World-changing Prayer

Daniel 9:20-23

The moment you began praying, a command was given. And now I am here to tell you what it was, for you are very precious to God. (Daniel 9:23)

THE WELSH INTERCESSOR Rees Howells and his circle of prayer partners prayed fervently for the Germans to stop bombing their town in 1941, but he sensed clear instruction from the Lord to expand his prayers to the entire country rather than his own location. So the group spent ten days in near-constant prayer, together sensing the Spirit lead them to pray that God would turn the enemy in other directions. Inexplicably, according to news commentaries, Hitler suddenly turned toward Yugoslavia and Greece and then toward Russia. The immediate crisis for Britain was over; for the world, it would not be over for several more years.

The skeptic would call this turn of events a coincidence and then question the justice of a God who spared Britain at the expense of eastern Europe. Of course, Howells and his group continued to pray for other countries during the war, and battles were eventually won. From outside perspectives, this was a fortunate turn of events. From the perspective of the one who prays, however, the timing was remarkable. The cause-and-effect relationship between specific, Spirit-directed prayers and news headlines was undeniable. Those who pray dare not chalk up the answers to coincidence. The faith that prompts a life of prayer is the faith that gives thanks when answers come.

You have the power to affect world events, whether you realize it or not. That power doesn’t come when you try to pull strings yourself and orchestrate events the way you want to see them play out. It does come, however, when you wait for the Spirit’s direction and then pray accordingly. God reveals his will to those who are sensitive to his Spirit (Amos 3:7) and then answers those who are willing to pray for his will (1 John 5:14). Enter the prayer room and influence the world’s highest places. The God you know is higher still.

{Lord, I know the futility of praying for my own agenda. Teach me the power of praying yours. Make me sensitive to the voice of your Spirit and guide my requests. Bless my neighborhood, my city, my country, and my world through my prayers. Amen.