Some Thoughts on the Power of Prayer

God only uses people who are equipped and empowered by the Holy Spirit and these people are people of prayer.

DL Moody was never ordained but was empowered and anointed by the Holy Spirit and bore great fruit. Salvation Army people prayed for the people on the streets of New York. PRAY and depend on the power of the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit can take ordinary people. Simple preaching of the gospel and people who are mightily endued with God's power through prayer.

DL Moody would have people who would go in a week in advance to pray and intercede a week before he arrived. Thousands would be saved. While he was preaching in a place the prayer warriors would have moved onto the next place.

Prayer gives weight to words. You can tell the difference between a preacher preaching in his own strength vs someone who has devoted themselves to prayer.

Praying mothers make a difference. Children are following Jesus because of mothers' prayer.

I heard of ordinary people in Queensland made sacrifices to pray early in the mornins. Then they cut cane which is hard work. Then they would often pray again after work. The results were seen in the many miracles and the fact that their children and grandchildren are now followin the Lord today!

Be the catalyst for the generations that may follow. Testimonies have come out from our church here of how praying ancestors have made the difference for their children and grandchildren.

Prayer meetings are the engine room of the local church. Begin in prayer in the Upper Room and everything grows from there.

Romans 8 – for we know not how we ought to pray. Paul includes himself. The Holy Spirit helps us.

Prayer is spiritual. As the Holy Spirit works more in our lives we become more Christlike, and we are also taught to pray. We need the Spirit's help to guide us into the right avenues to pray. People call upon God for strength and enabling to be Christlike. Prayer is like giving birth.

God says, "When you seek me with all of your hear, you will find me." We need that kind of prayer today. When they give themselves to prayer, they say “Lord, we can't accomplish what we need to do, unless you send a supply of the Holy Spirit.” We need a fresh supply EVERY DAY. He looks forward to the prayer meeting more than Sunday meetings.

NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO RELAX. Now is the time to WORK. In heaven we will relax, we won't be able to work.

God can do more in 5 minutes in a prayer meeting than in a 50 minute message.

This can happen in your small group, community or church. There is no telling what God can do.

The greatest need in the world is for small groups and churches to start a new kind of ministry in prayer. Even 5 or 6 people can make a difference. What is the answer to the many problems.

Its not whether we have prayer in the schools, its whether we have prayer in the CHURCH!

We need to clear the decks of all obstacles. Anything GOD can do, prayer can do.

There is a plan for every service, for every small group meeting. God gave him a message, “My house shall be called a house of prayer,” not a house of preaching and singing.

Church has often been turned into a place of talent, oratory skills, it should be a house of prayer.

Our significant moments in ministry often come after significant and difficult spiritual battles.

Sometimes our prayers are because God puts something on our heart, but maybe not in our minds.

Disciples knew that the secret of Jesus' life was the communion he had with His Father that supplied the strength he needed to face every challenge.

You can't really preach or witness until you have prayed.

Once you know how to pray and do it, you'll be able to do all the other things.

Sometimes we seek talent, charisma – even attitude – but we don't seek the power of the Holy Spirit.

There is a difference between being a CEO and a Shepherd. We need to hear from God. Leadership needs to hear from God – otherwise we are just a club.

The church needs to be the Body of Christ. This happens by seeking the Lord, walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

A group that doesn't seek the Lord is just a club, not really a church.

When we are desperate we begin to really pray.

We need to get to know what the Lord is thinking in regards to our life. Comes through prayer and the word.

When we lack the power of the Spirit, it falls flat. We can become frustrated.

Prayer is not always neat and tidy. It can be messy even as labour pains can be.

Jesus said, “My house shall be a house of prayer – not of preaching, music”.

In leading prayer meetings, leaders must be very careful not to suppress the people, or put them down.

Spending time with God is more important sometimes than even things like COOKING. You have to turn off the TV, turn off the phone (turn off the internet) so you can pray without distraction. More Christians would pray if they understood the true power of prayer.

Love motivates us to pray. We can also be motivated by the possibilities.

When you see the power of God it motivates you to pray. She was motivated because of the powerful transformation in her own life.

Internet and music can be a real distraction for young people. News can be a distraction also.

Unless you are quiet within you may not hear God's voice. If you don't want to listen, generally God will not shout.

God's word is filled with commands to pray as we can see in the following verses:

1 Chronicles 16:11

Isaiah 55:6

Matthew 26:41

Romans 12:12

Ephesians 6:18

Colossians 4:2

1 Thessalonians 5:17

THE GREAT NEED IS THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT WOULD COME AND REVIVE GOD'S WORK. MORE COMPASSION FOR THE WORLD AROUND US. None of that will happen without the Holy Spirit being poured out upon us.

Nothing is impossible with God, God's ear is open every time we pray.

Many of the thoughts in this article have come through hearing Ps Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle teach on prayer.