Power of the Helpless

Call in the New Testament Jesus and His Calls in Ministry Live in the light of God (Isaiah 2:5)    Called as the Intercessor Acts 12:5-11 New International Version 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. 6 The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. “Quick, get up!” he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists. 8 Then the angel said to him, “Put on your clothes and sandals.” And Peter did so. “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me,” the angel told him. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. 11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.” For Reflection I must confess that I have had a hard time with intercessory prayer. It always seemed to me so self-centered. Who am I to tell God what to do? Is God really going to change God's mind? Was the only possible prayer, "Thy will be done?" Lately, however, I am seeing intercessory prayer a little differently. After the church had prayed,  the angel came to Peter. The visitation was not coincidental in history's progression (as I might have argued earlier). What else could this handful of faithful people do? Storm the prison?  Out of the question. Violence is off the table! Plead with Herod? Perhaps, but unlikely to succeed. These helpless people who could only offer intercessory prayers kept praying even though Peters's execution seemed inevitable. The cries of the helpless ended with deliverance.  Pray Pray, earnestly with full knowledge that God's ears of the Creation are listening.  Pray with the confidence that because you have prayed, God's intentions will be fulfilled.  Pray to understand that your intention or reason for prayer will always be answered but not always when and how you expect.  Pray and watch for unexpected outcomes and pray gratefully. Forward to a friend