My last article
was about keeping up hope in the middle of trying times. I particularly
suggested expanding our vision to look on the positive side as much as
possible. For instance, I’ve heard accounts
of cancerous tumors being discovered during surgery on newly injured patients.
But…what if
there is no positive side? What if
our problems are so big that we can’t grab onto any optimism? What if we don’t
expect any improvements because our entire life has been full of limitations of
some kind?
Today, I’d
like to explore another way to keep up hope:
prayer. Now, I’m a realist. I’m not saying that prayers are always
answered quickly, in their entirety, or in the expected manner. In fact, we may not get what we want, or even what
we’re convinced we need—at the time. That being said, prayer can often be the catalyst to some sort of improvement in
our lives. Definitions of that word
clarify its power:
catalyst--“somebody or something that makes a
change happen or brings about an event”—Urban
Dictionary
catalyst--“an agent that provokes or speeds
significant change or action”—Merriam-Webster
Pushing the Rock (an extended analogy
about how God’s power is available to us)
A man was
asked by God to push a rock. He obeyed. He pushed and pushed for a long time.
Nothing happened. The man finally got so frustrated, he stopped working. He
didn’t see any practical reason behind his assigned task.
God asked
him why he had stopped. The gentleman
answered that the rock wasn’t moving, so there was no reason to continue. God
said that he hadn’t asked the man to move the rock, only to push
it. God’s
job was to actually move the rock.
The Benefits of Prayer
Prayer is a
form of communication with Heaven. It’s a way to access God’s power. Let’s look
at some of the specific advantages:
1--Healing (This can be spiritual, mental, or physical.)
2--Knowledge/wisdom (I know I’m not the only one who has
found lost items, or gotten better grades on tests, following prayer.)
3--Peace (We can be calm in the middle of the
trauma life often brings.)
4--Protection (I have personally been saved from
accidents and from people with malevolent intentions.)
5--Guidance (Prayer can enlighten our minds.
This means we’ll make better choices.)
6--Strength (Again, this can be spiritual,
mental, or physical.)
My Conclusion
“Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so
that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”—Hebrews
4:16 (NIV)
Life can be
overwhelming, especially in these days of instant global interaction. There’s a
lot to process. We’re pulled so many different ways.
I can’t
handle life on my own; I don’t know about you. I need divine strength to get
through every minute of every day. I receive that assistance through prayer.
Related Posts
How has prayer helped you?
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