Making a Difference through Prayer
By Dan Qurollo
Burke County
One of the amazing realities of praying to God is the difference that we can make in the lives of others. Prayer is capable of changing an entire nation as well as a church. Those who devote themselves to fervent and continuous prayer will discover that it will transform their personal life. Until believers pray with confidence that it makes a difference, believers will seldom and inconsistently pray.
Praying for others, often referred to as intercessory prayer, enables believers to impact another person or group of people through this communication with God. Such a time is commanded of believers in James 5:16 where James wrote in part, “pray one for another.”
When coming from a pure heart, intercessory prayer knows no boundaries that often limit our ability. It crosses the boundary of time and geography. Because it is offered to God, it even passes the boundary of ability. It passes the boundary of the relationship. It is a privilege to be able to pray for people – even those whom we may not know but know of a particular situation they are battling. We all have prayed for individuals whom we have never met because we learned of something they were facing. Such prayer is a privilege beyond comprehension.
I could cite many examples of intercessory prayer. It was Moses who stood on multiple occasions between God and the Israelites, interceding to God on their behalf. Paul requested that the believers in Ephesus pray on his behalf that he might have the opportunities to present the gospel and the boldness to seize those opportunities (Ephesians 6:18-19). Before approaching the king, Esther asked that the Mordecai lead the Jews in fasting and prayer (Esther 4:15-16).
Do you really believe that prayer is effective? Do you really believe that you can make a difference in the life of another person through it? Both biblical and secular history is filled with examples of those who impacted many through prayer. Boldly and persistently pray for the unsaved whom you know. Pray for those who are burdened. Pray for those whom God brings to your mind. Pray for our country. Never grow disheartened in prayer; remain persistent in it.
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Dan Qurollo is pastor of Morganton Baptist Church. You can visit them online at www.morgantonbaptist.net, on Facebook, or on Youtube. You can read more good Christian news from Dan HERE.
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