The Force Awakens - The Power of Prayer

I know, using the title of a hit movie as part of the title. Kinda cliche, but, very true. I am always amazed at my Father and His work. More importantly, how He works through prayer. How long it seems we slumber in our kingdom walk then suddenly He shakes us awake through the use of circumstances, history, and the words we read in the Bible from long ago. A couple of months ago, I read a passage from John 14:12-14. Jesus was speaking to his disciples who were amazed by the things he did. He turned this around on them and said, "whatever you ask in my name, I will do it to glorify the name of my Father in heaven! If you ask me ANYTHING in my name, I WILL do it!" Think about the power in those words. Reading them drew me to desire even more to know how to pray, how to ask, and what to ask for. This in turn led me to order a book entitled "Release the Power of Prayer" by George Mueller. If you remember, it was his story that sparked another journey in my life back in January of 2014. After having read the above verse and seeing the title of the book, knowing George was a man of prayer, I assumed I could learn much from his knowledge of "how to pray!" However, I was even more moved as I began reading and found the book was again simple stories of prayers God had answered in his life. In fact, it was stated that George Mueller had documented over 50,000 answered prayers in his 92 years on earth. FIFTY THOUSAND! Stories ranging from lost keys to God changing the weather. I highly encourage the reading of his autobiography and this book as well so you can be as George would say, "encouraged that God still answers prayer!" On a recent retreat, I began to understand the power in, and need for, God's people in 2015 to share the stories of what God is doing. We have His Word in the Bible of the things he has done. We have stories from history like George Mueller, Hudson Taylor, David Livingstone, Samuel Morris, and Isabel Kuhn of what He has done. But today we so desperately need to know what He is doing. We sing "God is not Dead", but do we live our lives as a reflection of that saying? If He is not dead, and He does not change, then His power we read of in the Bible and stories of history must be alive today! In the aforementioned book, Release the power of prayer, George told of a time when he needed mild weather during the winter so he asked for God to send a southerly wind on the days the work needed done. God answered! He also spoke of asking God to help him find a key, and when money was in need, and when the desire for souls to be saved. God answered. This awoke something in me! The desire to pray and expect God to work, as George had mentioned he did. So on November 28th, I was scheduled to have an Auction in Gallatin TN and all week the weather was amazing. However, heavy rain was forecast for the evening of the 27th and on for four days. Having just read of Georges answer to the southerly wind prayer, I asked God to hold off the heavy rains until the sale was completed and to bless the auction beyond any of our imaginations. When Saturday morning arrived, only a light mist was in the air and a drizzling rain. I have a video from right after the tenet was taken down and the sale complete, and the larger rain drops began to fall and it poured the rest of the weekend. God answered. Not only that, guesses on what the farm would bring was from $400,000 to $675,000, when it was finished, it brought $830,000. god answered. I know if you have read my story, these should not be a surprise as God has been doing some amazing things in my life over the past 24 months. However, I am human just like all the characters in the Scriptures and like George Mueller and Hudson Taylor. That means I wrestle with God and "can He, and will He really pull through this time?" But George said something that stuck out to me, he said "each small prayer answered and each small test given is a faith builder for the days ahead and the next test." So I began to see God moving and it encouraged me to pray more. My next test came as I was called for another Auction. I had done the past two as co-broke with my father, but knowing God had called me to be set apart even in my labors, I wondered if the owner would be okay with me standing on my own two feet. So I asked (worriedly I might add) for God to give me favor and show me how to approach the situation. When it came up, it was VERY clear God had gone before by using another person to recommend me for the job and the owner said "I don't care how you do it, I was told you were the one for the job and I want you!" God answered! Soon after I was working on my sheep shed and I really wanted to finish it on a certain day. Not having electricity available, I was relying on my chain saw for cutting boards. Early in the day, as I pulled the cord to crank it, it failed to recoil and my heart sank. I worked with it a few times and no luck. I finally got it to take the cord back in and I prepared to take it to the shop. Suddenly I stopped and simply said, "Father, I really want to finish this shed today, can you please make this thing crank and work correctly?" I grabbed the chainsaw, pulled the cord, and it fired right up and worked the rest of the day! God Answered! Then just the other day, we were called regarding my daughters horse and that she was acting up. I went the next morning to check on it and was told a story of how she was nearly impossible to catch and get back in the barn. I, not being a fan of the horse business, was discouraged and not sure what to do. We decided the next morning that my daughter and wife would go early and try to get her back in. On the way I simply asked "Father, please allow Raygan to walk up to her horse and lead her into the barn!" When we arrived it was very foggy and hard to see. I stood at the gate and continued to pray that prayer, and the next thing I saw was my wife and daughter walking to the barn with the horse on the lead rope. Not an issue at all, and has not been since!" God answered! So why tell you all this? Because I want you to know God answers prayer! In fact, He is pleading with His children in the western world to remember He answers prayer and He wants us to know that He longs for us to simply ask Him ANYTHING! Not that you can run and ask for a million dollars, but if it His will and for His glory that a million dollars be given you, He can, and will, only ASK! God loves us so much, as a father does his child. I know if my children ask me to do something for them that I know will be good for them or simply bring them joy, I do everything in my power to make it happen. If I , an earthly father who struggles with a wicked heart, will do that for my kids, HOW MUCH MORE will He do so much more for us, His children. To God be the Glory! Your brother, Ray Carman