The Power of Prayer

Powerful. That’s what I had always heard people claim prayer to be. As I was growing up, I always knew how important it was to pray. I knew that praying made me feel better if something was wrong, and I was certain that praying was pleasing to God. But I can’t say that I did it regularly, outside of the prayers at church, and I certainly didn’t have an understanding of how powerful it could be.

Fast forward to my young adulthood. Busy life? Yes. Busy prayer life? No, unfortunately. Yes, I still prayed. And yes, I understood more about prayer than I did as a child. But I still didn’t fully grasp the power of prayer.

It’s only now, after really beginning to seek a relationship with God more than religion, am I starting to finally get it. I am starting to learn that prayer is about having a conversation with God. It’s about getting closer with Him to discover and appreciate who He is. It’s about Him wanting to hear from us and wanting us to place our trust in Him. Yes, it’s a time when we can ask Him for what we need, but it is also about listening to what He has to say. It’s about hearing His desires, His plans, and His purposes for our lives. It’s time spent with someone who will never leave us nor forsake us. One-on-one with the Creator of the universe. Now, I’d say that’s powerful!

Well, I want others to know about that power, too. And perhaps, many already do. But in times like these, in which we are confronted by troubling situations in the world around us, and sometimes even in our own lives, it helps to be reminded of that power.

So today, I bring to you a song called, quite simply, “Pray,” recorded by the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir. From my musical vantage point, what could more effectively express the concept of the power of prayer than this 300-voice choir lifting their powerful voices to compel us to pray. And for me, that feeling of power in this selection is about more than just the lyrics and the music. It’s about the passionate conviction that is evident on the faces and in the hearts of the choir as it brings forth the message.

Today, take some time to reflect on how awesome it is that we have a God that wants to hear from us. And remember, He is always there for us. We don’t have to wait for times of distress to reach out to Him. We can and should talk with Him all the time, in good times and bad. Relationship over religion. Time spent with someone who will never leave us nor forsake us. One-on-one with the Creator of the universe. Yes, that’s powerful. Prayer is powerful!

How have you experienced the power of prayer in your life?

Pray, (Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, Brooklyn Tabernacle Music, February 2015)