From the Mundane to the Momentous (2 Kings 6:8-18)

Prayer is vital to everything we do as believers. As believers, we should be praying daily. God knows our every thought, and I believe he is expecting us to pray. He commands us to pray. The scripture says that we should pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17) In other words, maintain an attitude of prayer always. Some circumstances require simple prayers that we may think are mundane, like praying at mealtime. Some circumstances require much more than a mundane prayer, it requires praying a momentous prayer. These situations can cause us to pray heart-wrenching prayers. I've talked to many people who have difficulty believing God hears their prayers. Can we have the confidence to believe that God answers prayer? More so, can we be convinced that God will answer our personal prayer? Many people tell me that they know God answers prayer, but they are not convinced that God will hear their personal prayers. They often depend upon a pastor to pray in their place. That is unfortunate. The Bible is clear that we do not need a pastor or priest to make God hear us. 1 Peter 2:9 tells us that we are a chosen generation and a royal priesthood. In other words, we can pray about anything and God will hear us. Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can approach God's throne of grace with confidence in order to find mercy and grace to help us in times of need. You see, the devil wants us to believe that God will not answer our personal prayers. He wants us to be weak in the Lord, not strong. He does not want us to believe the truth about prayer.

I. The Truth About Prayer

The truth about prayer is that God knows our prayer, and he begins to answer it even before we begin to pray. Does that mean we don't need to pray? Certainly not. Our prayers can move the heart of God. To illustrate this point, look at the events of 2 Kings 6:8-18. King Aram was at war with Israel, and he was frustrated because every time they started to attack Israel, the King of Israel knew. Finally, King Aram called in his officers and asked who was leaking their battle tactics. They told the king that it was the prophet of God telling Israel's king the information. The King of Aram sent his troops to capture Elisha. The next morning, Elisha's servant got up early and saw Aram's army surrounding the city. In a panic, the servant told Elisha, "My lord, what shall we do?" Elisha told his servant not to be afraid because, "Those who are with us are more than those who are with them." Now, can't you just see the look on the servant's face. He sees hundreds surrounding them and pointing to himself and Elisha, he counts, "One, two." Elisha prays for God to open the eyes of his servant, and the servant finally sees the army of God ready to defeat the enemy. God's army was victorious, and Aram's army never tried to attack them again. How does this story play out in our personal lives? First, your answer to prayer begins long before you actually prayed the prayer. Matthew 6:8, "Your father knows what you need before you ask him." The Lord knew that Elisha would be victorious because he knows all. God had already set things in motion before Elisha prayed, even while Elisha was sleeping. You are God's child, and he wants to hear from you. Never worry about what to say, or if you are saying the "right" words. You can never "mess up" a prayer. Just talk to God as if you are talking to a friend sitting right beside you.

II. The Synergy of Prayer

Synergy is a term used used to indicate a blending of components that are working together, and that blending makes the combined effect greater than the separate parts. My favorite shirts are a blend of cotton, polyester, and spandex. The spandex combined with the other two materials make a much better wearing shirt than just cotton or just polyester. Our prayers also have synergy. Prayers have many moving parts that work together to give the answer God had intended all along. In Elisha's case, the elements of his prayer were the king and his court, his army, the battles, the two cities, Elisha, and Elisha's servant. God made all these parts work together to answer Elisha's prayer. A common example for today is a prayer for healing. Some of the parts that work together for an answer may be the sick person's body, his family, doctors and nurses, research, medicine, treatments, and surgeries. God works through many parts to answer a single prayer.

III. The Solution by Prayer

What is the key to effective solutions that answered prayer gives? The answer is simple. Momentous prayer requires faith. People have often told me that they are not hearing from God, that God is not speaking to them. I've come to believe that God's answer may be elusive to us because it may be a matter of seeing instead of hearing. How often do we look to see where God is working? Sometimes we have to simply believe even when we can't hear or see. Hebrews 11:1, "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." Consider these guidelines when you need to pray a momentous prayer. First, simply ask, and be specific. Stand on the certainty of God's word. He wants you to ask, he hears, and he will answer. Secondly, Look beyond the single thought/word/prayer. Sometimes, answers take time. Continue to ask. Our impatience as we wait on God reminds me of the commercial for one of the home services websites. A person asks his neighbor if he knows a good roofer. When the neighbor replies, yes, the person says, "All right, get me three quotes, and tell them to be here tomorrow at 3 o'clock." It's not that God can't answer quickly because sometimes, he does. It is a matter of timing- God's perfect timing. He will answer at the perfect time- the time that is aligned with his perfect will. Sometimes, we just have to hold on and wait on God. Finally, watch for God's hand at work. Consciously look for answers. Our answer may be in the middle of where God is working. Often, when we join God in his work, we find a solution. Write this on your heart and in your mind. I'll pray, I'll let the Holy Spirit do the work, and I'll leave the results to God. Amen.

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