My Journey to Discovering the Power of Prayer
Have you ever been in the position where you know “with God all things are possible” but you still feel completely unprepared for what you’re about to do; or you have a project that seems like it would take a miracle for you to finish by the deadline? To some extent that’s how I’ve felt about this article. It’s not that I haven’t been working on it, I just haven’t been able to find the right words to communicate my point exactly how I want. And the deadline continues to creep closer…
For those of us who have grown up in Christian homes, prayer is just a part of life – something that has been frequently discussed and/or practiced. Prayer is something I’m sure many of us think we know a great deal about because we’ve had it in our vocabulary from the time we were little. We are very aware of this thing called “prayer” and the general concept of what it is and how to do it, but where do our faith and hearts stand when we go to the Lord in prayer? Do we truly believe WITH GOD ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE?
While attending an intensive, three week music course this past summer, I realized that even though praying had been a part of my entire life, many times I would only do it half-heartedly. I was not believing with my “whole” heart that God could and was going to answer my prayers. I was doubting the supreme power and authority of the Creator of the universe…and didn’t even know it – not even in the most desperate of times!
That all changed at the NoteWorthy music course.
Again and again I found myself before the throne of God pleading with Him to inspire creativity or just simply allow me to complete or even “start” the task at hand. The “task at hand” being certain homework assignments that never seemed to have any light shining at the end of the tunnel.
One instance that remains very vivid in my memory is when we were given a lyric writing assignment. I have written a fair amount of compositions, a few of them having lyrics, so I figured it wouldn’t be too difficult to whip up a verse and chorus. I was wrong. The days leading up to when it was due were some of the most difficult and trying days of my life! I was emotionally and mentally exhausted. I was in prayer almost every minute of the day asking for words to write, but nothing would come. I wrote and re-wrote what seemed to be hundreds of possibilities…and still, nothing.
The night before it was due, I cried and shared my frustration with my roommates – my sister and a friend from back home. Not long after I had finished, the director’s assistant entered the room to check in on us for the night and almost immediately noticed my streaks of tears. After discovering the reason for them, she encouraged me to just put aside the lyrics for the night and try again in the morning. I took her advice and went to bed still drying fresh tears and frustrated with God for not giving me anything to write down and use. Then there in bed it finally started coming to me, “Be still before the King of Kings…” By the next morning before class, I had an entire verse and chorus! (Considering all the Lord had me go through to get to that point of completion, I find it pretty ironic that this ended up being the first line of my song.) I began to truly believe in God, and He was answering my prayers right in front of me! Granted, not always the way I desired Him to, but He was answering them!
In the midst of all this, I came to realize how often my half-heartedness would be present when it came to the power of prayer. After I became aware of this, through these three weeks I experienced the power of prayer by (real, genuine) faith in a way that I never had. The result of constantly being drawn back to the Throne, seeking guidance and asking for what seemed impossible to be made possible in my eyes, has caused me to develop a much deeper and greater understanding of the role that prayer by complete faith has in a person’s life…
Do you truly believe God has the power to answer your request when you pray? Do you have complete faith in Him? Even though we might not realize it or the answer might not be made known to us for a period of time, God has already answered our prayer before we ask him. So do you really believe and trust him when you pray? (Written in my journal July 18, 2011)
“It is my belief,” replied Dr. Cabot, “that every prayer offered in the name of Jesus is sure to have its answer…and if your cry for mercy on poor Susan’s soul did not prevail with Him as we hope it did, then He has answered it in some other way.” (Taken from Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss)
I have laid many requests before the King, and sadly it is only recently that I have come to stand in such awe of how He has faithfully answered them. Oh, how Jesus Christ has made the impossible become possible!
I ask you now, do you pray with complete faith, believing that The Only God who can see and hear and speak will answer your prayer?
“I call upon you, for you will answer me, O God; incline your ear to me; hear my words.” Psalm 17:6
- Naomi A. Wickham