As Christians, we have power. We have the power of God through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. After Jesus had risen from the dead, He said something He had never said before:

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.”

Matthew 28:18 (NIV)

When Jesus was talking to His disciples about going to the Father, He told them two things we should keep in our minds.

And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

John 14:13-14 (NIV)

The Apostle James gave us this intelligence about our prayers.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

James 5:16 (NIV)

This is why we need to be discerning in what we say and how we pray for others. I was reminded of this today when I read about Jacob receiving Esau’s blessing, and something Isaac said.

Isaac trembled violently and said, “Who was it, then, that hunted game and brought it to me? I ate it just before you came and I blessed him—and indeed he will be blessed!”

Genesis 27:33 (NIV)

Although Isaac intended for his blessing to go to Esau, he was deceived and gave it to Jacob instead. Isaac could neither revoke the blessing nor change the direction the blessing would go for Jacob.

I get a lot of prayer requests, and most of the time I don’t know anything about the people I’m praying for. I also get a lot of prayer requests from people I do know. Many of them are saved, and many of them are not. The requests I’ve seen for prayer are as varied as there are people, and the prayers I lift to the Lord are often just as different. However, there is one thing I always ask God. I ask that His will be done because I don’t know.

For example, I get a lot of requests for healing. Sometimes I get some details on what’s wrong, and sometimes I don’t. Most of the time, the request comes in like this.

Please pray for healing for my Mom, Theresa. She’s very sick.

I could ask the Lord to heal Theresa and leave it at that. However, what good would it do for Theresa to be healed of whatever ailment she has and then die in her sins if she isn’t saved? Therefore, when I pray for Theresa, I ask the Lord to save, deliver, heal, and bless her according to His will.

What do you say when you hear someone sneeze? Do you say anything? Do you say to people, “God bless you!” without thinking about it? Is it just something you say? God can bless the person because you’ve asked Him to bless them.

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.”

1 Kings 17:1 (NIV)

There was no rain or dew in the land for three years because of what Elijah said. The words we speak have power.

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

Proverbs 18:21 (NIV)

What did the Lord promise to Abram?

“I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”

Genesis 12:3 (NIV)

There’s nothing inherently wrong with wanting people to be healed, blessed, and encouraged. However, it’s better to be saved and delivered first. Being saved is a blessing. There’s none greater. We should just be more mindful of what we’re asking the Lord to do.

Do you know God? God knows you, and He loves you. He sees you as significant because you are. No one is insignificant to Him. He’s with you today, right now, and He wants you to know Him. Jesus died for your sins and mine so we could be free of guilt, be freed from death, and live eternally with Him. Eternal salvation is just a prayer away.

Pray this prayer with me to accept the gift of salvation today:

Lord Jesus, forgive me for all my sins. I repent from my ways. Wash me in your blood and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I believe that you died on the cross, were buried, and on the third day, God the Father raised you from the dead. Right now, Lord Jesus, I open the door to my heart, and I receive you into my heart as my Lord and personal Savior. Amen.

If you prayed that prayer, then congratulations! You are on the first step of a brand new life. Allow me to be the first to welcome you to my family, the family of God. There are abundant resources available online for new Christians. You can visit here for more information on what to do next. You can also leave me a comment, and I’ll do my best to help you on the next step of this incredible journey.

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