PRAYER – A Powerful Weapon

“The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” (James 5:16)

Do we actually realise what a powerful weapon God has given us with prayer? Do you know what God has already done because of prayer?  

When Moses prayed, God then parted the waters of the Red Sea so that the people could pass through dry-footed. Later, in the desert, he prayed again when the Israelites had no water.  

What did God do? In answer to prayer, God caused water to gush out of a rock so that a nation of around two million people had enough to drink. Isn’t that marvellous?! 

When Joshua prayed, God made the sun stand still for a whole day so that the people could defeat the enemy. Imagine that! 

When Hezekiah was in great distress and prayed, God sent an angel who killed 185,000 enemies in one night. 

Through prayer, mighty armies were overcome and even the mouths of lions were closed, as Daniel experienced. 

Elisha prayed for the Shunammite's son. God then raised him from the dead. In the New Testament, Peter prayed for Dorcas, who was also then raised from the dead by God. 

The earth shook when the first Christians prayed together (Acts 4). Later, when Peter was in prison, the believers there prayed intensely for him with one accord. God then opened iron doors and set His servant free (Acts 12). 

All of this emphasises the statement from James 5: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.” 

And if you take a look at church history and read good biographies, you will see that God is still committed to answering prayer today - when people devote themselves to prayer and pray earnestly! 

I find George Whitefield's biography very impressive. At that time, Christians often met for long prayer meetings and prayed together with one accord for revival. At the beginning of the Great Awakening in America, Whitefield wrote in his diary: 

"We were together until three o'clock in the morning praying and left with the firm conviction that God would do great things." 

And this is what men like Whitefield, Wesley and later D.L.Moody and also many others actually experienced. Times change - but we still have the same God today who has not changed! And this God invites us to come before the throne of grace with boldness in prayer. 

J.P.S.

Article series: Elijah