Your Prayers Matter
My friend Dr. Greg Hood released a prophecy approximately a year ago in which he said:
“…I began to see - all over this nation - lighting strikes occurring. This took place in big cities and small towns, significant places and places the world would consider insignificant. And I heard the Lord say, ‘this meeting, this Ekklesia gathering, has gathered lightning bolts for striking. There will be a release of lighting all over this nation, in the natural and in the unseen realm, and this will be a sign that God is breaking down the thrones of the enemy.’ I heard the Lord say that He is releasing a terrible day on the enemies of the nation. And that as you leave this place you’re carrying - and becoming - the lightning bolt for your city, for your town, your community, wherever He has placed you. God has now labeled you a lightning strike.”
How amazing that we are those who release God’s power, referred to in this word as lightning, into the Earth. Our prayers do indeed release His actions. There are many Christians who believe prayer is only a devotional activity, a way to connect with God. They don’t believe prayer is actually necessary, enabling God to accomplish what He desires on Earth. In my book, Intercessory Prayer, I state:
“God has given us a Bible full of answers to the ‘whys’ of life. The one I want to address here is: Why pray? I’m not speaking of why in the sense of needing this or that. Obviously, we pray because we want or need something. I’m speaking of why in the context of God’s sovereignty.
“Do my prayers really matter? Isn’t God going to do what He wants anyway? Most people, even if only subconsciously, believe just that. The proof is in their prayer life, or lack thereof.
“Can my prayers actually change situations? Does God need me to pray, or does He just want me to pray? Some would argue an omnipotent God doesn’t need anything, including our prayers.
“Can God’s will on Earth be frustrated or not accomplished if I don’t pray? Many would brand me a heretic for even raising this question.
“But these and other questions deserve answers. I’ve discovered that understanding the ‘why’ of doing something can be a great motivating force. The opposite is also true.
“As a kid, I wondered why a sign said: ‘No Diving’ in the shallow end of the pool. I dove anyway. Then one day, I hit my head on the bottom. I don’t dive in the shallow end anymore.
“As a child, I wondered why I was forbidden to touch the pretty red glow on the stove. I found out.
“Someone said, ‘To err is human, to repeat it is stupid.’ I’m sure I’ve qualified for that on occasion, but not regarding these two things because I now know why I shouldn’t do them!
“When God says, ‘Pray,’ I want to know it actually accomplishes something. I’m not into meaningless religious exercises, and my time is valuable - so is yours. Was S.D. Gordon correct or not when he said, ‘You can do more than pray after you have prayed, but you cannot do more than pray until you have prayed…Prayer is striking the winning blows…service is gathering up the results?’(1)
“If God is going to do something regardless of whether or not we pray, then He doesn’t need us to ask, and we don’t need another waste of time. Let’s just worship Him and leave the rest to God’s sovereignty.
“If, on the other hand, John Wesley was correct when he said, ‘God does nothing except in response to believing prayer,’(2) I’ll lose sleep for that. I’ll change my lifestyle, turn off the TV, even miss a meal or two.
“Obviously, I believe prayer is necessary. Though God IS sovereign and all-powerful, Scripture clearly tells us that He limited Himself, concerning the affairs of Earth, to working through human beings.
“Is not this determination to work through humans the reason the earth is in such a mess? It isn’t because God wills it so, but because of His decision to work and carry out His will through people.
“Is this not the story woven throughout the Scriptures?
God needing faithful men and women?
God needing a race of people through whom to bring the Messiah?
God needing prophets?
God needing judges?
God needing to incarnate Himself, to produce a human Messiah?
God needing human hands to heal, human voices to speak, and human feet to go?
“Doesn’t God tell us to ask for His kingdom to come, and His will to be done (see Matthew 6:10)? Surely He wouldn’t want us to waste our time asking for something that was going to happen anyway, would He?
“Didn’t He tell us to ask for our daily bread (Matthew 6:11)? And yet, He knows our needs before we even ask (Matthew 6:8).
“Didn’t He tell us to ask that laborers be sent into the harvest fields (Matthew 9:38)? Yet the Lord of the harvest wants this more than we do?
