“The prayers of God’s saints are the capitol stock in heaven by which Christ carries on His great work upon the earth. Great throes and mighty convulsions in the world have come about as a result of these prayers. The earth is changed, revolutionized; angels move on more powerful, more rapid wings; and God’s policy is shaped when the prayers of His people are more numerous and efficient” -E.M. Bounds
I love reading about prayer from E.M. Bounds. I can reflect back to the beginning of my walk with Christ some 7 to 8 years ago, and I remember not having realized the power of prayer. It seemed so meditative, contemplative, and to sum it up – just seemed a little wishy-washy. But as the years progressed, prayers definitely were getting answered, and all of a sudden prayer didn’t seem so abstract anymore. I had come to see prayers as arrows launched in spiritual warfare, like fuel added to the running engines of vehicles advancing the Kingdom of God, and I started to see things being sustained and propelled by our prayers to which our mighty, willing God acted on.
I remember this quote by Pastor Jim Cymbala of the Brooklyn Tabernacle. He said, “[Y]ou can tell how popular a church is by who comes on Sunday morning. You can tell how popular the pastor or evangelist is by who comes on Sunday night. But you can tell how popular Jesus is by who comes to the prayer meeting.” Our prayer lives really define our relationship to Jesus. Prayer not only helps us build our personal relationship with Jesus, but it is a way for us to approach God in His throne room to ask for the resources we need to advance His kingdom on earth to do His will. We need holy, Godly strength, because we are mere weak vessels. If we don’t ask, then how will we receive? God is ready and available to help us, if only we ask. I want to be the type of Christian that is able to yield the resources of an open heaven to be able to glorify Him by relying on Him.
