top of page
Writer's pictureSeattle ALC

The Power of Prayer

   The Bible teaches us that there is power in prayer, and that faith in the promises of God makes prayer effective. Our catechism gives us this simple definition for prayer:  "It is in all simplicity to speak to God with our hearts, to ask him for all bodily and spiritual needs in the name of Jesus, and to thank and praise His Holy name.”

 

   When Jesus taught His disciples to pray, He also emphasized the need not only to be diligent in prayer, but also persistent in prayerAccording to Luke's record of this prayer lesson, Jesus also told the story of a man who went to his friend's house at midnight and asked to borrow some bread because a traveler had come to his house, and he had nothing to serve him.  The friend was in bed at that late hour and did not want to be disturbed.  Jesus said that although the friend did not give him some bread because he was his friend, yet because of his importunity he would rise and give him as much as he needed.

 

 

   To this Jesus added: "Ask and it shall be given you, seek and you shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you.  For everyone that asks receives, and he that seeks finds, and to him that knocks it shall be opened." He concluded the lesson by saying: "If your son asks for bread, will you as a father give him a stone; or if he asks for fish, will you give him a serpent, or in­ stead of an egg will you offer him a scorpion?"  In summing up this teaching, Jesus said: "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him?" (Luke 11)

 

    The word "importune" means to ask with persistence, to urge, as if to beg. We remember the case of the woman of Canaan who came to Jesus pleading for her daughter who was vexed with a devil. At first, Jesus ignored the woman, but her persistence bothered the disciples so that they asked the Lord to send her away. Then Jesus spoke to her and said: "I am not come but to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." Still, she did not give up, but pleaded: "Lord, help me." To this Jesus said: "It is not right to take the children bread and give it to the dogs." The woman replied: "Truth, Lord, yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their master's table." Her persistence brought results for Jesus said unto her:  Oh, woman, great is your faith. Be it unto you even as you will." Her daughter was healed immediately.

 

   The power of prayer lies not in who we are, but in our God, in His promise, and in the exercise of the gift of faith which He has given. "The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Elijah was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain, and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit." (James 5:17)


Jesus promised: "All things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matt. 21: 22)        We remember the example of the leper who came to Jesus, worshipped Him and said: "Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean."  At once Jesus touched him and said: "I will, be thou clean." This leper's prayer was not a doubter's prayer, as some have said. He did not question the Lord's ability to make him clean, or even the Lord's willingness to make him clean; but was submissive to what would be the will of the Lord, and, consequently, what would be best for him.  The Apostle John expressed his faith in God by saying:  "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us. And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire of Him."     (I John 5: 14-15)


From the Archives of the late Pastor A.C. Holmgren September 1992


Submitted by Pastor Stan

A friendly reminder: We have upgraded our website and you may need to resubscribe to get a notification for new posts.

4 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

His Work

Colossians 3:23-24 KJV – “ And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall...

Neglect Not the Gift That is in Thee

As the years of his ministry passed, St. Paul not only concerned himself with his own calling as an apostle, but he wrote many letters in...

A Free People

For more than two hundred years, the citizens of our country have been blessed with great political freedom. The flags seen flying on...

Comentarios


bottom of page