There’s Power in Prayer
Duh…of course there’s power in prayer, isn’t there? Haven’t we all been beneficiaries of prayer? But do we sometimes doubt that our prayers are worthy of God’s attention?
A sick horse
Peaches, my horse, has chronic stomach problems, which emerge, often with no warning, as a critical attack of colic. This twisting or blocking of the intestine can be deadly. Colic can be caused by a variety of reasons:
- Eating too much grain or hay
- A sudden change of food
- Changing food without a gradual transition
- Vigorous rolling (wallowing) on the ground
- Unknown and unexplained onset
This weekend, Peaches had a sudden onset. Saturday morning she seemed fine, but by evening she wasn’t eating (horses love to eat so we know something is wrong when they don’t). We immediately began walking, the most effective treatment for colic. Keep the horse moving, both to stimulate the digestive tract and prevent the horse from lying down as much as possible.
Usually, with Peaches, several hours of walking achieve the desired result (although in a particularly bad episode I once walked her most of the night). The goal is defecation (a poop) which signals clearing of the blockage. We walked the horse several hours with no obvious success.
The prayers of one
I prayed for my big girl.
Her condition declined overnight. By dawn’s early light I found a weakened horse, but she came willingly to me, seeking help. We walked more. When she tired and refused to walk, we turned in circles. I called in a substitute for my Sunday School class and we walked more.
As worship leader, I needed to be at church, so we left our girl on the ground. Upon arrival at church, we fielded questions about her and learned of multiple prayers for Peaches. Our Pastor offered another prayer during the service.
There’s POWER in PRAYER
Following the death of Jesus, His disciples spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ with courage, tenacity, and perseverance. They put themselves in danger to respond to His commission:
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (Matthew 28:19-20) NIV
This calling challenged the disciples to give all. King Herod arrested many who belonged to the growing church. James was executed. Peter was seized and imprisoned.
So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. (Acts 12:5)
In prison, Peter slept between two soldiers, bound with chains, and guarded by sentries at the prison entrance. On the night prior to his trial, an angel appeared and brought light into the cell. The chains fell away from Peter’s wrists and at the angel’s direction, Peter dressed and put on his sandals (Acts 12).
(Isn’t it awesome that God thought of the “little” things, too? Like putting on clothes before walking through the town?)
Led down the street by the angel, Peter realized he wasn’t dreaming. He was free!
Fully awake, he walked to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people gathered and were praying. (Acts 12:12)
Answered Prayer
Many people prayed for Peter. He was released to continue his ministry.
I don’t mean to place my horse’s life in the same category as Peter’s miraculous release from prison. However, I’m humbled by God’s answer to my prayers and those of my church family. After church, Peaches met me at the gate, still exhausted, reluctant to walk, but as she brought her head close to mine, I sensed her need to try again.
We plodded down a slope into a familiar pasture. As we proceeded at a snail’s pace across the pasture, still downhill, I wondered if I’d be able to get her back up the hill to the barn. If she gave up, I’d be forced to leave her.
A few more steps and we turned to start back.
Peaches stopped.
Her tail lifted.
She pooped!
Not an earth shaking event, but our own little miracle. An answered prayer.
Give praise to the LORD, proclaim his name; make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.
Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.
Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always.
Remember the wonder he has done, his miracles (1 Chronicles 16:8-12a)
I am so glad that Peaches is better. God is good. It is so comforting to know that He is there in all circumstances.
Such a wonderful blessing and a great relief. At one point, I was sure we were going to lose her, but thankfully, our loving God didn’t let either of us give up. Thank you for being a prayer warrior for us.
Sweet mercies from God come in all sizes, forms, and smells! So thankful God restored Peaches. So thankful for this reminder that we need to watch for His kindnesses in all things and give appropriate praise💙
I love answers to prayers and all stories, where God is at work.
Thank you, Judy. I agree, the stories showing the blessings of answered prayers are so uplifting. Wishing you joy!
