Monday Reflection – July 26, 2021 The Power of Prayer

Monday Reflection – July 26, 2021
The Power of Prayer

When they had stripped the land clean, I cried out, “Sovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive? He is so small!” So the Lord relented. “This will not happen,” the Lord said. Amos 7:2-3

The book of Amos is said to be a collection of sayings and visions of the prophet Amos, who was active in the 8th century BCE, during a period of relative prosperity and peace in Israel. Throughout the book, Amos appeals to God’s justice and righteousness as inseparable components of God’s commandment. Amos critiques the social, political, and religious structures of Israel for their failure to uphold ethical responsibility. In particular, the prophet condemns the social inequity that allows the wealthy to flourish while the poor wither (Amos 6:4-7; 8:5-6). He also criticizes empty worship that fails to promote justice and righteousness (Amos 5:18-24). We often separate social justice and piety as distinct practices, but in Amos’ vision there is no such division. The foundation of justice is the right worship of God, and worshipping God rightly requires promoting justice in the world.

Amos 7 presents three visions. In verses 1-3, God shows Amos the image of destruction where locusts were devouring the newly sprouted grass. Late in the harvest, Amos sees a swarm of locusts coming to devour the crops of Israel. It came after the king’s mowings, so the royal court already took their taxes. This left the Israelites with nothing at all. Hubbard reminds us that, “If the first cutting went to the court and the second crop to the locusts, Israel would be left destitute indeed.” In this season of destruction and despair, and at this vision of terrible judgment, the prophet’s heart was moved with pity and compassion for Israel, and he asks God to consider Israel’s frailty.

Israel is called Jacob, a reminder that he was the smaller, younger one to Esau in Isaac’s family. God had deliberately chosen him and therefore was obligated to stand by him in his helplessness. Amos acts as intercessor and pleads with God to forgive Israel. God relents and replies that the vision shall not come to pass. This is another amazing example of the importance of prayer. Some may argue that the issues of predestination and human responsibility are evident in this episode; however, we are clearly left with the impression that the plague either came or was held back based on the prophet’s prayer.

Yet, as we contemplate Amos’ prayer and God’s swift response, we remind ourselves that the power of prayer isn’t in the words we utter; neither is it about what we pray or even how we pray. The power of prayer is the power of God, who hears and answers prayer. Prayer is talking with God and is an act of worship that glorifies God and reinforces our need for Him. Through living a life of prayer, we communicate with the very source of and purpose for our existence. We remind ourselves that God invites and encourages to talk with him, and he promises to answer our prayers. Prayer is a principle weapon of spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:18); and prayer unites believers, for there is no greater force on earth than a church united, that is engaged in fervent prayer. Also, prayer shapes our lives. Mark Patterson says, “Prayers are prophecies. They are the best predictors of your spiritual future. Who you become is determined by how you pray. Ultimately, the transcript of your prayers becomes the script of your life.” Who we become, the circumstances in our lives and the core of our character are all determined by what we talk to God about.

Let’s commit to a life of consistent prayer and watch God at work in our lives and before our eyes.

Jermaine Gibson