You hear a news report, and in that moment, your heart is pulled.
It occurs to you to pray, but then the thoughts come:
- “Who am I, to pray about such a big issue?”
- “How can my prayer make a difference?”
- “I don’t know what to pray!”
And the moment passes.
Or maybe you have a situation close to you that is painful, and you are wondering how to pray. It’s going to take a miracle.
If you can relate to this, you are not alone! I believe the Lord wants you to know this:
Your prayer holds great power.
It is the seed for a miracle.
The Mailbox
Last Sunday, due to Covid-19 restrictions in Australia, we were participating in our regular church service online.
As I closed my eyes in worship, I found myself in a vision, looking at a mailbox. A letterbox!
It was grey, it was made of stone, and I could see the slot for the mail.
Then, I saw a letter being dropped into that mailbox.
The letter was small, the mailbox nondescript. And I wondered—would someone from the postal service come and collect this letter?
But instead, I saw that letter being sucked upwards at high-speed!
And that’s when I realized that although that mailbox looked small, it stretched up into Heaven.
The Letter
“I have come because of your words” (Dan 10:12b)
Instantly, that letter reached God’s throne, where the words written on it, separated out from the pages.
Those words were alive! And they flew into God’s right hand.
And then, stretching out His right arm, the Father released His power. It was as though He threw it.
- Like lightning, God’s answer to that small letter was launched earthward
The Man Who Prayed at Home
As I prayed about the vision [1], I was reminded of a story from Daniel chapter 6.
One day, there was a man praying in a room.
It was Daniel, seeking God in his home.
He was asking for God’s help, His mercy and favor.
And Daniel needed it, for the favor on his life had inflamed his enemies so much, they wanted to destroy him.
Those enemies walked in as Daniel was praying, and arrested him for the “crime” of prayer.
And the king of Persia, tricked by Daniel’s enemies into banishing prayer, was forced to punish his favorite, Daniel.
Daniel was thrown into a den of hungry lions.
Prayer Precedes Power
We often talk about the extraordinary interventions of God in this story of the lion’s den.
- But let’s not miss that they were preceded by the prayer of a man in his home.
In later chapters of the book of Daniel, an angel told him,
“I have come because of your words” (Dan 10:12b)
“As soon as you began to pray, a word went out” (Dan 9:23b)
As Daniel was praying in his home, God was already releasing His answer. God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions.
In the meantime, the Holy Spirit was at work in the heart of the king.
The king’s heart was broken, but then to his astonishment, Daniel walked out alive.
The move of God spread like fire, for that king, awakened to faith, sent out a decree to every part of his kingdom.
All people of every nation he ruled, were to worship the God Daniel served!
The Man Who Prayed in His Workplace
Nehemiah was in his workplace, busy with his duties, when the king he served asked him a question that laid bare his heart (Neh 2).
- In that moment, Nehemiah sent a quick prayer for help to God
- It was unheard by those surrounding him, but it reached Heaven!
That prayer was instantly answered, as the Holy Spirit touched that king’s heart and caused him to respond favorably.
Jerusalem’s walls—broken and burned, were about to be restored.
So, if you are working, or busy, know this! Your prayer, as you go about your day, is powerful.
The Power of a Cry for Help!
The mailbox I saw didn’t have fancy metal trimmings.
But it was solid as a rock.
The prayer that holds power, does not have to be complex, clever, or crafted.
It may be a simple cry for help, sent from your heart. [2]
- We know that Daniel, and Nehemiah were great intercessors, who spent considerable amounts of time in prayer.
And yet, the Holy Spirit records this one moment when Nehemiah shot up a prayer while he was working—and describes Daniel’s simple prayer for help, from his home.
Why? It is a message to us.
Your small prayer can release great power.
It’s Time to Pray
So, the next time you face a problem, or hear a news report, and the enemy whispers, “Who are you, to pray about such a big issue?”
Ignore that thought.
For you are significant in God’s Kingdom.
Cry out to God from your heart. Your prayer in that moment may simply be a word: “Jesus”.
But your Father knows all in your heart.
He knows where you are.
And that small letter, delivered into Heaven’s “mailbox”, will make an eternal difference in the situation you are petitioning him for.
For your prayer holds power.
