Prayer Changes Things

I have a friend who from time to time on his blog, "Starke Reality" (* http://pastorjax.blogspot.com/), will post devotionals from First Light, which comes from The Bill Rice Ranch located in Murfreesboro, TN.

I really do enjoy getting these daily devotions myself. (By the way, anyone interested in receiving these devotions for yourself can sign up for them for free. Go to www.billriceranch.org and click on the First Light Logo.)

Anyway, today's devotion was particularly good, for me personally, and I wanted to share it with you. I was glad to see that when I clicked over to: "Starke Reality" that He too had posted today's devotion about prayer. I encourage all of you to take the time to read this short devotion, and then go on and sign up for these to be sent to your e-mail daily. I believe you will find them a great source of encouragement and help.

I again want to say "Thank You" to Bro. Rick Jackson for pointing me in the right Direction!

God Bless You,

Evangelist David Dunn

Ezra 8:21 "Then I proclaimed a fast there, at the river of Ahava, that we might afflict ourselves before our God, to seek of him a right way for us, and for our little ones, and for all our substance." Prayer Changes Things Each time my family and I leave the Ranch to travel, you will see our brake lights at the end of the driveway. Just like my dad did while I was growing up, we stop to pray for safety and wisdom in travel. This is not just a meaningless habit my family has formed; this prayer does make a difference. Here in this passage, Ezra and God's people were setting out on a risky journey through unknown territory. They were stopped at the river, leaving the known and familiar behind and crossing over into a land with many dangers. We can see in verse 21 that Ezra took this time of prayer very seriously. They fasted and deprived themselves so that they could seek of the Lord a "right way." Amazingly, they had been offered an escort of soldiers by Artaxerxes the king, but Ezra refused this escort. Why would he do this? Verse 22 explains, "For I was ashamed to require of the king a band of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy in the way: because we had spoken unto the king, saying, 'The hand of our God is upon all them for good that seek him; but his power and his wrath is against all them that forsake him'." First of all, Ezra was more concerned with God's glory than with his own safety. It would not have been sinful to accept this escort. We know that because many times the Lord uses other humans to provide for the needs of His people. In addition, we see Ezra's contemporary, Nehemiah, using an escort. But Ezra did not want to be misunderstood by this pagan king and seem dependent upon the help of man rather than the help of God. He wanted him to see that God did not need any "help" in protecting His people. Secondly, by refusing this escort, Ezra was taking his hands off and letting God choose the means by which He would protect and provide for His people. If God could use pagan kings to accomplish His will, certainly He could accomplish His will in His own way. So here they were, entreating God for help before setting out "on their own." And we find a wonderful thing in verse 23: "So we fasted and besought our God for this: and he was intreated of us." They prayed and God responded! The pious statement that "the only thing that prayer changes is you" is absolutely wrong and unbiblical. Prayer does change things! At a prayer station in Manhattan, a man came up to me, looked at what I was wearing (which said "Prayer changes things") and quickly retorted, "Sure it changes things-it changes you!" Although that sounds nice, it denies the power of prayer. Come to find out, this man didn't even believe in the God of heaven. God is the One who designed prayer to be the catalyst for His response. Things are different because we pray! If Ezra believed that prayer only changed the person praying, it was pure foolishness to set out across that river. Don't be afraid to lean wholly on your God for provision and protection. You will see the God of heaven answer in a way that brings all the glory to Him.