INCENSE TO HIS NOSTRILS

Donna Braman
Guidance Series

The Power of Prayer

Scripture Reading: John 16:23-24

John the Revelator saw and heard many things when he was taken up into heaven.  He said he heard many voices around the throne.  I've meditated quite a bit about just who those voices belong to.  I believe they are the voices of the saints here on earth.  If that is true, then we are closer to heaven than we could ever even imagine.  John said that heaven falls silent for half an hour while God listens to the petitions of the saints. Jesus is our mediator and He sits at the right hand of God on the throne interceding for us.  Did you know that God releases angels to attend us and to protect us?  Jesus said he would give us the treasures of heaven.  

To fully understand prayer we must understand the height of Jesus' love, that precept upon precept and line upon line that he lays out for us in the gospels of just how high His Kingdom is and what our rich inheritance is through His precious shed blood and the scourging of his body. We have benefits of being a son or daughter of the King. Most of the time we receive not because we ask not. If we believe in the word then it's time we begin to believe in its power. Let's take a look today at what the word says is available to us through prayer and how God responds to it.

"It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear." (Isaiah 65:24.)  Jeremiah goes on to say, "In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me in earnest, you will find me when you seek me." Paul told us that while Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could deliver him out of death.  And God heard his prayers because of his reverence for His Father.  The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.  He fulfills the desires of those who fear him; he hears their cry and saves them.

If you step into some of the churches and listen to the prayers, too often you will hear a minute (maybe) of whispers without emotion or power.  If you want to stop a evil seed like King David did, then get up and shout a praise to Him and cry from your belly for deliverance for a loved one or to move a mountain you face. If Christians could get it in their hearts and minds that their praying stops heaven for half an hour, there wouldn't be a silent tongue in the church left when the preacher said, Let us Pray! You see, I'm not worried about how long the preacher preaches, or hoping he will skip the altar service so I can get to Bojangles and impress our friends with the  latest events of our lives. I want to put my voice where it counts. Next time you pray think about that silence in the throne room just so God can hear what you have to say to the one who gave you treasures beyond measure and sent the comforter to show His perfect will, and let's not forget how he sends the heavenly host to earth just to protect us, least we stump our toe.

King David knew the benefits of prayer and worship and he was a man after God's own heart.  In Psalm 50:15 he says, :Call upon me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me."  James 5:16 says, the earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and wonderful results.  I don't know about you but that makes me thirst and hunger more for altar prayer and to seek those fruitful Christians who may lay hands on me and pray.

Many times we find ourselves worrying and trying to figure things out in the carnal mind, but Paul had a better solution in Phillipians 4:6-7, he says, "Be anxious for nothing but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  When we look to the world to solve our problems or get on our telephone ministries to our friends, well already we've gone to the wrong source. God cannot respond to your voice when it is directed everywhere except to him.  1Peter 3:12 says, "For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer."  He didn't say he was attentive to voices partaking in the worldly way of talking about problems.  If we spent as much time talking to the Lord as we did our friends for solutions we would all be walking in victory. Well glory!

Jesus had quite a bit to say about prayer as well, so let's listen carefully to his words.  In Matthew 21:22, he said, "Whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith." In Mark 11:24 Jesus said, "I say unto you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you WILL have them."

SEED WORD: Jesus declared, "Truly, truly, I say unto you, whatever you ask of the Father in MY NAME, He will give it to you.  Until now you have asked nothing in my name.  Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full."