The Power of Prayer

The Power of Prayer
There is no power over temptation nor victory over sin without spending time with God
in prayer. James Montgomery, who was a great man of prayer, wrote these lyrics in his
hymn “Prayer Is the Soul’s Sincere Desire”: Prayer is the Christian’s vital breath. The
Christian’s native air; His watchword at the gates of death; He enters Heav’n
with prayer.
Prayer should be our first option rather than the final effort. When trouble approaches,
we need to run to God in prayer. If you are weary and feel heavy-laden, take time to
pray. When life is joyful, take time to praise God for His goodness through prayer.
Moses prayed, and water flowed from a rock. Joshua prayed, and the sun stood still.
Hannah prayed, and God gave her a son. David prayed, and Goliath fell. Elijah prayed,
and fire rained down from heaven. Daniel prayed, and God closed the lions’ mouths.
Jesus prayed, and 5,000 people were fed and satisfied with a little boy’s lunch. When
Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, the demons shook with terror. Heaven’s
boundless power and strength are ours when we pray and align our will with God’s
perfect plan.
Are you discouraged and despondent? Pray. Do you feel defeated by sin? Pray. Does
it seem as if your life and personal relationships are falling apart? Your greatest needs
can be met through prayer.
God is not challenged by your sin or difficult circumstances. Prayer is the avenue He
uses to restore your soul and to prepare you to live the life He has given you.
Therefore, pray, knowing that when you draw near to Him, He will draw near to you.
Prayer: Lord, I am drawing near to You, please draw near to me. I pray You will restore
my soul and prepare me for the life You have planned for me. I pray in the name of
Jesus. Amen.
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. . . . Humble yourselves before
the Lord, and he will lift you up” (James 4:8, 10).
Why Give Back to God
Giving our tithes and offerings reflects a grateful heart that wants to give back to God a portion of
what He has given us; in reality, what is already His. This is our opportunity to show God that He is
first in our lives. The Bible says The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your
lives (Deuteronomy 14:23 TLB). Tithing is a reminder that God is the supplier of everything we have.
It is also God’s personal invitation to an outpouring of his blessing in your life.
Four reasons to give back to God:
1. Giving is a Reflection of the Heart
What’s the most important thing to you? We see how our culture encourages us to store up treasures
on earth and exalts materialism to the point where debt has become acceptable. We can probably
even recognize that truth by looking at our own checkbooks. As Christ-followers, however, we are
called to free ourselves from debt bondage so that our resources are available for His purposes.
Matthew 6:20-21 “Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven… For where your treasure is, there
your heart will be also.”
2. Giving is a Reflection of Priorities
Before tithing was a practice of the Israelites, Cain, and Abel, the 2 nd generation of humanity, brought
an offering to the Lord. Abel brought the “firstborn of his flock,” Cain gave “some of the fruits of the
soil.” The Lord blessed Abel’s offering but not Cain’s. God wants to be first in our lives.
Deuteronomy 26:1-2 “When you have entered the land the LORD your God is giving you as an
inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, take some of the firstfruits of all that you
produce from the soil of the land and present them to the LORD your God.” (NIV)
3. Giving is a Privilege
The 1st Century church modeled for us what it means to give generously and joyfully so that more
and more people could find their way back to God.
2 Corinthians 8:2-4 “Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty
welled up in rich generosity. For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond
their ability. Entirely on their own, they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this
service to the saints.” (NIV)
4. Giving is a Blessing
God uses the tithe as an investment where everyone involved gets a return. If we are blessed beyond
our needs, it is not to live more lavishly but to bless others. The church and the kingdom are blessed,
yet God’s nature also blesses the giver.
Malachi 3:10 “‘Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me
in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour
out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.’” (NIV)

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The Power of Prayer

Four reasons to give back to God:

1. Giving is a Reflection of the Heart

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