Sometimes I forget the impact of a short, intentional prayer. I utter a few lines about a situation or a person standing in front of me and walk away unmoved. I mean I know most of the verses about prayer and the power behind it, but at the same time I don't truly know it.
This loss of understanding can start small or happen all at once. For me, I slowly stopped expecting God to move when I spoke. Pretty soon all of my well intentioned remarks of "let's pray about this" or "I'll keep you in my prayers" weren't worth the time I took to say them. Deep down I had forgotten the awe inspiring power God is ready to unleash when we call out to Him.
Over the past couple of weeks God has put people in my life to remind me. Prayer is powerful! It taps the supernatural and breaks into the natural. Prayer can change an individual's heart, reconcile families, heal communities, shift entire countries into revival, and change the world. These are not idle words or talismans we utter to keep evil spirits away. They aren't empty gestures or mundane rituals required by a wrathful god or religious institution. Prayer is our direct line to our Dad. When we talk to Him, He listens. There are no recorded messages to be played back at a later date or words lost in translation. It is just us and God. You can't get any more direct. When we pray thing happen. His word promises that and we should expect the atmosphere to change. So the next time you find yourself mumbling a quick prayer or feeling like your prayers are powerless, stop and remember who you are praying to. He won't disappoint.
