TRACKING PRAYERS

I love tracking prayers in the Bible to see how God answered. David prayed, “Lord, make the counsel of Ahithophel foolishness.” God did exactly that. Elisha prayed, “Lord, open the eyes of this young man that he may see. “ God opened the young servant’s eyes so that he saw God’s army of chariots and horsemen in the hills. Eleazar prayed that God would move the right girl to do the right thing, namely offer to give water to his camels as well as him, and Rachel came appeared graciously offering to take care of him and his camels. Elijah prayed that it wouldn’t rain. It didn’t rain.

How about this short story? 

"On the day the LORD gave the Amorites over to Israel, Joshua said to the LORD in the presence of Israel:  
       'O sun, stand still over Gibeon,  
           O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.'

              So the sun stood still,  
                 and the moon stopped,  
        till the nation avenged itself on its enemies,  
            as it is written in the Book of Jashar.  
The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day. There has never been a day like it before or since, a day when the LORD listened to a man."

If that doesn’t give you goosebumps, I don’t know what will!

David prayed, “Shall we go up?” when he was about to go to battle. God answered him, “Go up."

And Elijah. At the time of sacrifice, the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed: “O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again.” Then the fire of the LORD fell and burned up the sacrifice, the wood, the stones and the soil, and also licked up the water in the trench.”

What do you think? Does God wish to answer prayer for us today? Why do you think it seems quiet on the answer-to-prayer front? Is it a new dispensation or something? I don’t think so. With Him is no shadow of turning. I choose to believe that He seeks throughout the earth for those who believe Him, who will work with Him…who believe in the truth and accept being accountable to pray as we read in James: “the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Pray specifically. Read the story of George Mueller. Grab a prayer partner. Keep a prayer log. Track your prayers.