2. Power of Prayer

2 Kings 4:1-7

 

1 One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.”

2 “What can I do to help you?” Elisha asked. “Tell me, what do you have in the house?” “Nothing at all, except a flask of olive oil,” she replied.

3 And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors.

4 Then go into your house with your sons and shut the door behind you. Pour olive oil from your flask into the jars, setting each one aside when it is filled.”

5 So she did as she was told. Her sons kept bringing jars to her, and she filled one after another.

6 Soon every container was full to the brim!

“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.

“There aren’t any more!” he told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing.

7 When she told the man of God what had happened, he said to her, “Now sell the olive oil and pay your debts, and you and your sons can live on what is left over.”

 

▣        Prayer is power. However, not everyone can enjoy the power of prayer. Although prayer is physically difficult and difficult, it is spiritually beneficial, so we need to make an effort to overcome difficulties.

 

Think of foods that are good for your mouth and foods that are good for your body.  Food that is good for the mouth is pleasant to eat, but can be harmful to the body.  Foods that are good for the body may taste less good.

 

Prayer should be guided by spiritual principles.  Prayer is not something we can do according to our fleshly nature. You must follow the word of God. People pray, but answers to prayer come from God. The answer is from God and it is spiritual.

 

1. Prayer is the greatest power.

 

One day the widow of a member of the group of prophets came to Elisha and cried out, “My husband who served you is dead, and you know how he feared the Lord. But now a creditor has come, threatening to take my two sons as slaves.” (2 Kings 4:1).

 

The Prophet's wife was a poor woman. She was in debt. Now I can't get help anywhere. There is no other way but prayer. But prayer, the last remaining way, was the most perfect way. The only path opens when there are no more other paths.

It was the same with the woman who had been bleeding for twelve years.

She is looking for a doctor, she spends her money as she grows older, and she has no other way, so she goes to the Lord. The Lord completely healed such a woman.

 

All night, Peter caught no fish. But in the morning he followed Jesus' command and lowered his net into the deep, and he caught enough fish to fill two boats.

 

There are many paths for man. But the only way to be saved is through the Lord. A person has many possibilities. However, there is only one way to enjoy the riches of the covenant, Jesus Christ.

 

The last remaining way, the way of prayer, is the most perfect way. A person who prays goes to the place of prayer when his or her power is completely exhausted. Then prayer works beyond our ability. Prayer is the last resort, but it is the seat of the greatest power.

 

2. Prayer is an unlimited power.

 

And Elisha said, “Borrow as many empty jars as you can from your friends and neighbors. (2 Kings 4:3).

 

The Prophet asked her woman to borrow many of her empty vessels from her neighbor. As much as she borrowed the bowl, it was filled with her oil. Why did she have to borrow the bowl? Because of she is not enough with a bowl in the woman's house. I borrow more vessels than my own. The authority to borrow from the Lord is greater than the power I have. Prayer is borrowing an empty vessel. I am not using my bowl.

 

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)

 

Prayer is a power, not a power. Prayer is not using my strength, but using the Lord's strength. Prayer is asking in the name of Jesus.

 

3. Prayer is the power of God.

 

Soon every container was full to the brim!

“Bring me another jar,” she said to one of her sons.

“There aren’t any more!” He told her. And then the olive oil stopped flowing. (2king 4: 6).

 

As much as the bowl was prepared, it was filled with oil and stopped. If I had prepared more bowls, I would have filled more oil. It's not a lack of oil. There were not enough dishes. Prayer is the power of God. God's power comes upon us as we ask.

 

The amount of answers is filled as much as the amount of prayer. The longer you pray the more answers you receive. If the prayer time is short, we will only pray urgently. If the prayer time is long, we can pray enough. If the prayer time is short, we pray only for our needs, but if the prayer time is long, we will pray as God wants us to. If I had been praying for an hour, I would not have enough time just to think and pray the necessary prayers. If you pray for 3 hours, there is still time left even after all the prayers I thought about were done. From then on, we enter a completely new phase of prayer.

 

I used to pray as I thought before, but from now on, I will find the subject of prayer. We now begin to pray obediently rather than pleading prayers. There is a different dimension from praying with your mouth to praying with your ears. I used to pray up to heaven, and now I listen to the voice coming down from heaven.