Leave a Comment
I’d love to hear from you. Share your own story of answered prayer, or your prayer request with us in the blog comments box below, or on our Facebook page.
Notes and Related Posts:
[1] How I receive visions:
When I describe a vision I’ve seen, it’s usually a vivid impression in my mind’s eye, accompanied by a strong sense of God’s Presence. I’m not speaking of an “open” (physical) vision. I believe all prophetic words, encounters and visions should be compatible with Scripture and need to be weighed up.
[2] Prayer: When Your Cry Goes Up, Heaven Comes Down
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© 2020 Helen Calder, Enliven Blog
Enliven Ministries: In the David McCracken Ministries family
Helen Calder is a prophetic minister and writer, and founder of Enliven Ministries. Helen has a unique gift of equipping in prophetic ministry and prayer. She is known for Enliven Blog (est. 2009), an online resource that reaches thousands of people globally.
Your prayer does not have to be complex, clever, or crafted, to release a miracle.
Thank you for this Helen Calder. It has come at the right time. I’ve been in prayers for several days now. I had an impression in my spirit to do so. I had not planned for it. When I began it was a bit hard, but as the days go by God’s grace has been sufficient. At one time I was left wondering, “Is what I am doing effective? Are my prayers really being heard? Will they be answered?” Now I understand it is not about how I feel but the truth that my prayer holds power. I am encouraged to keep at it knowing that the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.. James 5:16b
Yes, amen to that Naomi! :-)
Dear Helen,
As of late I have been anxious as to how to pray about a particular thing in my life. To call a spade a spade, this particular thing is concerning a boy. We have given a ‘best friend’ title to what we have as it seemed both of us were coming from an area where we were broken and hurt.
Both of us failed to ask further of what was going on between us because we both said we were clinging on to what God was telling us about relationships. Many people called our friendship undefined as it seemed that we had boyfriend girlfriend Rules on something we called a friendship.
I am lost on how to go to God about this one. When I want to cut off all ties, I feel like I am losing more than just my friend and I sense a certain discomfort in my Spirit each time I want to take such an action.
The other problem is that we seem to have such a connection that we now feel whatever the other person feels even when far from each other. I would like to narrow this down to just an emotional connection but I am unsure if that’s all there is.
This friendship has stretched me in all areas and I dont know what to do.
We met at a time where both of us want to know God but at the same time were led to God on completely two different circumstances. On my half, I grew in the word because I was attached to a certain ministry and he seems to just be getting to know God.
I remember being so scared after backsliding that if we were to meet, he would be advised against me by one of the people he prayed with. I don’t know why I always saw myself less. I always felt that any person I met would be warned against me for some reason. Hence he stuck around.
Now he has been attending a certain ministry. I have felt the need to attend it too because I figured two cannot walk together unless they agree. I also just dont want to have us in a place where we fight because of different teachings of the word.
I am really in a tough place and this came in just in time.
Please help.
Hi Chimwemwe, I am praying for you and for you to have insight and strength, and power from God to take the steps you need to move forward. God loves you and knows you intimately, He has your heart and future in His hands. I pray that also you will have wise counsel around you, to bring any guidance, wisdom and help needed at this time.<3
Thank you Helen..I needed to see this word. I have been praying for my sister, Sharon, who has stage 4 cancer and just yesterday received a bad report. I have to admit when I heard it my heart fell and I wondered if God even heard my prayers. I know He does and I know He answers just as He did for Daniel and so many others. And I also thought of the delay…the battle that sometimes come before the answer is made manifest. But God heard and God answered. I just needed to be reminded. Thank you for sharing Gods heart and truth to us.
Hi Carol, I’m sorry to hear that. I’m praying for you and your sister right now, Father release your strength and healing power, and unmistakable signs of Your presence, and messages from Your heart to them!
Greetings!
Thank you for this timely words of encouragement from the scriptures. And i pray that God would continue to use you and your family mightily with signs, wonders and miracles and with the gifts and demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit accompanying the Word of God, for the blessing of many people.
Thank you so much, Antony, and amen to that!
Thanks so much. sooo Timely
Hi enliven, things are uptight i am running out of strength to pray and just pray for me because things go wrong at the edge of breakthrough is God saying something or is just life happening ? I need devine intervention and thank you for all the emails withencouragement