“So we pray, pray, pray. Would you shake our souls awake?  Holy Spirit, open the gate.  You lead the way with power and strength.  You send us in your name.  Now we are made holy unafraid.”

So much wisdom is packed into this chorus to one of my favorite songs by Tim Timmons and Jason Walker.

Not only does it inspire me to fall on my knees before my amazing God and thank Him for everything, but it also helps me understand how prayer has SO MUCH POWER that goes along with it.

It’s no secret that we would be doing ourselves a whole lot of good if we would listen to God when he tells us to pray!  I found on www.christianbiblereference.org that the NIV Bible mentions the word prayer 121 times…sounds important, huh?!?!

God doesn’t mince words and He doesn’t tell us to do things that aren’t good for us.

Sadly, we often forget that prayer is for US and not for God.  In fact, God doesn’t need us at all, but we have needed Him in every facet of our lives from day one.

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. Acts 17:24-25

Prayer is just another gift from God!  Woohoo!

But, don’t be fooled.  It’s not a magic genie.

Unfortunately, I have found myself – too many times to count – turning to prayer with my wish list, my agenda or when I have nowhere else to turn.   Sigh.

It’s the last place we try after we’ve exhausted our own resources.  UGH!!!

The power of prayer comes from the relationship that it allows between us and our Heavenly Father – the power is from God and instilled in us when we open ourselves up to his leadership, guidance and discipline.

The crazy thing is that I could give you example after example of how prayer has changed my day, my attitude and my life on many occasions, yet I still have been known to go through a day without it!!!

And those are the days full of anxiety, worry and distress.

Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. … James 5:13-18

Prayer is for every day and for every scenario that we find ourselves in.  God can handle whatever we bring Him and we have to keep in mind that He’s not shocked by what we tell Him!

However, if we refuse to pray, we will miss out on meeting each day being HOLY UNAFRAID!!

There is no need to go through any day alone, anxious, or worried when we have a God who loves us enough to listen to our needs, give us His help and guide us along.

Please pray with me for the people of Paris, France and for the peace of Jesus Christ to cover our world.

Some Wisdom for Today:  Proverbs 15:29 – The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.