The Power of Prayer

I often underestimate the power of prayer. Maybe it's not that I underestimate it, but rather that I don't fully believe that I will get the answer that I want when I want it. I know that God can do anything. He created this universe out of nothing. He made a man out of dust and a woman out of bone. He can raise the dead and heal the cripple and blind. All these things show that he has the power to do anything.

Jesus spent a lot of his time on earth in prayer. Before every major decision or event in his life, he prayed. He prayed while he was being baptized (Luke 3:21). He spent the night in prayer before choosing his 12 best friends (Luke 6:12). He prayed before the Transfiguration (Luke 9:29). He prayed each night during Passion week in the same place - the Mount of Olives/Garden of Gethsemane (coincidentally, that was how Judas Iscariot knew where he would be the night he betrayed Jesus into the hands of the Pharisees) (Luke 21:37). You often read of Jesus going away from the crowds to a solitary place to pray (Luke 11:1, Luke 9:18).

If the Son of God believes so much in the power of prayer and puts such an emphasis on its importance, it shouldn't surprise us that we should also spend much of our time in prayer.

The power of prayer is shown in the early church. After Jesus was taken up into heaven, the believers gathered together and prayed (Acts 1:14). They prayed before choosing a replacement for Judas Iscariot (Acts 1:24). They devoted themselves to prayer (Acts 2:42). Peter and John were going to pray when they healed a crippled man (Acts 3:1). Peter prayed before raising Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:40). Prayer is prominent throughout both of Luke's New Testament books.

Like I said before, I know God can answer prayer. I am just skeptical about whether he will answer my prayers in the way I want him to. Jesus said, "if you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you" (John 15:7). There is a condition in there: I have to remain in him, know and believe his teachings. If I am truly remaining in him, I will be asking for only things that are in God's will for me to have.

I like to pray when I run. I don't listen to music or run with a friend usually. Instead I pray. A few weeks back, I was running and my IT band (the muscle on the side of your hip that runs from your hip to your knee) started to hurt. It hurt so bad that it started to affect my gait, which is typically when I have to stop running or risk hurting myself even more. It was early on in my long run, and I didn't want to stop. Instead I prayed that God would heal my hurting muscle so I could finish my run. This was a somewhat selfish prayer, so I didn't really think he would do it. But, to my surprise, a mile later, I didn't even feel the muscle that had previously hurt so bad. God had answered my prayer and healed me. I was able to finish my 18 mile run and feel good at the end of it.

Can you recall any times that God has surprised you by answering a prayer you didn't really think he would answer?