Womanhood is power. One woman used her power to change the destiny of a man who was born to bring deliverance to God’s people! Just imagine what Samson could have achieved if he had had a praying wife instead of one who worked to his hurt (Judges 16). On the other hand…
Abigail, the wife of Nabal the churlish rich man, saved her entire household by standing in the gap for her husband when certain destruction was coming their way at the hands of David and his men in the wilderness (1 Samuel 25: 18-32).
Rahab also saved her entire household from death because she negotiated their safety (Joshua 2:12; 6:25).
Mary the mother of Jesus precipitated His first miracle. Jesus had had no plans to do anything in Cana save enjoy Himself at a wedding. He had a timetable by which He was planning to start His ministry, but a woman, a mother, got the King of Kings to alter His plan and perform a miracle of her choosing (John 2)!
Prayer is effective; womanhood is powerful; a praying woman is dynamite.
When was the last time you prayed about that annoying habit of your husband’s which you know truly detracts from his witness as a Christian? Perhaps you have prayed about it, but was the prayer aimed at getting him to behave better, treat you better, or was it to make his life pleasing to God?
When was the last time you spent time praying for your children, not for them to do well at school or to get good jobs or wonderful spouses, or wealth, or the good things of this life, but that they will do God’s will, and that their lives will be truly consecrated to Him?
When was the last time you prayed for the Pastors and Elders who watch over your soul and that of members of your family, by bringing you the word of God in its fullness?
When was the last time you prayed in earnest for God to use you as a building block for the church, the body of Christ?
When was the last time you prayed “Thy kingdom come” in the Lord’s Prayer, and truly meant it?
When was the last time you prayed for the salvation of your entire extended family and beyond them?
God made Eve to be a companion and help for Adam; that we know. But consider also that God made Eve to entrust her with the production and nurturing of the entire human race. And… when man fell from Paradise, God brought forth the Savior of the world through a very young woman, and by her seed, secured redemption for all mankind.
Do not therefore Woman, underestimate your importance, significance, and worth in the grand scheme of things.
God is depending on you to make the case for why He should work in the lives of people in your sphere of influence, starting with your family.
The best gift you can give to another is to pray for him/her. The best gift you can give to your children is to teach them by example, to pray. The best love gift you can give to your spouse is to intercede for him always.
If you do not achieve significance in the eyes of the world but you make deposits of prayer in the bank of heaven, your significance has eternal dimensions.
God hears your cry, woman of faith, so give yourself no rest until His kingdom is established in your heart, in your home, in your church, at your workplace.
So how must we pray? It is important to note that it is prayer which is in accordance with God’s will that He will answer, therefore the most powerful prayers are based on the word of God.
For every situation, there is a word from God, and upon that you should rely when you pray. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6 that we should not pray as if God must be tutored by us, and so we need to make long prayers to get His attention. Jesus assures us that the Father knows what we need before we ask. Comparing our parenting to God’s, He assures us that God will give good things to us when we pray, so let us make our prayers simple, in the confidence that He knows it all and is willing to intervene. Our job is to bring them to Him, His job is to see that our needs are met.
Nor should we pray as a way to express our holiness and righteousness before men. He tells us that prayers in secret get the reward and yield the answers.
It is time to rise above your circumstances to pray. It is time to go beyond the one minute prayers where you name only your immediate family and the occasional extended family member and favoured friend; start interceding for people everywhere. It is time to believe in the power, goodness and willingness of God to come to your aid when you need Him and when you ask Him.
Take heed to what is written: “Today if you hear His voice do not harden your hearts…” (Hebrews 3:7-8).
