The Gift of Prayer

Africa-Daniel stopped by one day to ask for work while a group of students were painting a fence. I explained to Daniel that we were volunteers from the United States serving at Beautiful Gate and unfortunately didn’t have any additional work. He graciously nodded his head to say he understood and since he had nothing else to do he shared a few details of his life. For the last several weeks he had waited across the street with a large group of young men all hoping to obtain a day labor job at a Chinese clothing factory being built in Lesotho; however each day he and a host of others were passed up. Daniel stated the he wished he’d worked harder in school and how he ended up dropping out since his grades were poor. Now his daily grind consisted of waiting for work-and the truth was the chances of him being chosen were next to none.

As we talked another young man named Bernard crossed the street to listen in to the conversation. My heart broke for these two men and I felt their hopeless situation. Knowing only a miracle from the Father’s hand would supply a job to meet their basic needs I asked if they wanted to pray. To my surprise their faces lit up and they responded “yes!” As our team gathered together out of the corner of my eye I realized another group of men were running across the busy street from the worksite. In a matter of seconds our circle multiplied-right there on the red dirt of Africa heaven invaded our hearts! We joined hands together in prayer and asked God for the miracle of provision. None of us from the US had ever seen anything like it. None of us from the US will ever forget it. It is not everyday one witnesses men sprinting to join a circle of prayer. For many in Lesotho, prayer is the only hope, a gift necessary for survival.

The States-This past Sunday I entered into the Denver County Jail to teach on the Lord’s Prayer. I encouraged the men to turn to Luke 11 in their Bibles, but before I could get another word in a young man named Joshua shouted out, “Wait a minute I have no idea who Luke is. I’m brand new to this religious stuff!” The guys next to Joshua helped him locate the correct page and I decided this was a good place to start the study. I asked Joshua if he would share with us how he came to the “religious stuff!” Joshua shared that while he was living on the streets a man prayed for him. Joshua still remembered that prayer and felt as if something powerful happened inside of him and afterward he asked Jesus into his heart. Joshua’s testimony about the power of one man’s prayer over him ushered in a hunger for prayer in the group that Sunday morning. By the end of the teaching, men were asking the Holy Spirit to fill them up and replace addictions to drugs, alcohol, and sex. They asked the Holy Spirit to replace fear and anger with the love of the Father through Jesus.

This time heaven invaded a cold, sterile room and turned it into a holy place filled with the presence of the Father’s love. Both in Africa and in the States the gift of prayer is readily available. The Father gave of us the gift of prayer, which allows us to come to Him anytime and anywhere, and He promises to meet us with His faithful love.

Prayer is an incredible gift given to help us communicate with our Creator. Ever since I was young, prayer has been what carried me through life. About a year ago, I felt the Lord prompting me to write a devotional on prayer. The idea has now come to fruition with the devotional Climbing Prayer Mountain. This 40-Day Prayer Guide delves into the prayer lives of Moses, Elijah, Jesus, Peter and John. Each of these men climbed into the presence of Father in prayer and powerful transformation followed.

I’m praying that our Father uses Climbing Prayer Mountain to help individuals, small groups, and churches encounter the Father’s life-transforming love through the gift of prayer. Please visit http://climbingprayermountain.com/ for more information on the book and how you can obtain a copy.