Manna Monday- Prayer's Achievement Record

What do you really think about prayer? Do you come to God in prayer when you are desperate or do you daily bow the knee with humility and submission to God's authority? Prayer matters to the believer but oftentimes, the believer doesn't think much about the power of unceasing prayer. Prayer changes us to become more like Christ. Prayer ignites our hearts to get on board with God's agenda. Prayer relieves worry and stress and allows our hearts to experience the peace of God that transcends all understanding. Prayer helps us think clearly. Prayer helps us see God. What you think about prayer makes a difference in your life. And if you need some encouragement that prayer really matters and works, just look at the long list of its achievments in the bible.

I love this excerpt from E. M. Bounds  about the acheivements of prayer in His book Classic collection on prayer:

"The records of prayer's acheivements are encouraging to faith, cheering to the expectations of saints, and an inspiration to all who would pray and test its value. Prayer is no mere untried theory. It is not some strange unique scheme concocted in the brains of people and set on foot by them-an invention  that has never been tried nor put to the test. Prayer is a divine arrangement in the moral government of God. It is designed for the benefit of people, and intended as a means for furthering the interests of His cause on Earth and carrying out His gracious purposes in redemption and providence. Prayer proves itself"( pg. 208).

So many times we give prayer an afterthought when it should be our first thought, the first and continual action in our daily lives. It is prayer that is proven in the Bible to be the avenue God uses to draw His children closer to Himself, to grow our faith in believing Him and growin our faith, and the tool He provides us to use for His Kingdom Work. Yet, prayer is personal too.

God Cares about the Tiny Details
When I was in college, before working at my summer job, I would excercise at a school track close to my workplace. I arrived at the track one morning only to find no one was walking that morning. I began to pray something very small- but big to me at the time- please bring someone else to walk with me. I didn't want to be alone on that track.

Well, up came a black mangy dog walking around the track who walked with me for two miles. Not one person came to the track that morning until I finished walking. That dog walked me to my car and then he ran off. It was the strangest thing, the most unlikely thing. Or was it? A loving Father wants to take care of His children and when we come to Him, asking Him to take care of our smallest need, that matters to Him as well. I learned that day that God cared about EVERYTHING- big or small, my prayers were all the same to Him. God grew my faith through a black dog.

1 John 5:14-15 says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him."

We know the long list of prayer achievements in the bible. But what about your personal prayer achievements? What prayers has God answered in your life? Where has God shown you His power, His love, His understanding, His protection, His authority, His work, His peace? There's nothing more encouraging to the soul than to write a list of all the prayers God has answered in life. If you want to turn your heart to remember God and be encouraged that He is working in your life, take a piece of paper and write them down one by one. By the end of it you will be praising God and your heart will be revived just by remembering ALL God has done.

Praying for you today like I normally do on Monday!
Thanks for joining me on the Journey to treasure Christ in everyday life!