In a very different sort of way, prayer is much on my mind and flowing often from my lips these days. Most nights, my husband and I pray together before we close our eyes to sleep, and more often than not, when I turn over, I find my lips still moving as I want to talk to God and tell Him what’s on my mind. I want to tell the God who moves mountains and calms storms that I am anxious, fearful and full of sadness and grief, over real painful stuff in my life. I want to hear Him speak to my spirit and tell me what to do, how to be, how to function though my heart yearns and aches.
          Over and over – never failing to supply – God speaks, telling me that He is present in all the details and that I am safe…we are safe from all potential undoing…when we…IF I/we trust His Hand. He reminds me that He is always present; never late and always on time in all things, ALL THINGS (situations, circumstances, sickness, disease, etc.) NO MATTER WHAT!! He reminds me that He is powerful and might to save!
          Saint John Chrysostom wrote this about the power of prayer:
          “The potency of prayer has subdued the strength of fire; it has bridled the rage of lions,; hushed anarchy to rest,; extinguished wars,; appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven, healed diseases, repelled frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt.
          Prayer is an all-sufficient panoply, a mind which is never diminished, a treasure which is never exhausted, a sky unobscured by the clouds, and a heaven unruffled by the storm.
          It is the root, the fountain and the mother of a thousand blessings. Is this mere rhetoric?  Ah, no. The Bible knows no such cunning.”1

          So, what I say about prayer is, it is my opportunity, no matter what, or when or where, to talk to the God of all Creation and then to listen for His voice, His Presence, His Spirit speaking to me,; to my soul, into my spirit. In so doing He reminds me of who He is and that I am not alone, never, no never, ever alone. He is with me to the very end!
          So dear sisters, what say you of prayer?

Stephanie Paul

Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women’s Addiction Ministry. She has been married for almost 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. Stephanie serves alongside him as Care Group leaders in their church. They have two grown children.
Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.

1 http://www.rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/the-spirit-of-prayer/Quoted in Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries