It was at the height of the pandemic with all its uncertainties. Driving home from an evening church service, I pulled up “The Blessing” song by Kari Jobe and Cody Carnes on YouTube.
As I drove, I poured out my heart in prayer for my children and their families, utterly absorbed in the moment, the anointing, the presence of God that was inhabiting my praise and my prayers. And then I saw the lights in my rearview mirror…
I had lost all concept of time and space—and speed. The policeman followed me home and issued a weeping woman (yep, I was crying by then) a speeding ticket for $95.
Was it worth it? Yes. (Should I have watched my speed? Um… yeah.)
The fervent prayers of a righteous man or woman avail much. I have no doubt in my mind that God heard those prayers. He answered. He protected. He kept my family during the months and weeks and years of the pandemic.
What’s your prayer need? Maybe it’s time to crank the music and pray. Allow yourself to go to those deep places of God’s presence where time and space don’t matter. Where you lose yourself in the moment. Where heaven touches earth and LIVES CHANGE. Situations shift. God reaches down to bring rescue and healing, deliverance and redemption.
Your prayers can make all the difference in the world. The word of God in your mouth and uttered into the atmosphere moves angels in response. Like a sword and a shield—and sometimes a battering ram—your prayers of scripture and fervency can push back the darkness and break the grip of the enemy.
The devil runs in fear when the people of God lift up the name of Jesus in prayer. Chains break. Doors open. Captives get their lives back.
Don’t hold back. Don’t wait. Press in now and fight for God’s kingdom in the earth. Stir faith in your soul and pray.
Here are some Bible verses to help you remember that your prayers matter… (bolds mine)
“Now this I know: The Lord gives victory to his anointed. He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary with the victorious power of his right hand.” Psalm 20:6 NIV
“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” James 5:16 NKJV
“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 NLT
“Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for… And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. Women received back their dead, raised to life again…” Hebrews 11:1; 32-35 NIV (bolds mine)
“The Lord says, ‘I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.’” Psalm 91:14-15 NLT
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Laura Woodworth is an award winning writer-producer-director, a development executive for Cooke Media Group in Los Angeles, and a script consultant for Stage 32. Her articles have been carried by Family Christian, Outreach Magazine, and Charisma Magazine, and her YouVersion devotionals have over 200K subscribers. This article is an excerpt from her new devotional book, “Through the Valley—Move Your Life Forward in God” available on Amazon and other retailers. Find out more at LauraWoodworth.com
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