“Afterward, when Jesus was alone in the house with his disciples, they asked him, ‘Why couldn’t we cast out that evil spirit?’ Jesus replied, ‘This kind can be cast out only by prayer.’” (Mark 9:28-29)
Powerful battles require powerful weapons. Spiritual battles require the power of prayer.
In their book, The Battle Plan for Prayer, Stephen and Alex Kendrick talk about how important trenches were in World War I. Trenches offered protection from machine gun fire, but it was almost impossible to attack and defeat the enemy while hunkered down in a foxhole. Trenches provided protection, but they made victory almost impossible.
In World War II, the military of Great Britain attached an armored car to a farm tractor, and the tank was born. The steel of the armored car provided protection from attack, while the traction and mobility of the tractor made it possible to move forward and engage the enemy. Tanks enabled soldiers to move toward victory with power and protection. It was a game changer.
For Christians, prayer is our armored tank. Prayer covers us with God’s protection, and provides the power needed to engage the enemy and win the battle. Prayer is our game changer.
When we pray, it is not as powerless orphans. Rather, we pray as children of Almighty God, who possesses absolute power beyond anything we could imagine. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think.” He flat-out tells us that his mighty power is available to work through us. And that we should expect more than we can imagine—answers to problems, the destruction of strongholds, victory in battle, and so much more.
Do you want to align your will and purpose with God’s will and purpose? Pray. Do you want to see change in the lives of your family or friends? Pray. Do you want to see the purposes of evil destroyed? Pray. Do you want to see change in your community, your nation, and the world? Yes, you guessed it—PRAY.
Father God, it is such a privilege to talk to you in prayer, and so amazing that you hear me. You are the God of the universe, yet you listen to me and respond to my prayers. Forgive me for the times I neglected to pray or prayed without really expecting you to act. Help me more fully grasp the power and importance of prayer. I want to pray in a way that changes me, changes circumstances, and defeats the enemy. I ask these things in Jesus’s name, amen.
Family Worship Center Devotionals 