The Power of Prayer

We had a pastor-friend stay with us over the weekend. He has written several books and is a brilliant, kind, loving man. In one of his books (If God Already Knows, Why Pray?), he describes the way he and his wife met and fell in love and it is such a powerful example of prayer moving mountains!
For one of his many degrees he attended the University of Edinborough in Scotland. At the beginning of his time there he was drawn to a woman who was superb in every way, but he was so sure that she would turn down a boy from Dillon, SC that he didn't ever talk to her. So, for two years, he watched her and prayed that the Lord would make her his one day. After two years, he approached her one day and popped the question, I'm talking "Will you Marry Me?"--out of the blue!!! And she said YES! It doesn't go into all the details in the book but I'm sure the Lord did some serious work in her heart! Now, decades later, they are very much in love, traveling the world, and doing great things for the kingdom!
Y'all, prayer is powerful!! The Lord is showing me the powers of the prayers of his people. We have a burden to pray for the nation, for our communities, for revival, for friends and family, for our future, for an increase in the knowledge of Him, and for so many other things!! My mom once told me that our prayers are like water behind a dam, and the "water" continues to build up behind the dam until it eventually breaks, pouring out the Lord's blessings on us. Perhaps, it takes two years for that dam to break, maybe only a week or two, and possibly, we don't perceive that dam breaking on our heads. But the Lord has promised that our prayers are heard and he will answer in accordance with His will and good purposes. Hallelujah! What a Savior!
Hope that you have a fabulous Sabbath tomorrow! Oh, and you should check out Doug Kelly's books, especially If God Already Knows, Why Pray?


Here are some great excerpts from the book:
pg 26--"At last, here is the answer to the question: what is God like? This is what the triune God is like: life, light, and love. That is the secret to this universe and the key to understanding everything that exists."
pg 63--"In the prayers of His people, as everywhere else, our God has the initiative. This is very encouraging if we grasp what it means! Effective prayers start in Heaven and are sent down to us by God Himself."