Join us this Sunday! In-Person 9:00am & 10:45am, Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

Join us this Sunday! In-Person 9:00am & 10:45am, Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

Join us at the next Sunday worship service:
In-Person
9:00am & 10:45am,
Online 9:00am, 10:45am & 5:00pm

The Power Of Extraordinary Prayer

“And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him. And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for.” – 1 John 5:14-15.  

One of the most life-giving aspects of daily time alone with God is prayer. There are many ideas out there about what prayer should be. Prayer is the pathway for us to walk every day into a deeper relationship with God. 

The Bible has a lot to say about prayer. “Are any of you suffering hardships? You should pray. Are any of you happy? You should sing praises…Search for the Lord and for his strength; continually seek him… Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.” (James 5:13; 1 Chronicles 16:11; Ephesians 6:18)

That there is power in prayer is undeniable. More than just communication or communion with God, it is a union with Him. Through prayer we pour our lives, our longings, into God and receive His character, mind, and authority in return. 

God loves to use ordinary people to do extraordinary things. No matter what weakness you think you have, God wants to bring heaven down to earth through your faithful, extraordinary prayers. Extraordinary Prayer is when ordinary men and women pray for an extraordinary length of time, for many consecutive days, and in extraordinary numbers. The not-so-secret secret for it to be extraordinary would be to pray without ceasing. When we are in constant conversation with God all day long, those are the times when it feels extraordinary.  

The evidence from history is clear. Time and time again, when Christians unite as one body with one purpose, God moves. The Book of Ezra contains an example of extraordinary prayer. Ezra was preparing to lead a group of the exiles back from Babylon to Jerusalem. The king had even offered troops for protection on the perilous journey. But Ezra had refused the troops, pointing out that God Himself would protect them. As the people gathered, Ezra began to realize how dangerous the trip would be and that they should not merely presume upon God’s protection. So he called the people to humble themselves and pray and fast over the journey. God heard their prayers and gave them safe passage to their destination.

Have you ever made a decision to pray like that? Not merely pray that God bless us or even God protect us–but a life-changing commitment to pray until God is in charge of every aspect of our lives. 

Discussion Questions:

  1. What does extraordinary prayer mean to you? 
  2. How can we change our prayer life from ordinary to extraordinary this week? 

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