Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Prayer for the New Year



What can we all do for the new year? We can all make resolutions that some we will keep and some we will fall short on or we can go into action!


Action sounds good, doesn't it? We are finally going to do something! Something big! We need to pray for the new year and all that it brings. Remember, in James it says Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed. The prayer of a person living right with God is something powerful to be reckoned with. Elijah, for instance, human just like us, prayed hard that it wouldn't rain, and it didn't—not a drop for three and a half years. Then he prayed that it would rain, and it did. The showers came and everything started growing again. (The Message)


I read a story about a young girl in England. It was the year 1872 and she was bed ridden in her home. She prayed that God would bring a revival to her home church of which she was a member, but was unable to attend. She had read the story of Moody and all that he was doing in Chicago among the poor children. She placed the story under her pillow and began to pray that he would visit her church.


The little girl had no way to reach Moody only prayer to God. The only worked! Her pastor met Moody at a conference that he planned to do no work, just attend. He approached Moody and requested that he preach in his church (the little girls church). Moody consented and after the evening service hundreds came to Christ. He seemed surprised and again he requested that they rise if they would decide for Christ. Again the same response.


Ten days of meetings and four hundred new members taken into the church. Moody told the story "I wanted to know what this meant. I began asking questions and could not rest until I found one little girl that was bedridden that had prayed that God would bring me to her church."

God heard her and brought Moody over four thousand miles at her request!!! WOW!!!


The little girl's name is Marianne Adlard and Prayer does Work! Let's pray that God will be with us as we make choices and decisions in the new year, that peace will finally come to this world we abide in and that love will show through each of us for Our Savior!


I read a quote that simply says "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything, I will not refuse to do something that I can do. Edmund Everett Hale...Powerful and we need to all remember Marianne and the power of a woman's prayers!!


God Bless You in the New Year,
Debbie

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Debbie,
It was great to hear from you today! I loved your post. Just this morning, I was praying, "Lord, am I doing all that you've called me to do." I don't want to get under condemnation about things that I'm NOT called to do, but I am praying for obedience to every sure calling.

Happy New Year!

Amy