A CUP OF COLD WATER

 

Lesson 6—God steps in when we are too tired to pray.

I was once at the Fellowship Deaconry Retreat Centre in New Jersey, USA, doing a weekend fast and prayer for issues in my family. On the second day, I was thinking of the issues at hand and feeling despondent as I entered the chapel. I sat at the back and listened to some worship songs through my headphones and took a short nap. I woke up, still despondent and tired, but went to the altar to pray for a short while before returning to my room. There were 140 prayer points for the topic I was praying on in the prayer book I was using, so I thought I would stop at 70 and continue later. When I started praying, a strength came upon me and I prayed through all the 140 prayer points on my knees, giving enough time to each prayer point as led by the Holy Spirit. After the last prayer point, a very bright light shone through the chapel window onto the prayer book page, and I felt a lifting of the burden and was overwhelmed with joy. I wanted to run and jump at the same time, and I spent time praising God. It was then that I understood Zechariah 4:6: “Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord.” God made me pray when I was at my weakest so His strength would carry me, and the glory would be His alone. Praise the name of the Lord! God will supply all our needs, including strength to pray, despite how we feel in our bodies (Philippians 4:13, 19).

Lesson 7—God knows what we need before we pray.

Many times, I have experienced immediate answers to my prayer in supernatural ways. When I lived in New York, USA, I attended Bethlehem Church which was walking distance from my house in Richmond Hill. One Sunday evening, I was walking to church to attend a women’s meeting. As I was running late, I took the nearest purse I could find. On my way, I realised that the purse had no money in it which meant that I could not give an offering. I was debating whether to go back and get some money or continue to church. I decided to go to church concluding that God would understand if I did not give an offering at the service because I did not want to be late, and, moreover, I had given an offering at the morning service. As I was getting near the church, a slight wind started blowing and I saw a $20 note on the pavement being blown in my direction! I looked around to see if there was anyone who may have dropped their money, but I was the only one in the street, there was no one else. I picked it up and knew that God had provided an offering for me. Our omniscient (all-knowing) God knows what we need even before we ask Him (Matthew 6:8).