a man of prayer

In the last month or so, I sense that God has reminded me of the power and necessity of prayer in my life. I can think of two notable examples from my bible study and reading that has got me thinking along these lines.

The first came from reading Nehemiah chapter 4. Contextually, Nehemiah is a book about rebuilding the walls in Jerusalem that were previously torn down. Nehemiah returns to Jerusalem from exile to lead the project of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. This was a monumental task that faced stiff opposition.

Although there are numerous prayers of Nehemiah recorded in the bible, there is a verse that is not a prayer related, that really helped me see that prayer is part of my work and it is a powerful weapon. After strong opposition and threats to attack both the wall and Nehemiah’s workers take place, Nehemiah surveyed the situation and changed the methodology of his workers. The bible says that, “The laborers carried on their work with one hand supporting their load and one hand holding a weapon” (Nehemiah 4:17). I can’t explain exactly how this God me thinking about prayer. I think I simply realized that part of my work is the active role in my daily tasks. Prayer is also part of my work and it is what gives me the power and the strength to support the work that I am trying to accomplish.

One of the books that I am currently reading is Billy Graham’s autobiography, “Just As I Am”. I am about half way through it, and thus far it has been a very exciting read. What better book to read and person to study than perhaps the greatest evangelist of our time? I am amazed by the stories and the impact that Billy Graham and his team have had on our world over the course of their lifetimes.

The question that I have continued to ask myself is why was Billy Graham so fruitful and successful? What made this work? Millions of people have heard the gospel message through Billy Graham. More notably, millions of people have responded to God’s message of love and forgiveness. Why don’t people respond in the same way today? Why aren’t Billy Graham crusades still happening to the extent that they used to be? These are just a few questions I have asked myself.

It is tempting to read and think that Billy Graham was and still is some spiritual giant. He was a rare exception and there is nobody today with whom God can use to carry out His plan and purpose to the extent that Billy Graham has. My bottom line conclusion to this point is that it was through united prayer of people all over the world that allowed God to work through Billy Graham. Without prayer, the full extent of Billy Graham’s impact would not have been realized.

The story of Nehemiah and Billy Graham’s autobiography are just two examples of how God has been reminding me that if I want to do anything important in this lifetime, it is going to be accomplished through prayer. The good thing is that I have realized that I want to be part of God’s plan and purpose. I want God to use me to be a conduit of His blessing. I see that prayer needs to be a stronger priority than I have made it. In our fast paced world, this is easier said than done. I think I am seeing my weaknesses more and more and it has been humbling to me. God needs to increase, and I need to decrease.

I’ll have to let you know how this plays out…