“Because of his shamelessness he will get up and give him as much as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”—Luke 11:8–9 NASB

A man came from Ireland to observe the London meetings of Reuben Archer Torrey. His assignment was to report to his grandfather whether this was “a real work of God.” Years earlier, the grandfather had been part of a commission sent to America to study revivals sweeping America. They concluded that these revivals were real moves of God. Encouraged, many Irish people, including four men from Kells, started praying every Saturday for years for revival in their country. The grandfather was one of those men. But nothing seemed to happen. After the grandson reported that Torrey’s crusade was of God, the men decided to preach in an effort to bring about revival. But “their attempt was a failure, so they went back and kept on praying.” Finally, “the fire of God fell.” God had rewarded their persistence. Lives were changed dramatically. “Courts adjourned because there were no cases to try; jails were closed because there were no prisoners.” Many “notorious and hardened and hopeless sinners” were converted. People were so consumed by the things of God that they had no time to attend even to ordinary matters. These men learned the power of persistent prayer—to keep praying even if they didn’t immediately see results. Their continual prayers eventually produced fruit. That same principle is still true. Do you believe in the power of prayer? Pray earnestly. Pray without ceasing.

Reflection Question: Write out one of your most persistent prayers.

“Elijah … said to Ahab, ‘As the LORD, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand, surely there shall be neither dew nor rain during these years, except by my word.’”—1 Kings 17:1–2 NASB

Elijah stood all alone before King Ahab. Armies or throngs of people did not back him. In the flesh, he could have panicked, hesitated, or backed down. Faced with similar circumstances, others might have felt afraid and helpless. They might assume that the real power was with armies and kings, the wealthy and powerful, or even the forces of darkness. But Elijah was fearless and confident. He knew that God was sovereign and had given him real authority. He was bold enough to believe Him and step out in faith. In his writings about prayer, R.A. Torrey taught that many Christians simply did not understand or believe in the real power of prayer and that few prayed with authority. Writing more than a hundred years ago, he reminded readers about Elijah and how “astounding things” were “brought to pass by his prayers.” At his word, the heavens were closed. Only at his word were they opened again. The Bible reminds us that Elijah did not have superhuman powers. His nature was just like ours (James 5:17). If his prayers had such power, so can ours! Are you willing to pray with authority? Don’t allow doubt and disbelief to dominate your heart and mind. Trust God’s Word. Exercise the authority He already has given you. Believe that prayer changes things. Don’t limit your prayers or feel intimidated. Believe God for “astounding things.”

Reflection Question: What astounding things are you praying for today?