Your Prayers can Change Things

We sometimes pray fervently and desperately, but then we hope that God might fulfil half of our longing.

You think you are just a Christian of little faith who can expect little.

It's true that our unbelief, bitterness or resentment towards someone can stand in the way of God's miracle-working power.

But if you pray fervently for someone out of love and care, you can expect miraculous help from God.

Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, Eph 3:20 NIV

If your prayers are moved by God's love, you can be sure that the mighty power of the Holy Spirit is at your disposal. The same power will then be released in the lives of your friends or loved ones.

I will never forget how our beloved pastor confidently proclaimed blessings and healing over all kinds of suffering people:

‘’ We proclaim life, life, life!‘’

We saw so many miracles in this church.

A woman who could only walk with great difficulty because of emphysema was set free and was able to walk around unhindered for a while later.

I was visiting a church in Germany. The guest preacher proclaimed healings. Someone who was always trembling because of Parkinson's disease stopped trembling immediately.

My father was not a believer at the age of seventy. He had smoked 40 cigarettes a day for years and I expected that he would not live many years longer because of emphysema.

I prayed that he would not die prematurely, but would have enough time to find his way to saving faith.

He committed his life to Jesus at the age of 88 and died in peace at the age of 91.

God Understands

 Who understands the deep wounds in your soul? Only God.

Every heart has its own bitterness, and no one else can fully share its joy. Prov 14:10

Who understands the difficult path from your failure to the fulfilment of your destiny? Only God.

There is an old English hymn.

‘’What a friend we have in Jesus, all our sins and griefs to bear.‘’
Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness
Take it to the Lord in prayer

Sometimes good counsellors or therapists can help, but only God fully understands all your deepest troubles.

But when we teeter helplessly on the edge of despair, we can be tempted to cling to the comfort and security of people as if human help can save us.

A pastor or counsellor with simple answers to all your problems can limit your potential. Canned food can never provide the same nourishment that comes from fresh food.

A well-known preacher illustrated this problem with this joke.

A Christian asked his pastor a difficult theological question.
The pastor gave an impressive answer and justified his teaching with a Bible text.
Father God in heaven listened in amazement.

‘’Jesus. Did you hear what that pastor just said? I would never have thought of it. Did you tell him?‘’

We don't get by in life by having simple answers for every question.
The crucial question is whether you have a living relationship with Jesus, because Jesus is the way, the truth and the life.

We are not saved because we are right in all theological questions.
It is not theology that saves us, but the Saviour.
There are secrets hidden in your soul, secrets that only you are familiar with.

There are some counsellors and therapists with whom you can uncover such secrets, and they will care for you with understanding and respect, but there are also counsellors who claim to know everything and to be right about everything. It is better to avoid such counsellors.

There are so many mysteries and secrets in my own life that I only partially understand. Even the best counsellors don't understand half of it, but I have learned to trust God more and more as my guide in my ignorance.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 

He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 

He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Ps 23:1–4 NKJV

Do you understand why God loves you? Maybe a little, or maybe not at all.

But if you can learn little by little to believe in God's care and guidance, and to hold on to His love, then Jesus will be your protection and shield.

God understands the secrets in your heart that you don't understand yourself. When you surrender your life into the hands of God, He will mould your life so that you can experience deep healing.

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. Ps 147:3 NKJV

But please be patient. This healing can take some time.

Moses had to suffer as a refugee in the desert for 40 years before God called him to enter His service.

Abraham and Sarah were already very old when their promised son was born.

Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. Jas 5:7 NIV

God's Plan for your Life

Are you in an impossible situation, and you can’t see a way out? In spite of everything, there is a good, all-powerful God who loves you with all his heart.

The 57th Psalm is a prayer by David, who was chosen by God to be the next king of Israel.

Have mercy on me, my God, have mercy on me, for in you I take refuge. I will take refuge in the shadow of your wings until the disaster has passed. Ps 57:1 NIV

King Saul was consumed with jealousy and murderous rage. David was surrounded by Saul and his soldiers and took refuge in a cave. David had no help but God.

He cried out with all his heart, but not loudly. He desperately needed help.

If you are being interrogated by the police or a mean boss, you can’t pray out loud but God hears the cry of your heart.

He was crying out for mercy. God's help is always grace, and God's mercy and grace is always there for you because He loves you.

God answered this prayer. David survived and became king.

God had a plan for David to become king.

 You may be overwhelmed with problems right now. God has a good plan for your life. He doesn't just want to help you through this crisis. He has a good future for you.

I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfil his purpose for me. Ps 57:2 NLT

Prayer and Free Will

 God gave Adam and Eve the power to make the most amazingly powerful decision of all, to choose to obey God or disobey!! 

Humans were empowered to make real decisions, otherwise they would not reflect the image of the supreme decision maker, God.

And the LORD God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree of the garden,
but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for on the day you eat from it, you will certainly die.” Ge 2:16–17 CSB

God gave Adam and Eve the ability to sin, to resist His own will. This is what sin is.

This is the reality of free will. God has never removed this free will, to obey or resist His will. Why do born again Christians still sin, if they have been given a new heart and a new nature? Because we still have a free will which God has sovereignly determined that we should have.

If humans do not have a free will to obey or resist the will of God, if all our actions are determined by God, then we would have to agree with Calvin, who said “God not only foresaw that Adam would fall, but also ordained that he should.” (Calvin’s Inst., b. 3, c. 23, sec. 7.) 