“Didn’t Paul say, ‘Pray for us that the word of the Lord may spread rapidly and be glorified’ (2 Thessalonians 3:1)? Yet this was already God’s plan.
“These things are clearly God’s will. Why, then, am I supposed to ask Him for something He already wants to do if it isn’t that my asking somehow releases Him to do it?
“Either God wants the earth in this broken condition, or He doesn’t. If He doesn’t, which is certainly the case, then we must assume one of two things: either He is powerless to do anything about it, or He needs and is waiting on something from us in order to bring about change. In his book, Confronting the Powers, Dr. Peter Wagner said:
‘We must understand that our sovereign God has, for His own reasons, so designed this world that much of what is truly His will He makes contingent on the attitudes and actions of human beings. He allows humans to make decisions that can influence history…Human inaction does not nullify the atonement, but human inaction can make the atonement ineffective for lost people.’(3)
“This truth could intimidate us with the responsibility it reveals, or even condemn us over our lack of prayer. But another possibility exists. Responsibility can also be a privilege; and it can be enjoyable. Jack Hayford made the following profound statement,
‘Prayer is essentially a partnership of the redeemed child of God, working hand in hand with God, toward the realization of His redemptive purposes on earth.’(4)
“Let’s rise to the occasion and embrace God’s incredible invitation to be co-laborers with Him…to be carriers of His awesome Holy Spirit and ambassadors for His great Kingdom. Let’s represent Him!”(5)
Pray with me:
Father, Your plan to create a family - in Your image and likeness, filled with Your very life and breath - is beyond amazing. It is truly beyond our ability to fully wrap our minds around it. But You did. And You assigned us the responsibility and privilege of managing our home - planet Earth - according to Your Kingdom principles. We carry Your presence and release Your life, no longer through Adam’s dominion, but through authority delegated to us from Christ.
Therefore, in His name we ask You to strike our land with Your cleansing, delivering, and healing power. We ask for Your salvation, order, and restoration. We appeal for justice from heaven for the removal of evil from our nation, and the nations of the earth. Send worldwide revival and reformation.
Use the devastation from the recent hurricanes and fires to awaken and save many people. Bring comfort, strength, and help to them. Grace, grace, grace.
Give help to our leaders trying to implement appropriate changes. Give them sound ideas and wise strategies. And protect them as they lead us. Please also protect those who attend the inauguration. Expose and thwart the many terrorists now in America. We know America has sown the wind and is reaping the whirlwind, but in the midst of our reaping we ask You for mercy. Again, all of this we ask in Yeshua’s name. Amen.
Our decree:
We decree that we are taking our place as God’s ambassadors on Earth, releasing His love and power.
Most of today’s post was taken from my book Intercessory Prayer.
Click on the link below to watch the full video.
Paul E. Billheimer, Destined for the Throne (Fort Washington, PA: Christian Literature Crusade, 1975), p. 51.
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/7288243-as-john-wesley-once-said-god-does-nothing-but-in
C. Peter Wagner, Confronting the Powers (Ventura, CA: REgal Books, 1996), p. 242.
Jack W. Hayford, Prayer Is Invading the Impossible (South Plainfield, NJ: Logos International, 1977; revised edition, Bridge Publishing, 1995), p. 92, 1977 edition.
Dutch Sheets, Intercessory Prayer (Bethany House Publishers: Bloomington, MN, 1996), Chapter 2.
Dutch and staff. Recently I sent you a message explaining that my husband and I listen on you tube to give him 15 daily and that my sisters and I pray every evening and we frequently use you posts as part of our prayers. You sent back a God ordained wonderfully encouraging response. The response accidentally got deletefand I am not able to retrieve it. Could you please resend that response? Thank you. GOD BLESS and best wishes for a hope filled new year!
I recall as a child, “helping” my dad with many projects. He did not need my “help”. He wanted my company. And I just wanted to be with my dad. My prayer today and always is that we will want to be with Dad. To want to help Dad.
I was looking on the Web site for the study guide. Can you help me find it? Or share a direct link?
Thank you