“If you will find voice and time to pray, God will find time and voice to answer.” {Prayer, p.100.2, by Ellen G. White}
That morning started out full of promise. The sun was shining. The birds were singing. I was full of joy. So, I was surprised, like a glass of cold water in the face, when I received a text message from a friend. This friend is a godly man who loves to tell others about Jesus. The message said. “My wife has asked for a divorce. I am devastated. The enemy is winning the battle here, and I am feeling so lost. In the end, I will not be a part of the 144,000 with you. Thank you for everything.” It shook me to the core. No God, no.
I told my husband the news with tears in my eyes, and then I headed to my closet to pray. I said, “God, I am so tired of the evil one winning. I am tired of seeing Your people being taken down by his snares. I am tired of seeing people hurting, sad, and broken. This man loves You. This man seeks Your will in all things and does not want his family torn apart. Surely God, You will stand up and defend him. Surely God, You will fight for him. I cannot standby seeing him suffer the loss of his marriage or salvation in discouragement. Please stand up God! Show us Your power and save this marriage.”
Even in that moment, in crying out to Him, I knew that I was frustrated with the battles that we fight all too often for our friends, family, and loved ones — cast down by the evil one attacking our loved ones, stealing our joy, and taking us down in discouragement. I earnestly prayed for him and his marriage that day. The next day around 11 am, I called a friend, and we prayed for them together. We claimed many promises, including:
Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. (Mark 11:24, ESV)
The more that I read His promises and claimed them in prayer for my friend, the stronger my faith grew, until my heart leapt with praise. “God, You are amazing! Honestly, there is nothing you cannot do.”
Ah, LORD GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you. (Jeremiah 32:17, ESV)
When we finished praying, I started making lunch for my girls. Then suddenly my phone alerted me that a message had come through. It was from my friend. He said, “You are not going to believe what happened this morning.” He proceeded to tell me that while his wife was praying during her morning devotions, she had felt a hand touch her hand. It startled her to open her eyes, only to find no one there. Then, she heard a still small voice say, “Don’t focus on your husband’s faults. Worry about your own.” It scared her so intensely that she called the pastor of their local church to come over. After the pastor visited with both him and his wife, she was convinced that God did not want her to leave her husband, making her determined to stay and work it out.
I stopped everything and lifted my eyes to heaven, “God, could You be any better? Could You be any more powerful? Precious Father, You answered our prayers in such a mighty way. Thank you, God, for being amazing!”
Friend, God wants to be amazing for you. I am no one special. I am a just a child of God, who seeks Him with all her heart. He wants to hear about every detail of your lives. He wants to hear us intervene in prayer for our loved ones and friends.
Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working. (James 5:16, ESV)
It is time to get right with God! If you have been sitting on the fence, it is time to put everything that you have into a relationship with Him — so that you can pray with power. In prayer, you will find this amazing God. Praying without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and in His power, you will become the faithful soldier for Christ that He desires and intended for each of us to be.