.... “he fell not only by the permission, but also by the appointment, of God.” (Calvin Responsio ad Calumnias Nebulonis
cujusdam ad Articulum primum.) “He sinned because God so ordained,
because the Lord saw good.” (Calvin’s Inst., b. 3, c. 24, sec. 8.)

Does that mean every person has complete freedom to recognise the choice he or she is confronted with? Sadly not.

But if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing.
In their case, the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelievers to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 2 Co 4:3–4 CSB

• It is very difficult to believe if you are brought up to believe there is no God in a Communist country.

• It can be very difficult to believe if you are taught from infancy that Christians are bad people who believe in three gods.

• It can be difficult to believe in the goodness of God if you are brought up in a brutal, abusive family where you are led to believe in Jesus as a severe judge who hates you when you sin.

This is where we see the necessity of the mighty grace of God to open blind spiritual eyes.

How can we as believers penetrate this darkness?

There are many people who cannot believe only through hearing a message. They need a personal experience or direct encounter with God.

Millions of people are converted from other religions in our time through healing miracles and dreams and visions, in which Jesus personally reveals Himself.

This is the result of millions of Christians who pray for the conversion of atheists and believers in other religions. God commands us to pray and believe in His willingness to answer with great supernatural power.

God keeps His Promises

When I woke up this morning, I heard an old song in my mind. It came from the Holy Spirit.

Every promise in the book is mine
Every chapter, every verse and every line
All are blessings of His love divine
Every promise in the book is mine

When I turned on my computer, I opened a document where I had collected promises from God.

He heals the brokenhearted And binds up their wounds. Psalm 147:3 NKJV

who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. Psalm 103:5 NIV84

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, Psalm 103:2–3 NIV84

When I was diagnosed with cancer in October 2018, I was devastated. I prayed and asked God if I should have radiotherapy as the specialist advised.

As I went for a walk with God, the presence of God came tangibly over me like an invisible cloud. I felt an overwhelming peace. I knew God wanted to heal me Himself.

I didn't want to be a pious fanatic. I was careful and had regular blood tests. Fourteen months later I was allowed to have a second biopsy. The most dangerous tumour was no longer to be found.

In September 2020, I had a second MRI scan. The tumour had completely disappeared.

If we only trust in spiritual experiences and feelings, we can be wrong, but when God's Spirit speaks clearly to you and confirms the promises of God, you can trust God for a miracle.

But it can also be dangerous if you try to believe all by yourself.

Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord.

And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. James 5:14–15 NIV84

One Sunday I was in church. The pastor was preaching about Divine healing. He called all the sick to come forward and anointed us with oil. God confirmed his promise.

Don’t stay alone in your sickness. Seek first the loving presence of God. Hold fast to his promises. Seek out Christians who believe with you.

There are many Christians who think only humanly.

God promises in the Bible, but they say like the serpent in the garden, "Did God say that?"

If your church leaders think like this, you should seek help elsewhere.

God Hears when Women Cry

A young woman employed in the Australian parliament was raped by a male colleague, but it was treated as a political problem by the ruling party and hushed up.

A few weeks ago, this courageous woman protested publicly. This unleashed a "Me Too" movement in the Australian political world.

This week we have seen a new scandal. I was so outraged that I had great difficulty praying about it without anger and resentment.

At last I made an effort to pray for justice without anger. Then I had the clear impression that God was answering me.

"I have heard the cry of the women."

Then I said to the Lord. "But many of these protesting women are not Christians. They are not praying in Jesus' name."

Then the Lord spoke clearly in my mind.

"When the Hebrew slaves cried out in Egypt, you think they were all holy and righteous."

Then the LORD told him, “I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their cries of distress because of their harsh slave drivers. Yes, I am aware of their suffering. Exodus 3:7 NLT

And do you think all these angry women are unbelieving feminists? Not at all.

I know Christian women who have been victims of brutal bullying in supposedly pious churches.

One of the most prominent preachers in Germany is Gaby Wentland. She rescues women from human trafficking and prostitution. She is also a political activist against human trafficking.

I heard her say, "There is more prayer in brothels than in the churches in Germany."

"I have heard the cry of the women."

God speaks clearly in our hearts when we ask for justice with all our hearts.

God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they will be satisfied. Matthew 5:6 NLT

Most English translations do not speak of “Justice” but “Righteousness”.

In Hebrew, NT Greek, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and German, the word in Matthew 5:6 means Both Righteousness AND Justice.

God has a Way Out for You

Your situation is impossible.  There is no way out. But with God, nothing is impossible. He has a plan for you.  

Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff,

but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way. Luke 4:29–30 NLT

How did Jesus escape from the angry crowd? We can only guess.

How can Jesus, get you out of your fix? Only God knows.

How did the Holy Spirit plant the holy seed in Mary's womb so that she conceived the Son of God.

It's a mystery, but with God nothing is impossible.

Gaby Wentland is a preacher in Hamburg who was once a missionary in Africa. She now has another mission in Germany. She helps asylum seekers and sex slaves in brothels.

She says there is more prayer in brothels than in most churches.

A German evangelist once heard God's small still voice in his spirit. He was directed to visit a brothel. He was shocked, but he wanted to obey.

In the brothel he found a decent woman from a distant country. She had been lured to Germany to find work to help her poor family.

The evangelist was able to help her get out of the brothel and return to her family.

God has his ways of helping his children. If you can’t see a way out, God has good plans for you.

He is waiting for your cry for help. Right now.

‘Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.’ Jer 33:3 NIV