The Power of Prayer: Rise Up and Pray! by Minister Teresa Robinson

Rise Up and Pray!

Luke 22:46

Prayer keeps the spirit calm and connected to God.

Praying and staying “watchful” keeps us open so we can recognize answers and keeps us alert to what may be hindering our prayers.

I am sure we have noticed that when we do NOT pray, a piece of our spirit is lost and the view of our circumstances suffer. The Power of prayer gives us strength to pray specific prayers that will divert enemy attacks. Question?  What is keeping us from praying?  I’m not talking about a casual, run out of the door, “thank you God, keep me safe”, dash to a meeting prayer, which is needed, but what is keeping us from making an intentional effort to spend time alone with the Lord?  What keeps us from sitting, asking, crying, waiting, listening, watching and praying in his presence?       Distractions, Distractions, Distractions. 

During this awful pandemic, we have certainly had many distractions, but we have also, during this pandemic, had many opportunities to run to God in prayer! There are many prayers our families and friends need. There are many prayers we ourselves need.  There are prayers our co-workers, cities, enemies and our country need!  If we would only open our hearts, rise up and pray, who knows the change, the turn-around we alone could make in prayer!  God can use us just as he did Abraham. 

Genesis 18:20-21-Abraham was given space to plead and intercede with an omnipotent God on behalf of others.  After God revealed his plan to Abraham, Abraham’s heart cared enough to pray specifically not just for Lot’s safe exit, but for others as well.  Prayer aids us in seeing and praying specific prayers so we can hit our target and not pray selfishly amiss -James 4:3.

We have to find the power in ourselves to stay reverent before God, be bold and be intentional in prayer!  In the serious times we are living in right now, there isn’t time to waste, someone’s life depends on our partnership with God in prayer! The outcome of Genesis 18 was in the hands of God, but God used one man to step into an atmosphere to plead, ask and shine a light on intercession. In this life and death situation, God drew out the intercessor’s heart in Abraham. 

Prayer keeps the spirit calm and connected to God

Prayer keeps us alert to what is heading our way!

Jesus, while on earth, in his humanness needed spiritual assistance through prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane.  He takes 3 trusted disciples with him and needs them to watch and pray with him, but weak in the flesh, I know we can relate, they fall asleep. 

In Matthew 26 we see Jesus, nearing Calvary and knowing time is drawing near for him to die, we find him sorrowful in spirit, but yet we see Jesus deep in prayer.  We also see Jesus incredulous that his disciples couldn’t link up with him and pray for one hour!  By the time he tells them to rise, it is now too late, the enemy has entered the garden. They allowed sleep to overtake them, and in their quiet secret place the enemy came and took them off guard. Jesus wins the struggle over his flesh in prayer, but the disciples add more burden on him because they couldn’t kill their flesh and pray through with him. We see them afterwards afraid, hiding and confused.  They missed the chance and didn’t recognize the important time to pray with our Lord before he died and when he and they needed it most. 

How many prayer opportunities have we ourselves missed? 

How often have we not realized we had the power in prayer to see things change, to see God’s hand move, to see the valleys rise and the mountains fall all because we let our spirits become too weak! The strength they would have received in prayer in the garden after Jesus was taken and killed would have benefitted them.  They, like us, often forget that God is with us in prayer.

We forget that Matthew 18:20 tells us that where 2 or 3 are gather together in his name, God is with us, his magnificent presence shows up in the midst of us.  When we lose the power of prayer, we lose–Period!  In the garden, Jesus was trying to show them and show us that in our lowest and highest state of life, we are to never forget this awesome power!

I’ve seen prayer answered in ways I would have never thought of. 

I’ve seen years of prayer go forth to cause an alcoholic father to come to a stable mind and sober up!  I’ve seen the power of prayer, combined with a dream, open my eyes to pray protection and gain me the victory over my child who had interaction with a demonized teacher. I’ve been in group prayer on the sidewalk, outside a crack house praying for it to fall and with my eyes the next year see it torn down!  At home in NJ, I’ve seen prayer cause change in other states and countries. I’ve seen God deal with my enemies while praying he would also have Mercy upon them! In prayer, I’ve seen the crooked become straight, I’ve seen hidden things exposed, I’ve seen the lowly lifted and rise from sickness near death!  At home, I’ve seen prayer take cold, stony hearts and turn them to hearts that could see, feel and begin to love  God. Some prayers today, I am still waiting and watching for God to deal with, but I realize my feet, our feet can physically be in one place, while our prayers travel causing change to happen around us, and around the world!  Amen!

Habakkuk 2 shows us a position in prayer

Let us be like Habakkuk, Get up, Rise up, Stand up in the high place of prayer!

Let us be like Habakkuk, Get up, Rise up, Go up to see how God will answer!

Let us learn in prayer to take correction and be led by God.  Let us keep what God shows us about others to ourselves. Let’s not blab and share secrets from the Secret Place!

If God trusts you and shows you things, don’t go public, hold that information tightly, pray and watch for his hand to move!  Don’t be distracted – Rise up and Pray!   

Someone’s life depends on your prayers!

Romans 8:34. If you are a child of God, know today that we have been set free by God to enjoy the power of prayer that is in our hearts because Christ has ascended to his right hand and is making intercession for you and I! Hallelujah! Lastly, I thank God that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ, not tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril or sword.  Nothing can keep us from praying and communing with a loving God, we just have to decide today to consistently pray!

The Power of Prayer in us will cause God’s hand to move in unbelievable ways! 

Father, I thank you for this blog and for the readers. Lord, thank you for these words gone forth through my fingertips to cause those that have been asleep to Rise up and Pray again!  Forgive us for being lazy, we’ll rise and watch again! We’ll wait and expect you to answer again Thank you for sending breakthrough today! Breakthrough in prayer for our families, our churches, lands, and nations!   In Jesus’ Name!  Amen!