While many Christians are attracted to a particular church based on who the pastor is, sadly, few are attracted to a church based on who the prayer warriors in a congregation are. While I must admit that a great sermon appeals to my intellect and mind, prayer, fervent prayer, is the one Christian discipline that Satan fears far more than even the best of sermons. For you see while preaching moves our minds, prayer moves God’s heart.
Pastor Jim Cymbala once said: “Does the Bible ever say anywhere from Genesis to Revelation, ‘My house shall be called a house of preaching?’ Does it ever say, ‘My house shall be called a house of music?’ Of course not. The Bible does say, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.’ Preaching, music, the reading of the Word – these things are fine; I believe in and practice all of them. But they must never override prayer as the defining mark of God’s dwelling. The honest truth is that I have seen God do more in people’s lives during ten minutes of real prayer than in ten of my sermons.”1
While prayer is certainly not glamorous, real prayer can accomplish great things for the kingdom of God. While Pastor Cymbala is a very gifted preacher, what I really admire about him is his total dedication and honesty to the ministry of prayer. I believe he understands that fervent prayer is the key to reaching the lost for Christ. Yes, unbelievers need to hear the word of God, but only prayer can move hearts that are spiritually dead in their sins and trespasses. J. Sidlow Baxter said it so well: “Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, oppose our arguments, despise our persons, but they are helpless against our prayers.”2
Christian, there is just no way around the fact that fervent believing prayer is the key to unlock the prison cells that those who are dead to Jesus are confined in. I must admit prayer is not easy to do and requires discipline, consistency, and perseverance. And since God’s timetable for answering our prayers is often different than ours it is easy to get discouraged when we don’t see immediate results. But may I challenge you to spend more time daily in prayer – I believe with all of my heart that prayer works!
In closing I would like to share a personal testimony (from a previous devotion) of the persistent believing prayer for salvation exercised by George Müller, the great founder of many orphan homes in England during the 1800’s. Müller was a tremendous prayer warrior and it was the great secret to his amazing success in providing for the needs of thousands of orphans:
“In November 1844, I began to pray for the conversion of five individuals. I prayed every day without a single intermission, whether sick or in health, on the land, on the sea, and whatever the pressure of my engagements might be. Eighteen months elapsed before the first of the five was converted. I thanked God and prayed on for the others. Five years elapsed, and then the second was converted. I thanked God for the second, and prayed on for the other three. Day by day, I continued to pray for them, and six years passed before the third was converted. I thanked God for the three, and went on praying for the other two. These two remained unconverted.
“Thirty-six years later he wrote that the other two, sons of one of Mueller’s friends, were still not converted. He wrote, “But I hope in God, I pray on, and look for the answer. They are not converted yet, but they will be.” In 1897, fifty-two years after he began to pray daily, without interruption, for these two men, they were finally converted—but after he died! Mueller understood what Luke meant when he introduced a parable Jesus told about prayer, saying, “Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up” (Luke 18:1).”3
1 30 Jim Cymbala Quotes on Prayer – prayer coach
2 Quote by J. Sidlow Baxter: “Men may spurn our appeals, reject our message, …”
3 George Muller Persistent Prayer for 5 Individuals – GeorgeMuller.org