Our move to New Zealand has taught me many lessons on a deeper level. For instance, I used to think I knew what it meant to trust God, but now I actually have to trust Him. Recently, God has been showing me the incredible importance and power of prayer.
We have now been here for about 8 weeks. In that time, we have both found jobs, bought a car, been welcomed into incredible community, moved into a house, turned it into a home, and were even given a free second vehicle. I’m not saying this to brag about ourselves, but to point out the incredible faithfulness of God. Because really, all that should have been impossible in so short a time.
It hasn’t happened exactly as we planned or asked, but the actual outcome has been better than what we hoped. Remember the song, “He’s got the whole world, in His hands?” Turns out it is true. We can clearly see God’s fingerprints in our lives on both sides of the planet. He has pulled strings, opened doors, and made connections that just should not have happened.
But they did, because God is good. And, I believe, because prayer is powerful.
I am no expert in prayer. In fact, it is probably one of my greatest weaknesses. But I am learning, and this experience is teaching me a lot about it. Here are 3 important things I’ve learned that you can put into practice when you pray:
1) Pray for specifics
Instead of just praying for generic blessings, choose some specific things and pray for them. That way, when they happen you can actually recognize God’s hand in them.
2) Pray consistently
We prayed everyday for two years about our move to New Zealand. Not only did He give us wisdom in our decision making, but he opened the doors and He has made countless incredible things possible here.
3) Pray with expectation
Remember that God is able and that prayer is powerful. James 5 says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working.17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18 Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” When you pray, be eager and watch with anticipation to see how God will answer.
4) Remember the purpose
I love this Tim Keller quote – “True prayer seeks to mold our will to God’s, not God’s will to ours.” We must remember this. Often our prayers reveal that we think God is a cosmic Santa Claus who’s purpose is to reward us for being nice. While there is nothing wrong with asking God for things, we must always remember the greatest gift is His own presence and that His will is better than our own.
5) Spend time listening:
How long would you stay friends with someone who never gave you a chance to speak? Or if every time he spoke with you it was just to ask you for something? Prayer is about relationship. If you want to grow closer to Him, if you hope to be molded into His image, then you must listen. Spend time in His Word and allow Him to speak to the stillness of your heart. We live in a loud, distracting world. Find somewhere and just be silent for a change!
Question of the Day: How has God answered prayers in your life?
