Written by Pastor Jack Wellman– George Herbert
Devotional:4 Powerful Prayer Effects You Might Be Overlooking
There’s a reason why prayer punctuates the way people interact with God. Prayer works on so many levels. Here are just four of the countless powerful effects prayer produces in those who kneel and open their hearts and minds to God.
Prayer Gives Peace
Things may look bleak and there might be no obvious way out of the challenge you’re facing. You might even be getting desperate. When you pray and pour out all your heart to Jesus, you are given the opportunity to choose to lay your troubles at his feet. When you do this, you rely solely on his grace. As the Bible says, God’s grace is sufficient. Realizing this, our prayers give us a deep and abiding sense of peace that can help us weather all sorts of challenges.
Prayers Strengthen You
When you pray, you are given an opportunity to put yourself at the mercy of the Lord. When you do this, you stop relying on your ability to solve your problems. Your problems become His. Since He created the world and everything in it by simply speaking, I hope it’s clear how much power you’re tapping into. You can’t help but feel strengthened by this. Instead of feeling small and powerless, you feel a boost of energy that comes from outside of you.
You are Reminded that You aren’t Alone
It’s easy to feel lonely at times and think that you’re the only one covered by that dark cloud that seems to follow you everywhere. When you pray, you are reminded that Christ is walking with you. Best of all, if life gets so heavy that you feel you can’t take another step, He picks you up and carries you. How can you feel alone when He is always there? Pray to Him today to make your loneliness go away.
Prayer Recharges Your Faith
Faith tends to sag when confusion reigns. When you’re distracted, confused, or unmoored from God’s word, it’s too easy to let doubts choke your faith. When you pray, you open your heart in communion with God and you let Him talk to you as a friend. You get reassured. Things may even fall into perspective. You are given an opportunity to trust again or trust more. Your faith is recharged when prayer allows you to look at your situation the way God sees your situation. You may not be given all the answers, but with trust, you can hope again and your faith can see you through once more.
In closing
Prayer isn’t a ritual. It isn’t an empty schedule item you simply ‘need’ to do on a regular basis. If it is to bring meaning to your life, prayer is all about communing with God on a personal and deep level. As such, it can’t but shower you with powerful effects that can help function better both as a witness for God as well as his servant on earth. Are you ready to claim these effects today?
