prayer

                                                         

                                                           

                                                                  PRAYER IS THE KEY

Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me." (Psalms 50:15)

Most Christians have heard these simple words of Jesus many times before. He said, “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matt. 7:7). However, despite common familiarly with such verses, it’s not likely that God’s promise to answer prayer will ever be taken for granted by Mrs. Cindy Hartman. This pastor’s wife from Conway, Arkansas experienced a divine intervention that would even arouse the faith of many skeptics.

In July of 1994, Cindy was confronted in her home by a pistol-wielding burglar. The unknown man who surprised her when she came in to answer the phone, ripped the cord from the wall and ordered her into a closet. She was obviously fearful for her life, but didn’t panic. To the shock of the gunman, Cindy immediately fell to her knees and began to pray for God’s Help. Even more stunned was he when she boldly asked if she could pray for him! She proceeded to tell him about Christ’s love and expressed her forgiveness for his actions. 

Apparently this was more than the robber bargained for, and began to break into tears as he knelt and prayed with her. To her relief, the man then yelled out the window to a woman waiting in a pickup: “We’ve got to unload all of this stuff. This is a Christian home and we can’t do this to them.” Mrs. Hartman remained on her knees in prayer, while her furniture was being returned. The man then used a shirt to wipe off his fingerprints, apologized and departed, leaving his gun behind!

This true story¹ is especially inspiring as it vividly illustrates how willing God is to intervene in the behalf of His children when asked. The Bible says, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). Regardless of the challenges that may confront you, prayer is the key that opens the door to God’s solutions for every need or problem.

It is remarkable to consider how the Lord is no respecter of the degree of problems we face. Whether confronted by the impassible gulf of a Red Sea, as was the wandering Israelites -- or bound by prison chains and stocks, as once were Paul and Silas. Our Lord’s power to help is just as potent in our modern times as He was in the era of New Testament. As scripture states, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8). Neither is the Lord a respecter of the noble or humble status of those who seek Him (1 Pet 1:17).

There is often a larger-than-life view of the Bible personalities who prayed and experienced remarkable miracles. However the scriptures leave no doubt that these superheroes of faith, were mere people just like ourself. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly...” (James 5:17-18). God will hear and answer the sincere, faith-filled prayer of anyone who is right with Him. “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).

So it is, whenever you find yourself in need, or immersed in perplexity or crisis, boldly knock on heaven’s door and call upon the Lord in faith. He cares about your every need and concern. Prayer is, and always will remain, the key that opens the door to God’s help and blessing! “Because he loves me, says the LORD, I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. He will call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him my salvation” (Psa. 91:14-16).