Myth Busters is one of my favorite television programs. Jamie, Adam, and their friends conduct various “scientific” experiments to prove or disprove conventional ideas, such as urban legends. One method they really enjoy using is the explosion affect. They love to blowup things, such as toilets, refrigerators, butane lighters, school buses, canned biscuits, and a fake cow. Recently, they experimented to see if a stomach could explode by a person drinking a diet coke and eating Mentos. Certainly, not all of their experiments are rocket science. But, there is something exciting about a sudden burst of energy that changes its environment, such as an explosion.
Well, there’s a verse of Scripture that sounds like somebody set off an explosion in a prayer meeting. (Acts 4:31 NIV) After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
Can you imagine being in that prayer meeting. Suddenly, you thought an earthquake had hit. But instead, God was shaking the ground where you knelt in prayer. Your prayers combined with others were like a nuclear missile. And, when you left that house, you were covered with the radiation of the Holy Spirit, because God had come into your presence.
God has never shaken the ground where our church prayed together, but sometimes when we pray, I can sense His presence in our midst. It is a sense that someone unseen is moving among us. It is a feeling of joy and peace that is hard to describe. Then, when I leave that place, I carry exciting joy and peace with me. It’s such a wonderful feeling that I want to share it with others.
Now, I don’t need a feeling to convince me that God is near or that He hears my prayers. I believe that because of my faith in the promises He made to us in His word. However, any positive emotion that I feel after I pray is a bonus.
I want you to know with certainty that there is comfort and peace in God’s presence. So, if you have never sensed God’s presence when you pray, perhaps there is something separating you from God; perhaps you are living in disobedience to God; perhaps you are thinking of too many worldly things when you pray. Prayer is a time to be totally open and honest with God, knowing that He sees us as we really are.
We must focus on the Lord when we pray, not on things that are happening around us. We must not think about what we could be doing or will be doing later. Instead, we must examine ourselves and acknowledge that we are undeserving sinners. We must approach God’s throne of grace with true humility. We must let our requests be known to Him and seek His will for our lives. And, we must submit to whatever answer He gives to our prayers. Then, we will begin to recognize God’s presence with us when we pray.
Prayer has always been a source of strength and power for God’s people, and it continues to be a vital part of our lives today.
Remember, God loves you and so do I.
Phil
Copyright © 2010 Philip Walter