Monday Reflection \u2013 July 26, 2021
The Power of Prayer<\/p>\n\n\n
When they had stripped the land clean,\u00a0I cried out, \u201cSovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive?\u00a0He is so small!\u201d So the\u00a0Lord\u00a0relented. \u201cThis will not happen,\u201d the Lord\u00a0said. Amos 7:2-3<\/p>\n\n\n
The book of Amos is said to be a collection of sayings and visions of the prophet Amos, who was active in the 8th\u00a0century BCE, during a period of relative prosperity and peace in Israel. Throughout the book, Amos appeals to God\u2019s justice and righteousness as inseparable components of God\u2019s 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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n\n\n
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\u00a0after the king\u2019s mowings, so the royal court already took their taxes. This left the Israelites with nothing at all. Hubbard reminds us that, \u201cIf the first cutting went to the court and the second crop to the locusts, Israel would be left destitute indeed.\u201d In this season of destruction and despair, and at this vision of terrible judgment, the prophet\u2019s heart was moved with pity and compassion for Israel, and he asks God to consider Israel\u2019s frailty.<\/p>\n\n\n
Israel is called\u00a0Jacob, a reminder that he was the smaller, younger one to Esau in Isaac\u2019s family. God had deliberately chosen him and therefore was obligated to stand by him in his helplessness.\u00a0Amos 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\u2019s prayer.<\/p>\n\n\n
Yet, as we contemplate Amos\u2019 prayer and God\u2019s swift response, we remind ourselves that the power of prayer isn\u2019t 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\u00a0living 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.\u00a0Prayer 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, \u201cPrayers 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.\u201d Who we become, the circumstances in our lives and the core of our character are all determined by what we talk to God about.<\/p>\n\n\n
Let\u2019s commit to a life of consistent prayer and watch God at work in our lives and before our eyes.<\/p>\n\n\n
Jermaine Gibson<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Monday Reflection \u2013 July 26, 2021 The Power of Prayer When they had stripped the land clean,\u00a0I cried out, \u201cSovereign Lord, forgive! How can Jacob survive?\u00a0He is so small!\u201d So the\u00a0Lord\u00a0relented. \u201cThis will not happen,\u201d the\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"template":"","watchword_topic":[11],"class_list":["post-545","watchword","type-watchword","status-publish","hentry","watchword_topic-prayer"],"yoast_head":"\n