The power of individual prayer

But what measure could amount to Your desire
You’re the One who never leaves the one behind

So will I (100 billion) Hillsong

God is so interested in the one, a thought that pursues me.

In all of the immensity of God’s creation, He never loses sight of the one, the individual. I know I can get overwhelmed by the problems in the world, in Europe, in UK, in my town but God doesn’t call us to try and fix everything but to partner with him in helping change the life of the one.

As I’ve written before each of us can have a profound effect on one other through kind works but the effect of our prayers on situations can be profound. I sometimes think we don’t truly understand how vital our prayers are.

A Christian praying in a church destroyed by IS

As individual Christians I believe we need to grasp again the enormity of the impact we can make through prayer into individual circumstances. The devil would have us to believe we make no difference, our prayers are not important.  On the contrary they are essential.

God is not paternalistically listening to our prayers, patting us on the head and then going on with the big business of sustaining the universe. Nothing could be further from the truth. God takes each prayer and puts it into action if he possibly can. As we partner with his heart for other people and situations, God acts.

Huge world problems are overwhelming but focusing in prayer on the one whether that be someone struggling in poverty at home or abroad, a politician or a persecuted Christian we can make such a difference to their lives.

The most important thing is to prioritise our prayers and learn how to pray from God’s perspective not ours. That leads to effective intercession. It starts with regularly connecting with God. This in itself can be a real battle with the other demands of our busy lives.

In my last few years of work, I was incredibly tired and God kept gently urging me to get up earlier and spend time with him. I felt that was impossible. I was already exhausted. Finally I gave into his nudges and set the alarm for half an hour earlier. Those precious half hours supported me through my last years at work. I was able to pray for all sorts of things that before had been impossible. I found these verses from Isaiah 40 so true.

²⁹ He gives strength to the weary
    and increases the power of the weak.
³⁰ Even youths grow tired and weary,
    and young men stumble and fall;
³¹ but those who hope in the Lord
    will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
    they will run and not grow weary,
    they will walk and not be faint.

I had had a similar experience years earlier when our four children were small and I felt I just could not find the time to pray and read my Bible. God showed me how and when I could fit that into our demanding schedule. Again the benefit and blessing was immense.

God cares about the one – you and me – and our relationship with him. He so desires that we too have a heart for the one. As we prioritise the One, he will show us how we can pray effectively for the one, whoever that may be. We truly can change the world one prayer at a time.

Loving the one

Recently I have been so challenged by Jesus' concern for the individual. The Hillsong song So will I has the lovely line - You're the one who never leaves the one behind. God is passionate about the individual. He died for each one of us individually, not as a mass of humankind. I felt I couldn't better explain this by writing a fresh blog so I am re-posting this one from August 2015.

When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man – and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. Mark 5: 15 – 17

The reaction of the local people to the casting out of the legion of demons from the demon possessed man is very interesting.  When they came and found the man ‘dressed and in his right mind’ they were not astonished or amazed but afraid.  This was not the normal reaction of the crowd when Jesus performed miracles. That was usually one of wonder and praise to God.  These people were afraid and when they saw what had happened to their pigs, they ‘pleaded’ with Jesus to leave.

They did have a bit of a point though. 2000 pigs had just gone helter skelter over the cliff and their livelihood with it. To lose 2000 porkers at one time would have been quite a blow to quite a few people, probably Gentiles, as they were the ones who kept pigs, the ultimate unclean animals. 

Their only thought was the loss of their pigs in the lake. Jesus’ thought had been the delivering of a wretched demon-possessed man. In the big picture, his was the greater need. Jesus always went for the one, the individual. He told the parable of the lost sheep, where the shepherd left the 99 to go and look for the one.  Jesus wanted to know who had touched his garment in a heaving crowd of humanity when the lady plagued by bleeding reached out for her miracle. 

Jesus’ concern for the individual is a wonderful encouragement for us as well. Sometimes, it can feel as if we are not making any difference in this world. There are so many needs and our contribution is so small. 

Have you heard the story of a boy on a beach the day after a terrible storm?  The beach was covered in starfish, washed up by the storm, and one by one the boy was throwing them back into the sea. An old man came along and laughed at the boy, telling him that he was not making much difference throwing them one by one back into the ocean. The boy picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea and replied, ‘Well it made a difference to that one.’ He understood the need of the individual. 

I have been reading a book by a missionary to Burundi, one of the most heart breaking countries on earth, torn for years by civil war, brutality, terrible poverty and disease. One day when visiting South Africa the missionary and a friend took an orphan, dying of AIDS, on a long journey to fulfill a wish to swim in the ocean. He loved it but soon after he died. Was it worth it the missionary wondered? 

You bet it was.  ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.” Matthew 25: 40.  We may not be able to fix the world’s problems but we can make a significant difference to the life of an individual.  We can sponsor a child, we can give to charity, we can pray for individuals and churches. 

If everyone did that, we may find that some of the world’s problems, especially abject poverty, surely this generation’s greatest disgrace, would be lessened.