God Is Always Just a Prayer Away
Prayer is part of my daily spiritual journey—at least most of the time. Each day. before I climb out of bed, I seek God’s blessings for my day. I ask that I will write well, he will grant me favor, and he will provide what I need.
Some days these requests seem more imperative than others, that I don’t dare start my day until I’ve invited him—sometimes implored him—to join me in it. There is power in prayer, and I so need it.
I also strive to end each day with prayer, but I’m not as consistent here. I ask that I will fall asleep quickly and awake refreshed. I pray for peaceful, God-honoring dreams.
I also intend to thank him for his blessings throughout the day, but too often I fall asleep before I get that far.
Prayer also occurs throughout my day. I ask for wisdom when making important decisions and insight for dealing with problems (James 1:5). I also ask for the supernatural ability to find things I’ve lost or recall things I can’t remember.
God always comes through when I seek him in these things. Yes, there is power in prayer.
Yet this isn’t to say that my day overflows with prayer and walking closely with my Creator. Sometimes I forget to seek the Almighty, even when I need him the most. A recent ordeal illustrates this point all too well.
The Power of Prayer
On Friday I uploaded my long-awaited audiobook for Women of the Bible to an audiobook distributor. A professional narrator had optimized the files, so I anticipated I’d soon see my audiobook for sale around the world.
On Saturday, however, I received a notice from the distributor that they had rejected my files for technical issues. They listed multiple problems with every single chapter. I was dismayed, and my narrator was shocked.
On Monday I received another email repeating their determination. They reminded me that until we fixed every file to their satisfaction, my book would not be available for sale.
Perplexed, my narrator reworked his schedule to block out time later in the week to tackle the lengthy list of problems.
On Wednesday I mentioned the ordeal in my weekly newsletter. After sharing my disappointment, I wrote:
“God’s perspective is different, though I can’t yet see it. What I do sense is that God is not disappointed, which fills me with hope. I’ll cling to that.”
I concluded by saying:
“When we’re disappointed, it’s God’s perspective that matters.”
I sent the email and prayed it would encourage others who were dealing with their own disappointments.
I wasn’t expecting readers to reply, but they did. One response was from a friend providing encouragement and offering blessings and prayers for a quick resolution.
At that moment I realized I had not prayed for a quick resolution. I had not prayed at all.
n fact, over the eight months since I first started working on the audiobook version, I had not prayed for it one bit. And this was despite encountering delays and frustrations along the way.
I confessed my lack of prayerfulness and added my prayers for a quick resolution to my friend’s, along with others who were also praying.
Having not yet made any changes to the files, three hours later the distributor emailed me with a correction, saying that they had now approved the recordings, and I could move forward.
That is the power of prayer.
May we remember that there is power in prayer and pray throughout our day, rejoicing and thanking God (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
Thank you, Jesus, for hearing our prayers and answering them.
Learn about other biblical women in Women of the Bible, available in e-book, paperback, hardcover, and audiobook.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront status quo religion and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
Read more in his books, blog, and weekly email updates.