Behold He is Praying

Yesterday a sister in Christ called to ask for prayer as she went to help someone who was very much in need of assistance. When we arrived home, there was a message on our answering machine that God had heard our prayers…”things had gone very well”.  I am amazed at how often we as Christians talk about praying for each other, and at how seldom we just get right to it and pray.

A businessman friend of mine pauses before starting a floor covering installation to pray for God to equip him & his employee with wisdom and expertise, so they may bless their customer with quality workmanship. It reminds me to do that in my vocation as well.

Do we really believe that God pays attention when we call out to him for his wisdom and help with our everyday activities? Does the Bible give us any insight as to whether Jesus cares whether we pray or not? I’m reading through the book of Acts and chapter nine makes it very clear that Jesus is very aware of those who pray from the heart.

And there was a certain disciple in Damascus named Ananias. And the Lord said to him in a vision, Ananias! And he said, Behold me, Lord. And the Lord (Jesus) said to him, Arise and go into the street which is called Straight and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus.

For behold, he is praying,

(Acts 9:10,11) MKJV

George Muller, as a young man was a thief a liar and a gambler. He stole government money from his father when he was 10, and at age 14 he was playing cards and drinking with his friends while his mother was dying.  His father sent him to the University of Halle, where a fellow student invited George to a prayer meeting. There he saw a man on his knees praying. When Muller went home, he knelt by his bed and asked God to bless him wherever he went and to forgive him of his sins. Muller promptly gave up his stealing, lying, and gambling and wished to become a missionary. He began to visit the churches and began preaching. In his lifetime he housed and fed over 10,000 orphans, gave away over 285,000 Bibles and more than 1,459,000 New Testaments. His ministry took in $2,718,844 without soliciting people for money or ever going into debt. Muller believed that God wanted him to pray and trust Him for the finances needed.

Before Muller was saved, he had five close friends. He began praying for their salvation. After many months, one of them came to the Lord. Ten years later, two others were converted. It took 25 years before the fourth man was saved. Muller persevered in prayer until his death for the fifth friend, and throughout those 52 years he never gave up hoping that he would accept Christ! His faith was rewarded, for soon after Muller's funeral the last one was saved.

God did see Muller praying there on his knees in 1825, and what a difference that made on so many other peoples lives for good. God still sees people who humbly cry out to him in prayer. Jesus still sees when people pray today.  Behold…Sarah is praying!…Behold Dennis is praying! …Behold (your name here) is praying! Sometimes we see an immediate response from God. At other times it may be many years before we see a response from God, but Jesus always responds to a genuine prayer!

Al Yoder

11/15/2011