What are your goals for 2019?
As we move into the new year, you may be trying to exercise, set aside more time for family, or eat out less to save money. All of these are valuable goals to strive for, but I believe one of the most profitable resolutions a Christian can make is to spend more time in prayer. That’s what I’d like to share today in this excerpt from my book, Why? Answers to Weather the Storms of Life.
If you’ve been reading my previous blogs, you know that in the middle of 2018 I decided to share the entire book online — in 52 weekly installments — to celebrate its 10-year anniversary. We’re about halfway through, but if you would like to read the rest of the book now, you can order a copy today for just $8.99.
Today’s excerpt comes from Chapter 4: “Miracle Day of Prayer.”
* * *
Prayer is one of the unexpected blessings to come from facing life’s challenges. Storms in life can bring us closer to God. When we are struggling, we have the opportunity for a renewed connection with God through prayer.
As I engaged in the most devastating battle of my life, my battle with cancer, I came to realize the need for constant communication with God through prayer … I found encouragement in quiet times spent with the Lord … and I discovered the power of intercession.
I learned to run to God in times of trouble and to hold on to the open lines of communication long after the desperation fades.
Pastor and Christian author David Jeremiah takes the benefits of prayer a step further in his book, Prayer, the Great Adventure. He says believers are “missing out on something wonderful and indescribable” by not praying.
He wrote: “I have found that prayer is the most wonderful gift in God’s great bag of blessings. It is the great adventure of the Christian faith.”
Prayer should be a given in a believer’s life. It is as essential to our spirit as the air we breathe is needed for our bodies to function. Prayer has a priceless role in our walk of faith and offers some incredible benefits to us as believers — communication with God, encouragement, and power.
I experienced the power of prayer many times during my battle with cancer. I especially felt it on that 24-hour Miracle Day of Prayer as I prayed with one of my dearest friends in life, Elmer Towns.
I met Elmer at a Sunday School conference in Kansas City, when I was a young college student. I wasn’t really walking with God at that time. A few months later, while living in Hawaii, Elmer came to Honolulu for another conference, and our paths crossed again. I taught him how to surf and snorkel. He taught me how to love God.
We became good friends. Later, as a student at Liberty University, he became my teacher and mentor.
That night in the chapel, on our knees, Elmer prayed with me. He was intense. I had never heard him pray that urgently before. His prayer gave me hope. He put his arm around me and encouraged me.
Every year since that night, Elmer has sent me a card of encouragement to mark that anniversary. I treasure those cards — I treasure my friendship with Elmer Towns. Occasionally, Elmer and I find time to play a round of golf together. Every time we do, we talk about that night, on our knees, in the prayer chapel — the 24-hour Miracle Day of Prayer.
* * *
Want to continue reading more about the power of prayer in life’s storms? Be sure to check back next week for another excerpt from Why? Answers to Weather the Storms of Life.
Or order your copy today for just $8.99.
In addition to the book, you’ll also receive access to a FREE companion devotional and discussion guide to help you as you search for the answers to the question “Why” in your own life.