Prayer Darts

If you like to do any target games like darts, axe throwing, archery, etc., you know it takes practice to hit your target. Prayer is no different. The more we pray, the better we get at getting to the heart (center) of what we need to pray about and then earnestly repeating the topic.

Faith and prayer go hand in hand. Sometimes, we have the faith to back up our prayers. Other times, we have to pray and ask God to help us with the faith part. Those times it’s crucial to have help from other believers.

“Thomas Watson, the Puritan writer, said, “Faith is to prayer what the feather is to the arrow; it feathers the arrow of prayer, and makes it fly swifter, and pierce the throne of grace.” When you face impossible odds, pray urgently, unfeignedly, unitedly. And trust the great prayer-answering God who grants mercy and imparts grace to help in time of need.” –The Red Sea Rules, by Robert J. Morgan (Rule 4)

It was dangerous during Elijah’s lifetime. Yet, he prayed that God would show his power to those around him. First, he prayed that God would stop the rain, and then he prayed for rain. Both times, it was a showdown between Elijah and the prophets of Baal, the local god.

“Elijah was as human as we are, and yet when he prayed earnestly that no rain would fall, none fell for three and a half years!” –James 5:17 NLT

Elijah wasn’t born with this kind of faith and courage in prayer. He had to grow into it with lots of practice. With practice came confidence.