Power of Prayer

For some time now I've been wondering about why we should pray. Not that I doubted the power of prayer or doubted God Himself, rather I was wondering that if the Spirit intercedes for us on our behalf, as said by the Bible, then why should we still take time to pray? And so I did some research, from the Bible, from the Internet etc., and I soon realized the true power of prayer.

Acts 12 tells us about Peter's miraculous escape from prison. But the escape didn't come just like that. It came because people were praying. "but the church was earnestly praying for him."(v5) and again in v12,"many people had gathered and were praying". Because the church was praying for Peter while he was still in prison, God intervened. And thus Peter's miraculous escape from prison.

Luke4:1-13 is the famour story of Jesus' temptation in the wilderness. Satan didn't tempt Jesus just 3 times, as most of us think, rather "for forty days he was tempted by the devil"(v2). Imagine being tempted for forty days. Imagine not eating for forty days and someone keeps tempting you with food every hour, while you are getting hungrier and hungrier by the minute. You might say,"But he is the Lord Jesus Christ, of course he can", but you know, friend, Jesus was a man, an ordinary human just like you and I. He could feel hunger too(v2). But you know why he could resist the devil? Because Jesus remained focused. Focused on his ultimate destiny. And the key to his focus: Fervent prayer. For forty days in the wilderness Jesus did nothing but prayed. And God intervened.

Genesis 20 is a story about how Abimelech took Sarah as his own wife, not knowing that Sarah was in fact Abraham's wife, because Abraham had chosen to hide the fact from everybody. And due to that incident God closed up every womb in Abimelech's household. But when Abraham prayed for Abimelech and his household, God opened the wombs of the women and they all could have children again.

There are a lot more stories in the Bible about how God moved through the power of prayer, but these are mainly the stories that I'd like us all to learn from today. Friends do you realize the power of prayer?

1. Prayer brings about freedom.
From the first story of Peter's escape from prison, we see that because people were praying, God brought about freedom to Peter's life, and to a larger extent, the church. God first took off the chains of Peter(v7), then opened doors for him to walk out into freedom(v10). Friends today if you are bounded by something, a sin, a burden, a broken past, a broken heart, or today deep inside you you long for a breakthrough in a particular area, start praying. Because God wants to set you free.

2. Prayer brings about strength and sustainence
In the second story, we see how Jesus managed to resist the devil even at his physically weakest. I use the phrase 'physically weak' because Jesus was strong spiritually. And his strong Spirit enabled him to draw strength from God. Science tells us that a person is unable to survive without food for more than 5 weeks, or 35 days, much less 40 days! Yet Jesus survived forty days without food. God sustained him through the forty days of prayer and fasting. Friends today if you are feeling weak, physically, mentally, spiritually or in any other area, pray. Because God wants to sustain you through your prayers.

3. Prayer brings about fruitfulness.
In the third story about Abraham and Abimelech, we see how God brought fruifulness back to the household of Abimelech through Abraham's prayer. Friends today know that your prayers on earth stir the heavens, and through your prayers God wants to release fruitfulness into your life. But He cannot do that until you start praying. Friends if today you know you need fruitfulness in something, perhaps in your exam results, in your work, in your CCA, in your family, in your school, or in any other area, start praying. Because through your prayers God can release fruitfulness into your life.

I know there are IGNYTErs who view my blog. Today even let this post be for you. I know many of you were fasting during this week prior to "EXIT", good. But I want to encourage each of you to continue praying fervently for the event. Because I sense and I thank God that He wants to release a open heavens into IGNYTE ministry. But friends we have to keep praying. As we pray, we believe that God will release and bring into freedom our oikos. Their chains will be removed and God will open doors for them to walk through into the salvation that He has for them. As we pray we also believe for strength and sustainence. Many of them will be tired from the past week, and many of them who walk through the glass doors of both the chapel and the red rooms will be bringing with them the problems from the past week. IGNYTErs as we pray we believe that God will release strength and sustain them, allowing them to be a testimony of a God they have yet known. Lastly as we pray we also believe for fruitfulness, that during the event we will see the kingdom of Heaven truly forcefully advancing, and we will witness many souls being released into the kingdom of Heaven, and it will be one big party in Heaven as the angels are rejoicing over new found souls, for they were once lost, but they are now found. IGNYTErs can you hear the sound of revival?

But friends more than praying for your oikos, let this post also be for yourself. Today there is only one message: make prayer the principle of your life. Remember, As we close our hands in prayer, God opens His.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliciotn, faithful in prayer" (Romans12:12)
"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1Thes5:16-18)


What if the armies of the Lord
Picked up and dusted off their swords
Vowed to set the captives free
And not let satan have one more

What if the church for heaven's sake
Finally stepped up to the plate
Took a stand upon God's promise
And stormed hell's rusty gates

What if His people prayed
And those who bare His name
Would humbly seek His face
And turn from their own way

And what would happen if we prayed
For those raised up to lead the way
Then maybe kids in school could pray
And unborn children see light of day

What if the life that we pursue
Came from a hunger for the truth
What if the family turned to Jesus
Stopped asking Oprah what to do

He said that He would hear
His promise has been made
He'll answer loud and clear
If only we would pray

If my people called by my name
If they'll humble themselves and pray
If my people called by my name
If they'll humble themselves and pray