Prayer is the most fundamental behavior of a believer. Our faith is expressed in prayer, communication with God. We’re learning about prayer in our current message series, “Teach Us To Pray.” I am excited about what God is teaching me about prayer as I study this important topic. I believe that we haven’t really begun to tap the potential of prayer to impact the world around us for God.
Too often, my vision of what prayer could accomplish is too small. God wants to enlarge our vision of the impact that prayer can have. When we really begin to see the impact that prayer can have, it will motivate us to be more intentional and serious about prayer.
Today, I’ve entitled my message, “Prayer Impact.” We’re going to be continuing to examine Jesus’ teaching on prayer. As we study Jesus’ words today, we’re going to see that Jesus wants to expand our thinking about prayer. Prayer is the tool, prayer is the weapon that God has given us to impact our world and expand God’s kingdom. Yet many of us, myself included, often think too small. Our use of prayer is limited to relatively small situations that impact just a person or two. Prayer is certainly meant for those kind of small circumstances, but prayer is also intended to impact much larger situations.
Mark 11:23-24 (NIV) “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Why did Jesus talk about moving mountains through faith and prayer? I believe because Jesus wants us to move us from moving mole hills with prayer to moving mountains. Jesus wants us to expand our vision of what prayer can accomplish and begin praying for bigger things. I don’t think Jesus is interested in moving physical mountains around. What Jesus is interested in is moving spiritual mountains or roadblocks that keep many people from following Him. Jesus is interested in saving the hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people in St. Louis that do not yet know Him. And He wants us to be part of that vision.
A week or so ago, our electricity went off unexpectedly in our home one morning. What happens when the electricity when off? Almost everything stops working. No lights, no oven, no toaster, no computer, no internet or email, no air conditioning, no phone, sewing machine. You wonder how people could live without electricity. We were without electricity all morning, but finally it came back on and everything started working again. Prayer is kind of like the electricity or power source of our lives. Our electric line connected us to a generator at a power plant somewhere. In the same way prayer connects us with God who is our power source in life. Without prayer, we are not connected to our power source and nothing works in our lives.
So, to move mountains, we’ve got to see the mountain and then be connected to our power source with prayer. This morning, ask God to open your eyes to a mountain He wants you to be part of moving through prayer.
Listen to or watch my September 2, 2012 message Prayer Impact.