God Shapes the World by Prayer

The National Day of Prayer is only a few days away. For those of you who tirelessly plan events every year, it probably feels like you just finished last year and already the first Thursday of May is upon you. It is amazing how the time flies. What an exciting time it is though. On May 1, millions of God's people will be praying, united across denominations as one voice before the throne. Your efforts are contributing to something that is eternal. Remember, prayer outlives the lives of those who utter them. They outlive a generation, outlive an age and outlive a world. Revelation 5:8 and 8:3-4 tell us that the prayers of the Saints are a sweet aroma to Him.

E.M. Bounds tells us, "God shapes the world by prayer. The more praying there is in the world, the better the world will be and the mightier the forces against evil everywhere. Prayer, in one phase of its operation, is a disinfectant and a preventive. Prayer is God's settled and singular condition to move ahead His Son's kingdom. Therefore, the believer who is the most highly skilled in prayer will do the most for God. Men are to pray - to pray for the advance of God's cause. The one who can wield the power of prayer is the strong one, the holy one, in Christ's kingdom. He is one of God's heroes, saints, servants, and agents. "Ask, and it shall be given you, seek, and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you" Matthew 7:7. The strongest one in Christ's kingdom is he who can knock the best, and the secret of success in Christ's kingdom is the ability to pray.

Prayer is the greatest of all forces because it honors God and brings Him into active aid. Prayer is the easiest and hardest of all things. It is the simplest and the most sublime, the weakest and the most powerful. Its results lie outside the range of human possibilities; they are limited only by the omnipotence of God."

Prayer is an act of submission.

Remember, in praying, it is not about us, it is about what we do for Him - who first loved us. You may never see your prayers answered in your lifetime. But we must tarry with our Father. Through prayer you will understand the deep things of God.