You know how we so flippantly say, "We can only pray’" when faced with a mountain of a problem, a Goliath we cannot defeat on our own, a mountain too big to scale, an ocean that we cannot cross, a whirlpool of habits we cannot get rid of, the endless things that we cannot accomplish on our own.
The phrase seems to be a resigned acceptance of the fact that we cannot do this on our own, and now we have to, almost unwillingly, hand over this humongous problem to God Almighty and wait for Him to come through for us.
But even a cursory look at the Bible shows us what happens when we pray.
One of my favourite stories from the Bible is that of King Hezekiah. The ruthless Assyrian army was advancing against this tiny, defenceless country. Undefeated in their numerous battles, news of their vanquished foes unnerved their every opponent.
In a threatening letter, King Sennacherib warned Hezekiah and the Israelites of the looming siege and his invincibility on the battlefield.
King Hezekiah took the letter and spread it on the altar in the temple. He cried out to God, asking Him to help them. That very night, the Lord of hosts intervened on behalf of the powerless king. The Assyrian army scattered in all directions as the angel of the Lord swept through their camp. The undefeated Sennacherib had to literally flee for his life.
And all Hezekiah did was pray!
This is just but one of the instances where God acted in His mighty power . . .
The prisoner who was hastily summoned from the jail—given the royal seal of approval.
The man who was thrown into a den of lions—saved from the jaws of certain death.
A runaway messenger swallowed by a great fish—and vomited up on the very shore God had sent him to.
A drowning man walked on water.
Blind eyes were opened and the lame leapt.
Two disciples prayed for boldness and lives were not the same again.
These are just a few instances. As we read through the Bible, we are amazed at how God answers prayers!
Whatever we are facing today, may we be reminded that we need to only have mustard seed faith to see mountains moved.
Psalm 116:1-2 prompts us to remember:
"I love the Lord, because He hears My voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, Therefore I shall call upon Him as long as I live!"
Even as I write this, I remind myself that the best and first thing I need to do is to pray and wait for the Lord to answer me, the way only He can.
Praying is not an act of cowardice or resignation, but an act of faith, of boldness, of obedience, of belief. Let us never dismiss the power of prayer. Whatever mountain, giant or impossibility we are facing today, let us boldly spread it before the Lord of hosts, God Almighty. His arm is not too short to save, nor is His ear deaf to our plea.
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