The World Day of Prayer is over for another year, or is it? The service may be over, but the prayers must continue for the world, by the world. Every day, modern news networks are overwhelming us with more and more current events that we must pray about. From the devastation of unprecedented flooding in eastern Australia, to the recent invasion of Ukraine, to the ongoing global Covid-19 pandemic, and they are all accompanied by the heartbreak of lives lost. So many are suffering at this present time and need our prayers.
Prayer is powerful, and amazing things happen when we offer sincere prayers in the name of Jesus, our Saviour. Much has been written about prayer and many miracles have been recorded after prayers were offered. Sceptics may claim that these answers to prayer were coincidences, or that the turn arounds in situations happened because they were already heading in that direction, even when there is no evidence that this was the case. However, Christians know that prayer works, and so we must continue to pray in all circumstances.
In March 1981, Australian Church Women (ACW) published an article on prayer that was presented at the Silver Jubilee of the Fellowship of the Least Coin (FLC) in 1980, in Manila. The speaker/author was Mary Fadel of Cairo, Egypt, who was the Chairperson of the World Day of Prayer International Committee. Mary gave permission to print her presentation in full to Marie Price, who was the Australian National FLC Convenor. Marie had also attended the Least Coin Silver Jubilee, and she became friends with Mary Fadel.
Here is an excerpt from Mary Fadel’s presentation:
‘Prayer is actually the greatest privilege that has been given to us as human beings. With Christ's death on the Cross and the reconciliation He accomplished for us with His Father, prayer has developed a new meaning, and brought us into a more intimate relationship with God where we can call Him Father.'
'The most wonderful thing about prayer is that, in spite of the fact that prayer is the most revolutionary power that can change things, still it is within the reach of every person whoever he/she is and wherever he/she may be. We have seen over the centuries, how prayer has brought about results which were sometimes beyond the understanding of the human mind. In both the Old and New Testaments, we see many of these incidents. At the dawn of Christianity, the church resorted to much prayer, and it was empowered to act in a marvelous way, that it brought about wonderment and conviction, and many joined the new faith. History also records no great spiritual revival without much prayer preceding it.
‘We cannot over-emphasize prayer. Even our Saviour Himself, to whom all authority in Heaven and earth was given, spent much time in prayer while He was here on earth. Now, seated at the right hand of God the Father in the place of authority in Heaven, He is giving Himself to prayer and intercession for us. Since He is our example, we can rightly say that prayer is the highest calling that a Christian can have.’
As we begin another annual Lenten season, let us be in earnest prayer that the world may know the love of Jesus. Lent is a time of reflection and personal denial as we acknowledge the sacrifices that Jesus made for us on His journey to death on that cruel cross. Sacrifices for all because of His love for all. Let our Lenten preparations for Easter focus not only on our relationship with Christ, but also that the world needs His love.
Source:
Women at Work, ACW National Newsletter, March 1981, pp.1–2.
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