2024 21 Day Fast Devotional — Day 11: Prayer Gives Us Authority
“After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken . . .” – Acts 4:31a (NIV)
On April 18, 2008, the Midwest experienced something rare. A 5.2 magnitude earthquake rattled most of Illinois, including Chicago. People recollect waking up early in the morning feeling buildings swaying, unfamiliar with the phenomenon. It dominated conversations: ‘Where were you when it happened?’ ‘Was there any impact on your home?’ ‘Will it happen again?’ For days, the news talked about the earthquake, even as minor aftershocks occurred around the region.
Acts 4 finds the early church gathered for prayer for a major situation. Two of their leaders, Peter and John, had been arrested for healing a crippled man and the extremely influential religious leaders tried to stop them from sharing the Gospel. Something that might have seemed insurmountable and hopeless. In desperation and fervency “they raised their voices together in prayer to God” (Acts 4:24 NIV). As they prayed, the presence of God came in such a powerful way that the whole place where they were meeting was shaken. Imagine what that would have been like feeling the power of God move in such a way that blocks, mortar, and wood were moving back and forth! How reassuring yet awe-inspiring, it must have been to them that God moves in powerful ways when we pray!
Did you know that we have the authority and the ability to pray prayers like our brothers and sisters in this passage? We have the authority to pray foundation-shaking prayers. Because of what Jesus did on the cross and through the power of the Holy Spirit, our prayers can shake the foundation of what seems like a major issue in our lives. With faith, we can pray, and God can move on our behalf to shake the core of relationship challenges, financial issues, and health diagnoses that seem insurmountable. And from those prayers not only will we be impacted personally, but the lives of so many people will be impacted. Much like with the earthquake in 2008, these answered prayers will reverberate for seasons to come and point many people to the power and glory of Jesus Christ.
Author and pastor Watchman Nee once said “Why do so many Christians pray such tiny prayers when their God is so big?” How do you approach prayer? Do you view it as your weak and feeble attempt to try and get God’s attention? Or do you view your prayers as having the potential to turn the very heart of God and shake major, seemingly insurmountable issues loose in your life and those around you?
Prayer and Reflection:
Today, be encouraged to pray that God will give you a new level of faith in your prayers. Have faith to pray foundation – shaking prayers and believe God can shake things loose in your life. Have faith to believe that God can move those things that seem immovable!