Tap Into the Power of Prayer

“Then Isaiah the son of Amoz sent to Hezekiah, saying, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him:” Isaiah 37:21 NKJV

After finishing up the group run/walk that our running group hosts every Saturday morning, I posted a picture of all those that attended and asked the question, “Where did everyone else get in their steps?” To which my husband and I later received a message from our dear friend Jeremy that read “We went to the low water crossing today. I did my morning walk separately. I did a little over 1 hour of prayer walking this morning. When I got back, I found out one of my big prayers had been answered before I finished my walk.” Do you just love that or what?? I didn’t ask what that prayer was, but I do know one thing… Jeremy’s walk gave a new meaning to the activity of power walking. He went for a walk, tapped into the power of prayer, and experienced the amazing results that come from the faith-in-action that prompts us to call on the name of the Lord.

“And Hezekiah received the letter from the hand of the messengers, and read it; and Hezekiah went up to the house of the Lord, and spread it before the Lord. Then Hezekiah prayed to the Lord, saying: “O Lord of hosts, God of Israel, the One who dwells between the cherubim, You are God, You alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth. You have made heaven and earth. Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear; open Your eyes, O Lord, and see; and hear all the words of Sennacherib, which he has sent to reproach the living God. Truly, Lord, the kings of Assyria have laid waste all the nations and their lands, and have cast their gods into the fire; for they were not gods, but the work of men’s hands—wood and stone. Therefore they destroyed them. Now therefore, O Lord our God, save us from his hand, that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that You are the Lord, You alone.’”

This is the very same faith-in-action result King Hezekiah experienced after he called on the name of the Lord in response to Sennacherib's threats against Jerusalem. After hearing the Assyrian king's blasphemous words, he sought God's guidance through prayer and received a message of hope from the prophet Isaiah. God assured Hezekiah that Jerusalem would be defended and Sennacherib would be defeated—a promise that was ultimately fulfilled when an angel of the Lord destroyed a large portion of the Assyrian army, leading Sennacherib to depart and return home where he was later killed by his own sons. Amazing right? Because King Hezekiah called out to the Lord, the Lord God of Israel said, "Because you have prayed to Me against Sennacherib king of Assyria, this is the word which the Lord has spoken concerning him:"

But this begs the question… What would have happened had Hezekiah not prayed? And the answer of course is, Jerusalem would have been conquered. This proved that Hezekiah’s prayer really mattered. All prayers matter!!!

So, knowing that countless blessings and victories lie unclaimed in heaven because we have failed to pray for them, who and what will you pray for today my friend? Prayer is a powerful weapon. But only if you use it. 

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that our prayers have the power to move mountains. Help us to understand this Lord that we might never fall into despair when our conditions look bleak. Help us to be known as people who seek the Lord on every occasion, on behalf of others and ourselves. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!