Scripture: 1 Kings 18:41-46
Additional Scripture: Acts 12:5-17; Philippians 4:6-7; Philippians 2:13
Not every prayer gets answered in the way that we wish it would, but the Bible is also full of examples of God changing the circumstances of a situation – apparently due to prayers. In 1 Kings 18, there was a drought in the land, so Elijah prayed to God for rain, and a huge storm came through. In the book of Acts, we read that Peter was imprisoned, but the whole church was praying for him, and an angel miraculously freed him from prison before he could be killed! These stories should be great motivation for us to continue to pray. Prayer certainly changes things, but above all else, prayer changes us.
At the end of Paul’s letter to the Philippians he says, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” Paul wrote these words from a jail cell. My guess is that he prayed regularly for God to change his circumstances (which God ultimately did), and yet Paul encourages us to pray because it will lead to a change in us, rather than around us. Prayer leads us into the transforming presence of God and we come out on the other side looking more like Jesus. Whether you are talking to God alone, with a spouse, or with a friend, God will be at work in you, “giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.”