“Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit.” (James 5:16-18 NKJV)
“And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask anything in My name, I will do it.” (John 14:13-14 NKJV)
Pastor Ron Dunn was a faithful man of God, a pastor and evangelist. In one of the churches he pastored, the church experienced a revival that lasted two years! In his biography written by Ron Owens we get these insights into the power and importance of prayer in our lives individually and as the body of Christ.
“Ron calls prayer ‘the Christian’s secret weapon.’ Prayer means,’ he points out, ‘that no one has to say, ‘There’s nothing I can do,’ because there is! You don’t have to just stand there, you can pray something.’
Prayer is like a missile that can be fired toward any spot on Earth. It can travel undetected at the speed of thought and hit its target every time. In His prayer of John 17, Jesus said, ‘I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word.
(John 17:20 NKJV). His prayer spans the centuries and embraces all who have and will yet believe. And Satan has no defense against this weapon. He doesn’t have an anti-prayer missile.
We do not pray by default–because there's nothing else to do. We pray because it is the best thing to do. Whatever the need or situation, we don’t have to just stand there–we can pray something.
When God created prayer, He did not intend it to be just for some select group. He created it for people just like us, people who are weakened by sin, at times overcome by doubt, sometimes discouraged and bewildered.
Prayer was a conspicuous part of Jesus’ life. If He could only say and do what He heard and saw the Father do, He had to spend a lot of time listening and watching. And He did. Prayer was the secret weapon Jesus passed on to people just like us.
I remember when we initiated the Intercessory Prayer Ministry at MacArthur, (Baptist Church) following a fourteen week blitzkrieg of preaching on intercessory prayer. The beautiful prayer chapel was ready and we were in business. The phone rang, signaling the inaugural petition. It was one of our mothers calling from the hospital. Her two-year-old son had swallowed a can of automotive engine cleaner. He was screaming and convulsing and the emergency room doctor gave him little chance of living, and if he did he would probably be blind.
I hate to admit it, but among my first thoughts was this sorry one: I’m going to give this to our intercessors and they’re going to pray, believing that this child will be healed and he is going to die (that’s what the doctor said and he ought to know), and then they are going to be discouraged.
After all my preaching on the power of intercession, the folks were hyped-up, chomping at the bit, ready to charge hell with nothing but prayer. I had hoped we could start out with something easy and work our way up to the hard stuff. I just knew this was going to be a big let-down.
Well, these rookies entered the prayer chapel and besieged the throne of God. Then, twenty-four hours later, the phone shattered the hush in the chapel once more. It was the mother. She was crying, laughing, and praising God. The doctor didn’t understand it, but her baby was going to recover without any damage to his eyes or any vital organs. It had been a miracle! (Ron Dunn, His Life And Mission, by Ron Owens, pp. 158-160)
“Prayer doesn't prepare us for greater works. Prayer is the greater work.” Oswald Chambers
PRAY
Oh Lord, we cry out to You to help us to be more faithful in spending time praying for the needs of those around us that you have put on our hearts to pray for.
Help us to pray for the lost, the broken-hearted, the sick, the disillusioned, the overburdened, the misguided, the tired, and the sinful.
Strengthen us to do battle for Your Kingdom daily, and to not grow weary even when we too are tired and battling our own problems. You are our strength and our shield, and with Your Spirits help we can do all that you have commanded us to do.
