King Hezekiah prayed for his people, “May the good Lord pardon everyone who sets his heart to seek God, the Lord, even though not according to the sanctuary’s rules of cleanness.“
The Lord heard Hezekiah and healed the people.
And the people gave thanks to the Lord (from 2 Chronicles 30:19-23).
Bursting with joy, I told the 7th graders I was teaching about our healthy newborn grandson. I told them life is a gift we should not take for granted; that our oldest daughter delivered two stillborn babies this year.
A student told me, “My great grandmother was pregnant 20 times. Two of her children lived.”
Give thanks to God for every life.
P.S. I am especially thankful for our sweet new grandson.
Capable warriors, skilled in combat and armed with shields, swords and bows could have trusted in themselves.
Instead, “They cried out to God during the battle, and he answered their prayer because they trusted in him (from 1 Chronicles 5:18-20).”
Capable people should pray.
We tell our grandchildren that God answers prayer. God showed them He does.
Three granddaughters and their parents left our apartment right on schedule. The elevator came. We got on. The door shut. The elevator didn’t move. The door wouldn’t open. We pushed the help button.
Grandpa said, “Let’s all pray, ‘Father, we need your help.'” The elevator moved. When it stopped, the door opened. We made it outside before their Uber ride to the airport arrived. We thanked God!
God used an elevator emergency to show our granddaughters that He answers prayer.
May we never forget.
Lord, I wait for you;
You will answer, Lord my God (Psalm 38:15).
Wait for the Lord.
And as you wait, pray.
What they were doing was unpleasant, and potentially harmful, but it is legal.
So we prayed.
We endured for a little longer, and then suddenly they stopped. Someone on the other side of the world made a decision that changed everything.
“It is possible to move men by God through prayer.” ~Hudson Taylor
David asked the Lord, “Should I go out to fight?”
The Lord replied to David, “Yes, go ahead.”
So David went and defeated the Philistines.
“The Lord did it!” David exclaimed.
“He burst through my enemies like a raging flood (from 2 Samuel 5:19-20).”
“Three times Paul begged the Lord to take the tormenting thorn away (from 2 Corinthians 12:8).”
Can you see yourself doing the same thing? Pleading, begging for release from sorrow or suffering. Can you see God bending down to listen? Can you hear him saying to you, “My grace is all you need. My grace is sufficient for you. My grace is enough. My power works best in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9 NLT, ESV, MSG).”
Paul asked, but the Lord did not relieve his suffering.
Some time later Paul wrote this, “What we suffer now is nothing compared to the glory he will reveal to us later (Romans 8:18).”
Through suffering Paul learned hope.
Weakened by an affliction, Paul pleaded for release from pain. God did not take his pain away. He offered something better. His own grace and power.
“My grace is all you need. My power works best in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9).”
A Blog on Prayer 