Powerful Prayer
I spent most of my day in Lakewood. I had a lunch 
with John Andrews, Founder of the Centennial Institute. I also was able to visit with CCU President Bill Armstrong. President Armstrong reported that he and his Cabinet have consistently prayed for me over the past almost two years.
Both of these men represent distinguished careers in public service. President Armstrong has served with distinction as the President of Colorado Christian University. Before that he served in the U.S. Senate the the U.S. Congress. John Andrews began his political career at as speech writer to President Nixon and eventually served as the President of the Colorado Senate. He was the Founder of the Independence Institute and the Centennial Institute two of the foremost political think tanks upholding the principles of liberty and freedom.
I also had the opportunity to make a “pastoral visit.” Vila Mae Byram is 93 and not only attended the church I pastored in Lakewood, but is among a special and declining group that have know me since I was a child. It just proves that one of those little munchkins running around the church may very well be your pastor one day!
BIBLE VERSE FOR TODAY… “O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove now that you are the God of Israel and that I am your servant and have done all this at your command. Answer me, Lord, answer me, so that this people will know that you, the Lord, are God and that you are bringing them back to yourself.” 1 Kings 18:36,37
These verses above are from the prayer of Elijah as he challenged the pagan prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel. The contest involved altars with sacrifices on them and “the god who answered by fire” was the true God.
The host of the prophets of Baal had danced, chanted, cried out and even cut themselves to no avail. After hours of their pagan rituals, Elijah rebuilds a broken down altar with twelve stones and lays out the sacrifice on the wood and then asked for the sacrifice and altar to be soaked with water.
Elijah prays a two sentence prayer and a fire comes from heaven that incinerates the altar: sacrifice, wood, stone, water…all gone! The people bow and declare, “the Lord, He is God!”
Elijah’s prayer was answered. Elijah did not pray for fire from heaven. He prayed that the Lord would reveal Himself as “the God” of the patriarch’s, that Elijah would be revealed as an obedient servant and that God’s people would return to Him.
Prayer can be a mystery. It is important for us to realize that prayer needs to be a consistent part of our lives. Jesus, “go up early in the morning to pray.” (Mark 1:35) He asked His disciples in the garden, “could not you watch [pray] with me for one hour?!” (Matt. 26:40) We need to realize the habit of our time in God’s Word and in prayer strengthens our faith and fellowship with the Lord. At the same time we need to make sure that we don’t fall the practice Jesus warned about when He said, “…in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (Matt. 6:7)
Our prayers must be prayers in faith that focus on the character of God and rely upon the Lord to act as He chooses to reveal Himself and to work as is needed. In Elijah’s situation God answered in a more powerful way than he could have asked. Do our prayers at time limit God, because we “tell God how to act?” Just a thought for you to consider.
I also think of some of the words of David’s “prayer” actually declaration, as he faced Goliath. “….I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the Israelite armies, which you have defied. This very day the Lord will put you in my power….Then the whole world will know that Israel has a God….“ (1 Samuel 17:45-47)
I think of Jesus prayer as just before He raised Lazarus from the dead. “I thank you, Father, that you listen to me. I know that you always listen to me, but I say this for the sake of the people here, so that they will believe that you sent me.” (John 11:40-44)
Did Jesus need to pray before raising Lazarus? I don’t think so, but what we do see in His prayer is like Elijah of old He asked the Father to use this miracle to affirm God’s power and Jesus as the Messiah sent from God.
I believe God still answers prayer powerfully. Perhaps it is not “powerful prayers” as much as “powerfully answers prayers.” What paves the way for powerful answers to prayer? Prayers made in faith and obedience. Prayers that allow the Lord to reveal Himself in His fulness, in His way. Prayers that pave the way for God to be magnified and people’s hearts turned to Him.