SUNDAY May 2, 2021
Encouragement to Prayer
Therefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, do not cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers:
Ephesians 1:15-16
Paul concluded Ephesians 1 with intercessory prayer. The word therefore always brings us back to what was previous written––all the preceding blessings listed. Paul acknowledged the church of Ephesus’ faith and love for all the saints. It was evident the Holy Spirit was working in their lives.
Imagine, Paul was ceaselessly praying for the church of Ephesus from prison. He was very thankful for them! We are blessed and have so much to be thankful for as well. Paul’s example of prayer is a great encouragement for us to intercede for others. Do you pray for people? What about praying for the person sitting next to you in church? Do you pray for your loved ones in your family? Write down prayer requests for people in a journal and mark the date when God answers them.
I prayed for a friend of mine who was an alcoholic. I shared the Gospel with him, but he always responded in a very sarcastic and cynical way. Yet one afternoon, he called me and wanted to speak with me. So I went to his house. I remember his arms where discolored, and his teeth were rotten from the alcohol. He was drunk and had not been to work in two days. Financially, he had lost all of his money––everything.
For the very first time, he humbly admitted to me he had a problem with drinking alcohol. I prayed for him and asked God to speak to him personally. He was in bad shape, and I knew his days were numbered. At least now he was seeking God who had pursed him for over 30 years!
God answers prayer. Understand, God will sometimes impress a person or a situation on your mind. Then pray! We do not have to take a flight to China, Hong Kong or South America. We can pray from our homes and make an impact anywhere in the world! There is power in prayer! Pray for any situation you find yourself in, and God will answer.
Those blessings are sweetest that are won with prayers and worn with thanks.
~Thomas Goodwin~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!