The Power of Prayer

Psalm 5:3 - My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord. In the morning I will direct my prayer unto thee and look up.

The following story was taken from a book by Joy Haney called "Power of Speaking Positive." It is a testimony to the power of prayer. It takes place during WWII.

An airplane carrying captain Edward Rickenbacker and his crew fell into the Pacific Ocean and no trace of the wreckage could be found. There they were with three rafts, which they tied together at night, with no food except a few oranges.

Rickenbacker had been raised in a Christian home and knew the power of prayer. On the second day one of the boys found that he had a Bible in his pocket. The men organized little prayer meetings during the morning and evening and took turns reading the Bible. They humbly prayed for deliverance.

On the eighth day, within an hour of their prayers, a seagull landed on the Captain's head. He reached his hand up gently and caught it. The men wrung the bird's neck, plucked it and ate every bit, bones and all. They then used the innards for bait and survived off of the fish they caught.

On the 21st day they were spotted by searching planes and rescued. It goes without saying that the rescue was miraculous. The men were nothing but a dot on the surface of the ocean. When news of the rescue flashed around the world people wanted to know how they survived. The simple answer was, "we prayed." Rickenbacker acknowledged that their deliverance came through prayer and Bible reading. He wrote a book called "Seven Came Through" about their experiences.

One of the their favorite passages during this time was Matthew 6 - "Take no thought saying, "what shall we eat or what shall we drink" ... Can you imagine being lost in the ocean and praying that prayer. Yet it worked. If God can feed 8 men lost on a raft in the middle of the ocean what can he do in your situation? The answer is simple - Anything you believe him for! We serve a God of miracles. If you need something today and the answer seems like it would take a miracle, ask the God of miracles and see what he will do.

HE NEVER FAILS!

Trusting Him Daily,

Sullivan Jones
 

He knows the way that I take

Job 23: 10 - But he knows the way that I take. 

Have you ever felt like a stranger? I remember my first impression of Honduras. I arrived in the country late in the day and by the time I was in the Missionary's vehicle it was completely dark. The streets seemed so narrow and I had the feeling of landing on a foreign planet. Though he was probably driving normally, I felt like the missionary was flying and I didn't know how we could avoid an accident before getting where we were going. It was exhilarating because I was living my dream of spending a year abroad but terrifying because I felt so lost. The idea of being in a place where I didn't know anyone and didn't know my way around was overwhelming at first. I didn't know it at the time, but I was feeling the first waves of culture shock.

As Christians we can feel the same way at times about life itself. The world we live in is such a big place and people do not always share our values for the things of God. We can feel like we are navigating the streets of life in the dark, without knowing how to get where we need to go. That first night in Honduras I was totally dependent on the missionary and I was glad that I could trust him to take me where I needed to go. In the same way, we can trust God to take us where we need to go in this life. We may not always know the way, but the good news is we don't have to. God always knows what we need and he always knows how to get us there.

Lord, I thank you today that though I don't always know my way through this life you are always with me and always provide what I need. Even as David prayed in Psalm 23, you prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. I trust you today to keep me safe and provide for me. In Jesus name, Amen.

A Clean Heart

Psalm 51:10 - Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in me.

Since I was a small child Psalm 51 has  been on my favorite portions of the scripture. It is a psalm of repentance and of turning from self. The psalmist pleads for God's forgiveness and mercy.  Some say that it was written by David after his sin with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah. In some ways it is a psalm of grief for things that can not be undone.

I pray verse 10 of Psalm 51 often but not necessarily because I have sinned some great sin. I recognize that are so many reasons that I need my heart cleansed. I find myself distracted from the pursuit of God's Spirit by a love for material things. It is in my human nature to become greedy and dissatisfied with life. I can become proud and short-tempered. A host of other sins await to pounce upon me when I least expect it. Yes, I need God to continually cleanse my heart so that my motives are pure before him.

The next part says, "renew a right spirit in me." This is a right attitude. I often find that, if I search carefully, there are traces of a wrong attitude in me. Perhaps I feel that someone has slighted me when that really wasn't their intention. I feel that what I am asked to do at work is not fair. Maybe my boss is too demanding or my co-workers do not respect me. (Note: I have a great boss and great co-workers at both my secular and ministerial jobs.) If I search my heart I will find that the problem truly lies with me. Perhaps I have not prayed enough so my flesh is showing rather than my God's Spirit. Yes, my attitude and my spirit need continual renewing.

All of us are on a path toward perfection but none of us has arrived yet. We need the daily presence of the Holy Spirit to work in us and keep our spirits humble. We need the wisdom of the Scriptures to guide the way and we need fellowship with people who will encourage us to do the right thing. I can identify with David in his prayer for a clean heart and a renewed spirit; can't you?

Prayer: Lord, help me today to have a right spirit and attitude. Forgive me for the times when I have had a wrong attitude to my fellow man and help me to show your love to everyone I meet today. Amen!