When Prayer Shakes the Earth
Dr. Gary Greenberg has magnified and photographed sand from beaches around the world, often revealing surprising, vibrant splashes of color from the minerals, shell, and coral fragments contained within.
He’s discovered there’s more to sand than meets the eye. In arenology (the study of sand), the microscopic analysis of sand’s mineral content can reveal much about erosion, shore currents, and their potential effects on coastlines. Even a little sand can yield information of great worth!
A single prayer, like a grain of sand, can be a weighty thing. Scripture indicates prayer’s powerful role in the coming of God’s kingdom. In Revelation 8, John sees an angel standing at the altar before His throne holding a golden censer containing “the prayers of all God’s people.” “Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake” (vv. 3, 5).
Immediately after the angel hurled the censer filled with fire and prayer, seven angels with seven trumpets “prepared to sound them” (v. 6), heralding the old earth’s last days and Christ’s return.
Sometimes we may not feel like our prayers add up to much, but God doesn’t miss one. He so values them that they somehow even play a role in the consummation of His kingdom. What may seem like the smallest prayer to us can have earth-shaking weight with Him!
Prayers to Say Thank You
Where would you be without Jesus? Take a moment to really think about it. The words of Ephesians 2:12 sum it up well: “without God and without hope.” Without Jesus, we would be hopelessly, eternally lost.
We can never thank God enough and praying the “thank you prayers” of the Bible cultivates gratitude in us and opens our eyes to…
Prayers for Guidance and Direction
Scripture tells of God guiding His people through all kinds of circumstances. He went ahead of Israel through the wilderness, leading them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night (Exod. 13:21). He sent angels to lead Lot and his family out of Sodom (Gen. 19:16) and Peter out of prison (Acts 12:7). Both…
Prayers About Everyday Needs
Sometimes I rush into heaven’s throne room with a list. Though God’s Word encourages us to “come boldly to the throne of our gracious God” (Heb. 4:16), there are moments when I wonder if I’m a little too bold. When my mind is filled with the things of this earth, I can only imagine what it looks like in heaven...…
Prayers to Confess Sin and Humble Ourselves
Of all of Jesus’ names and titles, the one I like best is the one the Pharisees gave Him: Friend of Sinners. I believe it was one of His favorites too. Jesus said that He “came to seek and save those who are lost” (Luke 19:10). “Friend of Sinners” captures the reason He came better than any other title. A…
Prayers to Praise and Honor God
Not far from my home is a place of local legend called Sennett’s Hole. A quarter-mile hike through the woods takes you there to a picturesque bend in the Eno River framed by granite rocks and old-growth trees.
Locals say it was the site of a mill in the 1700s and that the pioneer who built the mill lost his…