The Power of Answered Prayer

Last Wednesday evening at prayer meeting I shared from the devotion, The Possibilities of Prayer, by Edward Bounds. He writes, “It is answered prayer which brings praying out of the realm of dry, dead things, and makes praying a thing of life and power.” How true! Praying can become so dead and routine, until we experience the power of God by realizing an answer to our prayer. It doesn’t even necessarily have to be the answer we asked for or expected, just an answer. That is the “aha” moment when we truly understand that God can and does hear and answer prayer! From that point on we are energized with an anticipation of God hearing and responding to our prayers. That is where power lies…knowing God hears our concerns and requests and believing that God will act upon them. I am reminded of the child who is at his father’s feet trying desperately to get his attention. He repeatedly calls out “dad” with no success. When we pray to our Father, we experience just the opposite! Once we’ve tasted answered prayer, we realize at the sound of our voice God immediately turns to us with a look of anticipation. Even if our prayers are not answered instantly, we know that God has already given us his undivided attention. My prayer for you is that your prayer life would be a thing of life and power!