THE POWER OF PRAYER

Does God really hear our prayers? Yes He does. In fact, He considers them a sweet aroma to His senses. When we’re in right standing with Him, nothing gets in the way to prevent Him from hearing our praise and thanks, and answering our prayers for the needs of others and ourselves.

ETERNAL PERSPECTIVES        by Sally Bair

The prayer chain

Christians in Moravia, part of the Czech Republic, fled to Germany in the early 1700s to escape persecution from the Roman Catholic Church. They ended up on the land owned by Count Zinzendorf, a rich ruler who was troubled by their suffering and allowed them to establish a community. The tightly-knit community became known as Herrnhut.

During their time of formation, the Moravians made a covenant with God to pray 24 hours a day. Their continuous prayer watch began with 24 men and 24 women, each spending an hour a day in prayer. It grew into a huge chain of pray-ers focused on the desire to further God’s kingdom on earth. One of their most zealous requests was for God to “call” missionaries to other lands.

The prayer group met weekly to encourage one another and to read letters and messages from their fellow “brothers” throughout the world. Decades passed. The prayer chain lasted over 100 years with astounding results. It helped start Protestant missions in the West Indies, Greenland, Turkey, and Lapland. A total of 70 Moravian missionaries were sent from their original community. Years later the list had grown to over 300. It sparked the conversions of John Wesley and his brother Charles, famous preachers whom God used for revival in England. The prayer chain also started the Great Awakening that swept through Europe and America.

Many of our churches have “prayer chains,” groups of Christians who phone each other to pray for certain needs of the people. We spend time in daily prayer with God and pray with others on a regular basis, with great benefits for God’s kingdom. But imagine the results if we would vow to pray an hour a day as part of a 24-hour prayer chain. Imagine the impact on the Christian church as a whole. On our communities. On the political scenes within our town, our state, our nation. Imagine how the whole world could be changed in positive ways, to say nothing about ways to draw others to Christ’s healing salvation.

Thankfully, some churches or Christian groups already offer round-the-clock prayer. We also hear of Christian groups that host prayer days throughout the year. Even public schools get involved in group prayer. This year’s annual “See You at the Pole” event is September 23, a time when Christian students gather at a flagpole in front of their local school for prayer, Scripture readings, and worship.

Lord, thank You for the freedom to pray with others and for hearing our prayers. Give us a zeal for daily praying for the needs of others and for the growth of Your kingdom. In Jesus’ name, amen.