The Ultimate Opportunity
August 1, 2023
We all think and talk about our desire to make a change in our world. God has given us the ultimate opportunity to be involved in His transformational work. It is through prayer. Jesus instructed us in Luke 18:1, “You should always pray and not give up.” Prayer is pivotal because when we pray, we place matters in God’s hands. We express our dependence on Him and our desire that His kingdom come, and His will be done in us and through us.
Throughout history we have been told and can see that it is true: We can do more than pray, but only after we have prayed and not until. The work in us and in our world is to be done through us, but we have neither the wisdom nor the power to do it alone. We don’t have the power to arrange the circumstances or prepare hearts for receptivity. God must be working.
We have yet to see the way God will work when His church prays together. We are giving you an opportunity to do that as we begin a period of joint prayer. On August 7 we will begin a collective prayer period for 21 days.
Prayer is the frontline of the battle. It is where the battle is won or lost. All of us are needed! Our feelings direct us too much instead of our intentional decisions, and prayer falls by the wayside. We walk away from the battle because we don’t feel like praying. If you wait until you feel like praying, you will rarely ever pray—I’m a witness. You will only pray in panic when there’s a crisis. We think that others are taking up the challenge and my absence and lack of prayer won’t be missed. That is never the case, and the loss starts in me. I miss out on God’s work in my own heart.
We are living in a time when the stakes couldn’t be higher. Throughout time, in moments of crisis, God uses His church to push back against the darkness and over evil. You and I are the church and God is calling us to work together with Him to be the light shining out in the darkness and bringing every spiritual power to the battle. Some people don’t understand that. They believe prayer is a passive thing. That position discounts the fact that we serve an all-powerful God who is alive and moving in our lives and desires us to work and fight together with Him for this world He so loves. Prayer is the ultimate action.
My hope is that you, your family, and your small group would join me in 21 days of prayer for God to show up in power. Prayer is an invitation to interact with the Holy Spirit, which allows Him to transform and renew our hearts and minds, then use us for impact in the world. It’s our greatest privilege.
God urges us to pray: “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (James 5:14-16). “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6).
Not only will we see God work for others, but we will also find that prayer directly benefits us.
Prayer will…
- Bring you closer to God
- Reduce anxiety and stress and bring calm
- Increase gratitude and thankfulness
- Shift your focus to others
- Allow you to hear God
- Put off temptation
- Bring about miracles
Prayer gives you a connection to something supernatural; greater than yourself. This alone will do wonders for your emotional well-being. It provides a greater sense of purpose, betters your mood, and helps you cope with and overcome the difficulties life brings your way.
Prayer is powerful—God commands us to do it as a way of daily communicating with Him, and He promises the rewards are certain. When you pray every day, you can confidently expect answered prayers, miracles, and so many blessings in your life. You can be part of bringing God’s kingdom to earth.
Let’s do it together, starting August 7.
Here is a link for you to sign up for daily prayer prompts every morning: newpointe.org/21days
Bringing God’s kingdom to earth,
Dwight