The prophet Isaiah in the Old Testament had a heart for Jerusalem, God’s holy city. Isaiah desired for God to move within the hearts of His children where “righteousness shines like the dawn and salvation blazes like a burning torch”, read Isaiah 62:1. Isaiah prayed constantly, day and night for others; read 62:6.
You see the fervor and urgency that Isaiah had for others to live by God in a transforming way. Read Isaiah 62 in its entirety and see how God moved through Isaiah’s prayers. God has not changed. Today, He still moves through the prayers of His people. Prayer is an essential attribute to a heart that has been changed by Jesus Christ. Jesus prayed continually to God while He walked on earth for His 33 years of life. He never lived an idle moment outside of God; read Luke 6:12, John 5:19, 5:30, 6:38.
Much of life is found in the waiting room of idle time. Like people in a hospital waiting room as a loved one undergoes a procedure, God places us in waiting rooms as He prepares the next thing that He has for us. We wait on things everyday, whether we are waiting for the washer to finish with the clothes, to waiting for the coffee pot to brew our morning coffee, or standing in a cold bathroom waiting for the water to heat up in the shower. Whether trivial like these examples or not, we wait.
God fully understands the importance of waiting. When left to ourselves to handle circumstances, we quickly get impatient, frustrated, and forget who is in charge. Thus, God has made Himself available to meet our needs in such a way that we can shine like the dawn and allow our salvation to lead like a torch amidst any and all circumstances, especially in the waiting, idle times of life.
Through Christ, you and I have full access to God through prayer. The greatest travesty is when we downplay it; when we dismiss its importance; when we “accidentally” forget and try to handle life on our own. May we never become complacent in our faith where we stop talking to God about everything. May we never give a blind’s eye to the fact that God is everywhere. Along with Isaiah, may we have faith like the apostle Paul who also prayed constantly for God’s people to be moved by the hand of God.
Prayer keeps faith alive. Prayer keeps us surrendered to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Prayer maintains our dependency on God. Prayer keeps our eyes and ears wide open to hearing the Holy Spirit. When we live in such a way, God is able to move beyond our human limitations and sinful shortcomings, and reveal how He is indeed the Sovereign God who can take care of you and I.
When we pray for others, we are moving the heart of God in their favor. While free will dampens many hearts, God can and is able to work through all hearts to accomplish His plan of redemption. “Look, your Savior is coming,”11 and He will reward those who choose to follow Christ!
Especially in the waiting, we do not stop praying for others. Many are walking around lost and without eternal hope. Others have the hope, but they need encouraging to stay the course. The enemy is out to distract and dissuade all hearts to forget the Gospel. This is all the more reason to be fervent, prayer warriors for God’s Kingdom!
Don’t stop praying! God is using you to help others to see Him, His Son, and to follow the Holy Spirit. God is also strengthening your faith as you wait on His timing for what He has for you.
Carol J German 