Prayer Can Change a Person’s Heart
We had a lot of prayer happening in the comment section of last week’s devotion. So today, let me share a story about the power of prayer in one family’s life.
Allan was a tough man. Raised by a single mom with five siblings, he learned how to scrap his way through life and climb to the top of humanity’s heap through sheer determination and grit.
He married at nineteen, had his first son at twenty, then a baby girl at twenty-five. Over the next two decades he advanced from driving a delivery truck at a lumberyard to becoming part owner of a building supply company.
Allan drank heavily, fought with his wife verbally and physically, and terrorized his children emotionally. He gambled, dabbled in pornography, and had questionable relationships laced with a host of unsavory vices.
But when his teenage daughter gave her life to Jesus and began praying for her family, God grabbed the chisel of grace and began chipping away at Allan’s proud heart of stone. One day he told her, “I’ll go to church with you from time to time, but I could never become a Christian. I’ve done too many horrible things in my life. God could never forgive me. I could never be good enough.”
His daughter explained that no one could ever be good enough. If we could, then Jesus wouldn’t have had to die on the cross to pay for our sins. But Allan couldn’t wrap his mind around that kind of grace.
When Allan was forty-six years old, his life took several hairpin troublesome turns. Because of a business deal gone terribly wrong, he was sued for breach of contract and breaking a no compete clause with a former employer.
Allan teetered on the brink of a nervous breakdown. From man’s perspective, it appeared he was on the verge of losing it all. From God’s perspective, Allan was right where he needed to be.
It was that year that Allan met a Christian man, a pastor, who had done everything he had done, and yet knew the forgiveness of Jesus. Through this man, Allan gave his life to Christ.
The way Allan later explained what happened that day was this: “That man had done everything I had done. I knew that if God could forgive him and he could be a pastor, then He could forgive me too.”
Allan was my dad.
From my earliest years as a Christian, I experienced the power of prayer to change a man’s life—to strengthen a man’s resolve, to protect a man’s heart, and to mature a man’s faith. My firsthand encounter with God’s faithfulness to hear our pleas for the men in our lives began with my father and continues with my husband and son.
James tells us, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results” (James 5:16 NLT). The Amplified Version says it this way: The heartfelt and persistent prayer of a righteous man (believer) is able to accomplish much [when put into action and made effective by God—it is dynamic and can have tremendous power].
Prayer is the conduit through which God’s power is released, and His will is brought to earth as it is in heaven As a praying woman, you have the power to open the floodgates of heaven through prayer on behalf of your husband, your son, your daughter, your friends.
I encourage you to pray with “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not see” (Hebrews 11:1, NASB).
Today, we’re going to do our prayer a little different. Using this guide from my books on praying Scripture over the ones we love, fill in the blanks and pray someone close to your heart.
Dear Lord, I pray for ________________.
Mind – Protect ___________ mind from any thoughts that might cause him/her to follow the world rather than You. Help him/her to think on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and admirable. Romans 12:2, Philippians 4:8, Proverbs 3:5-6
Shoulders – No matter what___________ goes through today, assure him that nothing is too hard for You. Empower him/her to cut the cords of worry with the saber of praise and to place his burdens on Your able shoulders. Genesis 18:14; Deuteronomy 31:8; Psalm 9:10.
Heart – Place a hedge of protection around___________heart to keep corruption out and purity in. Proverbs 4:23; Proverbs 17:20; Proverbs 17:22.
Back – Protect_________in the physical and spiritual realms. Keep him/her from the devil’s schemes that would attempt to trap or trip him/er up. Thank you that no weapon formed against ________will stand. John 10:10; 2 Corinthians 2:11; Ephesians 6:10-18.
Arms – Help__________be strong and courageous in Your mighty power. Bolster his/her courage when afraid and reassure __________when he/she doubts. Deuteronomy 31:6; Joshua 1:9; Isaiah 30:15.
Hands – Bless the work of ____________ hands. Reward his/her efforts and bring success. Deuteronomy 33;11; Deuteronomy 28:12-13. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.
Leave the name of 1 person you prayed for today and we’ll all intercede with you.
Digging Deeper
Sometimes it’s hard to know what to pray. When you can’t find the words, look to God’s Word. When you pray the Word of God, you pray the will of God. I have several prayer resources created just for you to help you pray Scripture over the ones you love. Take a look. It might be just the help you need to become the prayer warrior you’ve always wanted to be.
