Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Want to see remarkable answers to prayer?

Every time it happens I'm reminded of how important it is to study prayer.

It's happened twice to me this week.

Talking to a friend named Jimmy the other day, he reminded me of his remarkable answer to prayer several years ago.

He lay dying in a hospital far from home with no hope of recovery. The doctors gave up, the family gathered and churches prayed. Finally, a group of elders from his home church arrived to pray, but were prevented from entering the ICU. Yet they persisted and gathered at Jimmy's side, prayed and anointed him with oil.

Though he'd languished in a coma for several days, he responded when they touched him with the oil. After that prayer he grew stronger and stronger, and within a few weeks was home and working again.

Then it happened to me again - confronted with another remarkable answer to prayer.

This one happened when the call to prayer went out on behalf of a young father named Derrick because fluid on his brain was building up, pushing him into a coma-like state. A previous shunt in the brain was failing and doctors prepared for radical surgery.

But as local prayer groups prayed, the doctor decided to take one more set of scans prior to surgery. This time the scans showed no fluid! It had all disappeared. No surgery required.

The doctor asked Derrick's mom for the names of those who were praying. He said, "I want them on my side."

I've seen it again and again. And yet it still amazes me when God answers prayer in such a powerful way that even medical professionals are stunned.

Prayer has the power (because God does) to turn the world upside down.

So we try hard to learn and grow in this art of speaking with the Almighty on behalf of mortals.

We do it each year in our local September Prayer Workshop here in Calhoun. Join us.

Get in on three days of intense training, networking, fellowship and practical application of the art of prayer.

Check it out on our website link. See you there!

Friday, August 1, 2008

Can answers to prayer be guaranteed?

The closest thing in the Bible to guaranteed answers to prayer appears in Jesus’ word to his disciples the night before the cross:

“And I will do whatever your ask in my name…” (John 14:13 NIV).

That’s an amazing promise, yet Jesus restates it again four more times—in 14:14, 15:7, 15:16 & 16:23.

So this concept—praying in his name—meant a great deal to Jesus, and then to his disciples.

The first description of a healing performed by the disciples comes in Acts 3:6. where Peter said to the beggar, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

When the healing happened, Peter described it as happening “By faith in the name of Jesus… It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing…” (Acts 3:16 NIV).

It seems clear that remarkable things happen when Jesus’ disciples pray in his name.

So, what does that mean?

A name is a verbal tag, a container for all the attributes and authority belonging to a person or situation.

Think about what these names represent: dynamite, nuclear bomb, Hitler, Viet Nam, Iraq, Billy Graham, President Bush, Paris Hilton, General Motors, Mother Teresa, etc.

Each name represents a whole complex of ideas and associations.

If someone has accomplished great things, he or she has “a name” and can gain access to high places. If someone or some institution has authority, things are done in its "name".

Like an ambassador representing a government, we believers can speak in our Lord’s name… on his behalf… with his authority. And we can pray to the Father as if we are Jesus doing the praying.

If we “remain in him and his word remains in us” we can ask whatever we wish and it will be done.

Amazing.