God is willing to hear from you and to help you!
3. God is Able to Do Anything, Change Anyone, Intervene in any circumstance.
Until we believe truth #3 we won't pray about our deepest needs and pressing problems. Fortunately we have the Scriptures which teach us that nothing is to hard for God. He can do anything! In Exodus 14 & Joshua 3 he parted seas and rivers. In Exodus 16 & John 6 God dropped food from heaven and multiplied fish & bread. In Mark 4 Jesus calmed the storm for his disciples at sea. In Joshua 10 God extended the hours of daylight so Israel's troops could be victorious. In Exodus 17 God brought water from a rock! Get the picture yet? God can do anything! He can also change anyone. In Acts 9:1-31 God turned the fanatical persecutor Saul into a globe-trotting apostle. And in Acts 2 we see that Peter, once unable to stand up to a servant girl, bravely confronting thousands of people with the truth of the gospel. You see, God can change anyone! Finally, the Bible also shows us that God can intervene in any circumstance. In Acts 12 the apostle Peter (the guy we just mentioned) was sentenced to be executed (as had James). So the church prayed for God to intervene. And in response to their prayers, God sent an angel to the prison to release Peter. The church was so shocked when Peter arrived at the door of the house they were praying in - that they initially wouldn't let him in because they didn't believe it was him! I guess that even though they were praying for God to intervene they didn't really believe he would! Well through this experience God taught them the same thing he wants to teach us: that He can intervene in any circumstance!
If your prayer life is hanging on by a thread, why not remind yourself of these three truths once a day for a whole week. I'll guarantee it will change your prayer life.
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