Corrie ten Boom. If anyone knew the power of prayer it was this dear lady. She and her
family were arrested by the Nazis on February 28, 1944 for providing refuge to Jews who
needed a place to hide. Corrie and her sister Betsie eventually ended up at the Ravensbruck concentration camp where Betsie died on December 16th. Before her death Betsie said
this to her beloved sister, "There is no pit so deep that He (God) is not deeper still." How
did these two ladies have such an unshakable confidence in God? It is because they had
a relationship with Him. There is only one way to really get to know someone, and that is
to spend time with them, talking and sharing your feelings and thoughts. Corrie and Betsie
did not have "religion," they had a "relationship" with their blessed Savior and Lord.
How do you view prayer? Is it something you revert to when things start going wrong in
your life? Is it a "safety net" that you grab on to when your plans goes awry? If it is, then
you have the wrong view of what prayer is. Prayer is spending time with the One who
loves us more than we can comprehend. God desires our fellowship! Jeremiah 33:3,
"Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which
thou knowest not." We can only know God by spending time with Him. Psalms 145:18
"The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in
truth."
I would like to take a look at 3 verses in 1 Thessalonians 5. Verses 16 to 18. "Rejoice
evermore. Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks:" Look at what prayer
is surrounded by...rejoicing and giving thanks. These are to be key components in our
prayer life. Prayer is to be part of our worship towards God. We rejoice in God our
Savior, and we give thanks for all His great blessings. Its a packaged deal.
Years ago I came across this little help when it comes to a fully surrendered prayer life.
P.R.A.Y. P-praise, R-repent, A-ask, Y-yield. I always try to remember this order in
prayer. Starting with praise centers your heart and thoughts on who God is, His greatness,
majesty, power, love, faithfulness. Praising God for who He is puts us into the state of
worship needed for proper fellowship. When we see God for who He is, we see ourselves
for our failings, our sin. Repenting of sin allows communion with our Savior. Psalms
66:18 "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." It is only then we
can ask God for the help needed. Closing our prayers with a heart yielding to His will
and direction in our lives will produce His peace in our hearts. Philippians 4:4, 6 & 7,
"Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, rejoice. Be careful for nothing; but
in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be
made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Corrie penned the now famous book, "The Hiding Place" the story of what happened
to her and her family during the war. She had a relationship with the Lord that was
deeper then many of us will know. Persecution will deepen a bond with God. The
Psalms are filled with prayers that are saturated with praise, repentance and pleas
for help! I have always thought of Corrie when I read this verse in Psalms 32:7
"Thou art my hiding place: Thou shalt preserve me from trouble; Thou shalt
compass me about with songs of deliverance." The Psalmist David and Corrie both
knew the power and importance of prayer!.
How is your prayer life? Are you enjoying the Lord your God to the fullest, or is it
just a dead ritual? If your prayer life is in ruins then your spiritual life will suffer the
same fate. Corrie and Betsie ten Boom KNEW their Lord...do you?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SS56ziJ_Rb8
Lord, I Need You
Lord, I need You when the sea of life is calm.
O Lord, I need You when the wind is blowing strong.
Whether trials come or cease, keep me always on my knees.
Lord, I need You, Lord, I need You.
Ron Hamilton
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