Believing Prayer.

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“Call unto me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things which you do not know… or you have not known.” --Jeremiah 33:3 There’s a great Christian of yesteryear by the name of E. M. Bounds and he wrote a number of books on prayer. Here’s what Bounds said: “When faith ceases to pray, faith ceases to live.” Prayer is the most powerful force on earth because it enables us to link with the power of God. It’s the key to everything. It’s the key to joy. It’s the key to open doors of blessing upon our lives. It is the key to victory over sin, sorrow and death. This is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith! We’re not talking about praying to the “Man Upstairs.” We are praying to Almighty God, the Great I AM! He is available. And through prayer He is accessible to us. Don’t limit God, because God is limitless. So often our prayers are too small because our god is too small. Have faith in God! He is great and gracious! How are you trusting Him right now? Are you praying? Are you asking? Are you believing God to do great and mighty things in your life? Or are you settling? Too many Christians are settling for less than God’s best in their lives. It’s a simple command. If you have a bold, daring faith, you must pray, and if you will pray, you will have a bold and daring faith. Pray, believe, and receive. Who Sees God Work? by Dr. Paul Chappell “And shall say, Cast ye up, cast ye up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made.” Isaiah 57:14-16 As we read the Bible and church history, we see God working in mighty ways. We sometimes fall into the trap of thinking that it was only because certain people had such amazing faith that they saw powerful works of God. Yet the pattern of God’s work in our world is not so much about great people, but about humble people. It is only when we recognize and acknowledge our own inability that we seek God’s help. When the disciples asked Jesus to teach them to pray, He gave them the model prayer, frequently referred to as “the Lord’s prayer.” Then He went on to give them an illustration of a man asking a friend for food to share with an unexpected guest. “And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves; For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?” (Luke 11:5–6). If we think that we are sufficient in our own strength, ability, and resources, we will not urgently seek the help of God. And because He has ordained prayer as the means by which we receive His help, if we do not ask, we will not receive.   Today’s Growth Principle:  The only way to see God work in great power is to recognize our complete dependence on Him.