The Power of Prayer
Acts 16: 25 -27 NKJV
“But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God…Suddenly there was a great earthquake…and everyone’s chains were loosed.” – Acts 16: 25 -27 NKJV
God, in His Word, has commanded us to petition Him. He is willing to save, heal, deliver, provide, and protect. Many times, however, we put a limit on Him and His matchless power.
Dr Charles Stanley, minister and writer, stated, “Prayer is life’s greatest time saver.” For this writer, it is the link between God’s inexhaustible resources and people’s needs. God is the Source of all power, but we are the instrument He uses to link the two together. We marvel at the results/miracles of the apostles but lack the faith to do the same for ourselves and family. Friends, prayer is important. We use it to tap into the unlimited resources of the power of God, as Paul and Silas did when they were imprisoned.
In Acts 16:25, the apostles chose to pray and worship God during their incarceration. Their act of worship had glorified God and reinforced their need for Him, and His power fell majestically. How? Because they opened the portal that brought the power of heaven down to earth. In many instances, our lives are imprisoned by our thoughts, situations, and prisons of our own making. But, like Paul and Silas we have Jesus, Jehovah Adonai, Jehovah Rapha, Jehovah Jireh… Whom we can pray to with confidence, knowing He hears and answers our prayers. God has given us the weapon of prayer to declare the blood of Jesus and pray His Word to turn our situations around by faith.
Psalm 118:5 (NKJV) says, “From my distress I called upon the Lord; The Lord answered me and set me in a large place.” You, too, can have the same results when you pray. Many times, satan tries to limit our prayers because he knows our prayers will limit him. So, pray according to Ephesians 6:10-12 and see your prayers become kryptonite to the enemy’s ploys in Jesus’ name.
The power of prayer is, quite simply, the power of God being activated by faith because He hears and answers. Therefore, pray with persistence (Luke 18:1), thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6), within His will (Matthew 6:10), and from a heart that is right with God (James 5:16). Your prayer can be like Hannah’s (1 Samuel 1:10-20), King Hezekiah’s (2 Kings 20:1-7), David’s (1 Samuel 30:8) or Elijah’s (1 Kings 17:22).
Note: God did not prevent Paul and Silas from being imprisoned, but He used the situation to display His miraculous power, which further resulted in more souls being saved. Sometimes, God allows us to go through certain situations so that He can be glorified. Irrespective of the situation you may find yourself in, don’t hesitate to call on God through prayer. He will shake the earth, split the sea, or whatever He deems fitting to deliver you, His child. So, pray; God hears.
Read: 2 Samuel 7:27; 1 Corinthians 4:20
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 14; Matthew 16:1-20; Genesis 45; Genesis 46; Genesis 47:1-12
