During a Sunday Morning Worship, a mentally disturbed man walks into a Texas Church, fully armed, and disguised in a wig and false beard, and opens fire on the congregation, killing two parishioners. Another man, in a similar incident, walks into a Jewish Synagogue armed with a machete, and kills two people. If these incidents can happen, literally, IN THE CHURCH, one might be led to wonder, ‘Does prayer still work?’ From its inception the goal of the Shiloh Quarterly Journal has been two-fold; to inspire and to inform. Information, to keep you aware of the goings-on in our Church/Family life, and inspiration, to fan the flame of the Work of the Holy Spirit in our lives, based on the faithfulness of God toward us. Our feeble attempts have not always been successful, but they have always been with the best of intentions.
So, when it comes to Prayer, there’s very little that I can tell you, that you don’t already know through personal experience. But there have been moments in my life when I questioned, “If Prayer Still Works, and……. What about faith?” Still a novice at prayer, but a student of faith, I know that regardless of what we may encounter in this life, Jesus teaches his disciples, and us, about persistent prayer and faith through the Parable of the Persistent Widow, at Luke 18:1-8 NKJV, where it is written, “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart, saying, ‘There was in a certain city a judge who did not fear God, nor regard man. Now there was a widow in that city; and she same to him saying, ‘Get justice for me from my adversary’, and he would not for a while; but afterward he said within himself, ‘Though I do not fear God nor regard man, yet because this widow troubles me I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me’. Then the Lord said, ‘Hear what the unjust judge said. And shall God not avenge His own elect who cry out day and night to him, though he bears long with them? I tell you that He will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?’”
Prayer projects faith and it is the expression of our relation to God and creates in us a yearning for divine communion with Him. Faith does the impossible because it brings God to our impossibility. It is the ever-persevering of our new life to stay afloat with our Creator, amid a fallen world, even when it looks and feels like the ship is going down. The faith that centers itself on the powerful person of Jesus Christ is the faith that creates powerful praying, fully established in His ability, and His compassion for us. We were created to worship; and prayer is the ultimate worship- because it is our heartfelt expression and confidence in the True & Living God, who cannot lie and who cannot deny Himself. True faith lays hold to the Truth that is God’s Word, and it is life-transforming. In prayer, faith is looking to God and resting upon His promises, which gives birth to peace, and peace gives Power to Prayer. With all the preaching and teaching that Pastor has done over the past thirty years, it has been the work of the ministry to change unbelieving sinners into praying and believing saints. We have come a long way, but we have a long way to go. It is through the Word of God and faith that prayer worked, and still works. And we know that before requests are made known, faith must have gone ahead.
- “But without faith it is impossible to please him for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrew 11:16 KJV.
- “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.” John 4:24 KJV
In prayer I am forced to get down, off from my high-horse, and submit to the will of Almighty God. It is the assertion of the soul’s dire need to bow down in the Presence of Royalty. Situations, disappointments, and dangers seen, and unseen will weigh on us, but trust in the Lord will bring us to our knees, and if we must wait, then we wait! If we must linger, then we linger!
It is the lowliness of our pitiful position in the presence of an Omnipotent God that gives us the “substance of things hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen” (Heb 11:1) through faith in prayer. Far from being an expert at Prayer, life has taught me that when it comes to talking to God, all I really need is to come boldly, and with honesty- honest about who I am, and honest about Who HE is. The mere fact that I can talk to Him, about anything is very humbling. The mere fact that He wants to hear from me, and beckons me to come, exemplifies His mercy, love, and grace, to all who belong to Him. With all that He knows about me- He never goes the other way when He sees me coming. In prayer, fire is the motive power, and there can be no successful praying without consuming desire. Power is the wing on which faith ascends; and fervency is the push of prayer. Somebody said, ‘Pray Until Something Happens!’ and I think it bears repeating. Burden of soul, sense of need, desperation, and utter self-abandonment creates in us a thirst for prayer; and consuming prayer in the Word of God is the refreshing living water that quench’s our thirst, bringing relief to our dry, parched lives. Ask the Samaritan Woman at the Well, and she will tell you that; “Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked him, and he would have given thee living water” (John 4:9 KJV).
“The life, power, and glory of the church is prayer. The life of its members is dependent on prayer and the presence of God is secured and retained by prayer. This very place is made sacred by its ministry. Without it, the church is lifeless, and powerless. Without it, even this building itself is nothing more than a structure. Prayer converts even the bricks, and mortar and lumber into a sanctuary, a Holy Place. A Habitation for God. Ultimately, in prayer, in the name of Jesus, it is faith in Christ that is the basis of all working, and we ought to do it often. Every day demands its own prayer, and despite what’s going on in the world today, or even in our lives, prayer through faith still works, and we have new grace and new mercies for the new day. Doubt and fear are the twin foes of faith. So, I ask you, “When the Son of Man Comes, will he find faith in you?” [Excerpt from The Complete works of E.M. Bounds on Prayer]
P My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee and will look up. Psalms 5:3
R Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Psalms 51:12
A Attend unto my cry; for I am brought very low: deliver me from my persecutors; for they are stronger than I. Psalms 142:6
Y Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake, O LORD. Psalms 25:7
E Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. And our dominion endures throughout all generations. Psalms 145:13
R Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. Hebrews 12:28
S For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Romans 10:11
T And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. John 19:37
I For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. 15:22
L For The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. 1 Thessalonians. 4:16
L Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Psalm 150:6
W We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds. Psalms 75:1
O Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! Psalms 107:8
R But let all who take refuge in you be glad; let them ever sing for joy. Spread your protection over them, that those who love your name may rejoice in you. Psalms 5:11
K Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3
S For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Thessalonians 5:9
Amen
Submitted By Deaconess Irene Gardon