Yes, sweet mercies! Loved your response, Kristy. It seems strange to be thankful for the smell of horse poop, but in this case it was a “pleasing” aroma. Our God is So GOOD! Thank you for your kind encouragement.
God cares about all our lives and all creation. Thank you for your sweet reminder, Katherine. Blessings
We are so blessed with a loving God who cares about us every step of our journey (and loves our animals, too). Wishing you joy and blessings.
I was just teaching on this answered prayer for Peter this past Sunday in our teen class. We learned that praying without ceasing wasn’t necessarily 24 hour, every breath prayer, but praying and believing as you pray. Just like the disciples that were praying for Peter at Mary’s house in Acts, we are often shocked and surprised when God answers our prayers. What a loving and understanding God we have! We know God CAN do it, but deep down, don’t often believe He will. Thankfully, He knows and understands each of us and our prayers!
What a wonderful lesson you had with your teens. Thank you for sharing the Gospel with our young ones. They are our future! Yes, you are right–I knew God could heal Peaches, but with all the other problems in the world, would He? He is the Almighty and can do all things. I’m so thankful for His love, mercy, and grace. Take care, my friend.
It’s been said that God answers prayer in one of four ways: Yes; No; Maybe later; You’ve got to be kidding me! In this case, I’m glad He said, “Yes.” And, why wouldn’t He, for one of nature’s most divine creatures!
I sometimes wonder if some of my prayers are trivial–or if they will get the “Are you kidding me?” label. I’m so thankful for our Father’s gift of creation (including the beautiful, but often stubborn horse). Horse are majestic, but not very smart, at times. Our God is GOOD, His mercies everlasting, and His gift of Jesus Christ as our Savior shows a depth of love beyond our comprehension. We are so blessed!
Pray to God in all circumstances. Whatever concerns us, concerns Him.
I hope Peaches continues to do well.
Absolutely, Candyce, “whatever concerns us concerns Him.” What blessings He bestows! Thank you for sharing kindness, encouragement, and good wishes.
So glad Peaches is okay. Yes, we can be thankful for poop!
Thank you! Yes, I was very grateful for the poop that took two days of walking to arrive. Our God is GOOD!
Oh my! I’m glad Peaches is feeling better. I wasn’t expecting that part of the story. 🙂 God hears all of our prayers. 🙂 Have a blessed day!
Yes, God hears all our prayers. Even if He doesn’t answer them specifically, He is always with us through the trial. He blessed me (and Peaches) this weekend. Thank you, Melissa.
What a powerful reminder that God cares about all aspects of our lives.
Thank you, Yvonne! Yes, our loving Father cares about every aspects of our lives and loves our animals too. I’m so glad you stopped by my blog this week. Peace and blessings!
I imagine we will be shocked when we get to heaven and see the real power of prayer. It is such a power weapon for us that we don’t use enough. Thanks for the great message and I’m glad Peaches is doing better.
I agree with you, Yvonne, we don’t use the power of prayer enough–I don’t use the power of prayer enough. That’s humbling for me to admit. Heaven is going to be wonderful beyond our ability to describe, don’t you think? I’m so blessed, Peaches continues to improve. Wishing you a blessed week.
I’m thankful your beloved horse is okay. I’m also grateful for the Power that answers prayers. Thanks for the post.
I’m so thankful, too, Joni, for God’s love and concern for His people and His creatures. Peaches continues to improve. I’m grateful for your kind encouragement.
Thank you, Katherine for reminding us to keep praying and not give up. My prayer warriors have been praying three times a day for our prodigals. We have had some that we’re drawn back to Jesus, but some of them we have held up in prayer for years and they haven’t turned back to Jesus. This article reminds me that we should never give up. I heard a story last night about the prodigal and I’m sure his dad never quit praying for him. It’s so wonderful to know that God hears everyone’s prayers no matter how small. He hears and answers them all because He loves us so much.