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Sunday, June 08, 2008

Does God Really Care About Our Prayer Requests?

Does God really still answer prayer?

Have you ever asked yourself that question?

Are there times when you are praying for something so big, that you wonder if God would ever truly grant your request?

Or, does the evil one ever tempt you to doubt that God COULD handle this request of yours...since it’s SO huge? “I mean,” says your mind, “He’s sovereign and all, but what about how strong man’s sinful nature is?”

I’ve been there. There are times that I have prayed and prayed about a given subject, all the while battling thoughts in my mind that were telling me that there was NO WAY that it would ever happen.

Have you ever been at this point in your prayer life?

I want to encourage you tonight, as I have just witnessed God answer a huge prayer request in my life.

HUGE! I mean... MOUNTAIN size!

One of these was a request we have been lifting before the Lord for 9 YEARS!

9 YEARS!!!! 3,285 days!!!!

Don’t you think that’s a long time? I mean, for goodness sakes, we’ve been through 3 presidential terms in that amount of time! Yet, today, we saw God answer that prayer request, for His glory. Not only did we SEE Him do it, we were blessed by the fruit of HIM doing it...and guess what – it was ALL for His glory, and for the building up of the body of Christ.

So, I want to ask you another question tonight... WHO do you know that needs Jesus Christ, yet seems by your estimation to be one of those who will never bow their knee?

Will you commit to pray for them for the next 9 years?

For their salvation for the next 3,285 days...or longer if the Lord wills?

What is the situation in your life that seems absolutely impossible? Will you bow your knee before the Father and make your request known to Him with all thanksgiving for Who He is, and what He is able to bring about that His name may be glorified?

Will you do it for 3,285 days? Will you persevere in prayer?

Will you remember my story...that it took 9 years to see God answer this one?

Yet, today...as I and my family walked in the blessing of God’s answered prayer, I didn’t think ONE TIME about the tears that we had shed in prayer begging the Lord to do this given thing.
I didn’t think ONE TIME about all the feelings of discouragement we’d felt through it.

No sweet friend, not ONE TIME.

Today was a day of JUBILEE!

Today was a day of CELEBRATION!

Today was AWESOME!!!

Press on, Christian Soldier. Press on in prayer.

Be steadfast. Be immovable. Abound always in the work of the Lord. Know that your labor is not in vain.

I love how over and over again in the Old Testament we see the words, “That the world may know that there is a God in Israel.”

Time and again when God made a great miracle occur for His people, for His name sake, He said that it was for that very reason...that ALL THE WORLD might know that there is a God in Israel.

Will you pray for God’s hand in your situation? In the lives of your lost neighbors, friends, and family members?

How about for the salvation of your enemies?

What about for your country? That we will repent of our grievous sins before God and return to Him in obedience? Why would God want to answer your prayer? Why does He draw the lost unto Himself? That ALL THE WORLD may know Him, through His son, Jesus Christ.

I gotta share with you, after getting to walk in the shadow of this miracle of God today, my prayers for my lost and dying friends and family members are going to be ramped up big time! I’m going to make a commitment to myself and to the Lord that if I could pray for this last situation for 9 years, I will pray for the next one for at least that long.

Who in your life needs to make your list?

How long will you pray over your list?

9 years seems like a short time, in light of the surpassing glory of God in this answered prayer today.

Tune in again in the next few days...I’ll be sharing with you about Precept Ministries International’s call to prayer for our nation. Click here for more information.

Press on, soldier. Press on in prayer.

1 Corinthians 15:54-58
But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable, and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, “DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR STING?” The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.

2 comments:

D.L. White said...

Just this weekend, I had a situation that I'd been praying about for 5 or 6 years be resolved. I didn't think it would ever happen either. Why are we so quick to doubt that God is the God of the impossible!?!? It's so easy to forget that He is in control, and that He cares about us and listens to us. Thanks for this great post - it was a real encouragement. :)

chandy said...

This is something I have struggled with. I certainly have issues in life that deserve my persistant commitment to prayer, but it's so easy for me to not keep up. I sometimes find myself feeling like God's tired of hearing me ask the same thing over and over again. But I'm sure it's really about the process and my patience in waiting on His timing.

And what ever it was, it sure sounds like it was exciting!