The early church was born in a prayer meeting, and as they continued in prayer, miracles, signs and wonders took place. They experienced the vigor of prayer, great revival, and tremendous church growth. Vigor is defined as energy; force; drive; vitality; strength; spirit; dynamism; enthusiasm; gusto; intensity, etc. God desires that we activate the power that He gave to us through prayer. He gave His disciples “power and authority over devils, and to cure diseases” (Luke 9:1). We too have access to God’s power and authority. The apostle Paul admonished “Be careful for nothing; but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God” (Phil. 4:6).
II Thes.1:11 states “Wherefore also we pray always for you, that our God would count you worthy of this calling, and fulfill all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith with power.” The Greek rendition of power (dunamis) here means force; might; violence; strength; mighty work, etc. Matt. 11:12relays “The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.”According to God’s plan and through His Spirit, prayer has the power to turn people from the power of Satan to the power of God.Acts 26:18 says, “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto the power of God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.”
Light is a kind of “energy” that exists as a range of electromagnetic radiation that can be detected by the human eye. Have you opened your eyes and evaluated your life lately to determine if you may be wasting some valuable time on “formless energy”…trivial things that are temporal and don’t really matter in the long-run? Remember, prayer has eternal value and when we pray in accordance to the will of God and choose to release our energy or vigor in that capacity, then it will be very rewarding.
God is light. In the beginning He said, “Let there be light,” and the darkness dissipated at the entrance of it. Although the power source may have been connected partly and previously through the initial infilling of the Holy Ghost, when Christians pray, it continually turns on God’s “light switch” in their lives. The light activated from that switch also shines upon the lives of others who sit in darkest, blinded by the god of this world. We then can see the chains that bind others and direct them to God so that He can set the captives free. That light creates a fire when ignited by the burden of the Lord and we may effectively engage in fervent prayer. John the Baptist declared that Jesus would baptize “with the Holy Ghost and fire.” If that fire is truly shut up in our bones, as was the case with Jeremiah, then surely we will speak God’s Word in prayer.Jer. 23:29 says “Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD.” Ps. 119:105 also declares “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” That fire can burn away the chains and that light can cause the blind to see!
Once while in the corner of a dark church closet, engaged in vigorous intercessory prayer for a lost soul (stranger) that I beforehand just had met on the streets, a brilliant, bright, white, natural light suddenly appeared in the corner where I was praying and hovered above and overshadowed me for about one minute! It was unlike anything I had ever seen or experienced before! What emanated from that comer was not an overhead fluorescent light activated from a light switch that was turned on nor an iridescent lamp that was swiftly plugged into a power socket, but rather it was light generated from “power from on high!” It was evident that this glorious presence of God was manifested by tapping into the Power Source through prayer. Another young lady in the church was present nearby when the light appeared. So, she was a witness of this divine manifestation also, and this was such a testimony…she shortly later received the Holy Ghost. No human being had cut on the light to generate this power, but rather God Himself was the power source…and the light, as well! He is the Light of the World. Ps. 27:1 says “The Lord is my light and my salvation…” God is “the light that shineth in darkness and…the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world” (John 1:5, 9). This appearance of light is just a glimpse of what God desires to unveil. Light travels at a speed of about 186,000 miles per second. God is faster. Time cannot even measure or confine Him. In fact, God is Omnipresent. He’s already there. Miracles can happen in an instant! Prayer is exciting! Prayer is powerful!
Just as His presence descended upon the mercy seat behind the veil on the Ark of the Covenant in the holiest of holies, so does His light and fire consume the sacrifice of prayer to bring mercy in this sinner’s stead. God has many wonderful ways in confirming that He has heard our prayers when we go beyond the veil and abide in that secret place under the shadow of the Almighty. King David relayed “For thou wilt light my candle: the Lord my God shall enlighten my darkness” (Ps. 18:28). Truly, what we need to help the despondent and destitute in this world is not a Doctor’s degree in “psychology,” but rather we need the Master’s degree in “kneeology,” and can obtain it when we kneel to the Master in prayer and let Him “teach us to pray.”
Pursue God with passion and pray with vigor, and be as like David in this context…”a man after God’s own heart.” Observe the many songs that he sang and the prayers that he prayed, particularly in the Book of Psalms. Notice how God was with David and how he was even named in the lineage of Christ. Wow! What will be your connection to God? More than ever, will you pray with vigor? If God sees that fervency, vigor, and passion (fire, energy, and light) emitting from you, How can He refrain from blessing you as you pray according to His will. Whosh…there comes down the Fire, Power, and Light on the mercy seat to consume that sacrifice…of prayer. What an attraction! God wants to greatly use you; so, like never before, experience the vigor of prayer!
Flo Shaw
International Coordinator
World Network of Prayer