Is Prayer Enough?
A message pops up on my phone from a friend asking me to pray about a health situation. My son and I stop what we are doing and pray for healing, strength, comfort, and wisdom for the medical professionals. As we say, “Amen,” I hope it is enough. To be honest, this time it doesn’t feel like enough.
When someone comes to you to shoulder a burden, you want to help, right? Sometimes there are things we can do, like take someone to an appointment, shovel a driveway, or bring a meal. Other times the familiar phrase, “all we can do is pray,” comes to mind. Although it is usually in the tone of resignation as if all our “better” options have been exhausted. It makes me wonder what can we do when we feel like prayer isn’t enough?
Three Things for Prayer Life
Three things come to the surface when talking over the Prayer Life Ministry at Community of Nations Church with its leader, Ntxawg Yang. These things are interwoven into the prayer life ministry. Removing the fear that God won’t act when we pray. Learning what God’s will is for the situation is essential and can come through our prayer life. Prayer doesn’t just change us; it rearranges our lives completely.
Removing Fear
Telling ourselves not to fear something is easier said than done. Putting prayer into practice can help us overcome the notion that God won’t help us. Ntxawg shares about this practice of being open with God. “Prayer is simply talking to God, but you can pray to God openly without any fear in your heart that God cannot hear you. You can tell God everything in your heart.” A key Scripture the Prayer Life Ministry stands on to support this confidence is found in Matthew 18.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.”
Matthew 18:19-20
Praying Together
The Prayer Life Team makes this practice of praying together available to everyone weekly on Zoom. Whether praying over personal needs, the ministries of the church, or anything God brings to the forefront of our minds, we can experience how attending this weekly gathering can be fruitful. When prayers are answered, the prayer life team focuses on praising God for His work. Praising God gives confidence that He moves in our lives as we pray. Even when the answer to prayer is given in an unexpected way, we still have a reason to praise God.
Learning God’s Will
We can praise God no matter what answer He gives us because we know His answer aligns with His will. In this way, we are not just affirming God when we get what we want but giving Him the glory whatever the outcome. Ntxawg connects prayer requests and praising God as a way of getting to know who God is and understanding His will. He explains knowing God’s will, can come through prayer–through his answers and maybe his ‘not answering’. While we are praying and waiting for an answer, we can learn what He is doing. We can use the time to seek him, understand what he is doing, and align ourselves with His will.
Upside Down
God’s Kingdom reigns in our lives as we surrender to God’s will. The concept of this year’s 21 Days of Prayer theme “The Upside-Down Kingdom” reveals that sometimes the way we go about fighting the battles that come our way can seem upside-down. An example of this is when someone voices a prayer request, our first reaction might be to make ourselves busy trying to make the situation turn out right. There may be things we can do but praying over the person and their situation is a valuable practice and time well spent. Then we can follow God’s leading to what we can do. We can’t forget to use this weapon, prayer, that has been given to us.
“The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
2 Corinthians 10:4
When a situation arises, we can pray with confidence, knowing it is actually the BEST thing to do. In doing this we recognize that we can’t fix everything on our own and that God’s purpose in everything is our desire. As we pray, we can be open to God’s leading on how to act or to remain still.
Life Changing Prayer
“Prayer doesn’t just change us; it rearranges our lives completely. We meditate to learn God’s will. Prayer doesn’t change things; it changes our lives.”
Ntxawg Yang
Ntxawg explains through personal experience how it becomes clearer, easier, and less heavy as God leads. “We don’t always know fully what God’s plan is for our ministry. God is revealing it to us as we go on. God is helping us as the individual members to understand how prayer and worship is in the center of the church’s focus. God is giving us a knowledge of understanding how we (the prayer life ministry) fit in–engaging and encouraging each ministry. God is teaching us to learn to walk in faith and know and have a desire to walk in his likeness.”
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
Matthew 11:28-30
Enough: Life of Prayer
We’ve all had times in our lives when we don’t know what to do or we want things to change. Having a regular habit of praying alone and with others can be the life-change we need. That way, in times we feel cloudy, confusion, or have things heavy on our heart we can have confidence that spending time in prayer and following God’s lead not only feels like enough, but it is enough.
Prayer Resources at CNC
You’re Invited to Join the Weekly Prayer time:
What to Expect:
• Scripture/Adoration
• Thanksgiving & Praise for God’s answers to prayer
• Pray for New Prayer Requests as God Prompts
Try ACTS prayer
• Adoration
• Confession
• Thanksgiving
• Supplications (asking for something earnestly and humbly)
Emergency Prayer Requests
Anytime, anywhere, send a message to Ntxawg and prayer life team and they go into prayer when they can in their own time.
Read About Jesus’ 4 Fold Ministry in Matthew 4-7
