“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.” — Philippians 4:6-7 (NLT)
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Trent Williams is 36 years old and still one of the best left tackles in the NFL. Most of the guys drafted with him in 2010 are not in the NFL anymore. It helps to be 6-foot-5 and 320 pounds, but Trent is also quick on his feet. He may not be as nimble as he was at Longview High School (Texas) or when he played for the Oklahoma Sooners in college, but he’s earned 11 Pro Bowl selections in his 14-year career. As a key leader on the offensive line, Trent has powered NFL offenses for a long time.
In 1882, Thomas Edison brought electricity to parts of New York City. By the 1930s, many big cities had power lines crisscrossing their streets to keep the lights on, though it took longer to get power to the small towns. Recently, a 90-year-old friend told me about electricity coming to our town of Sylvania in the 1940s. It was a big change for so many people after using oil lamps for light at night, doing most work during daylight hours, and staying warm at night in the winter with up to eight quilts. Though he enjoyed his childhood and working for Shepherd Brothers Gas Company early in his career, he said, “I sure was glad when they brought electricity to us in Screven County!”
On the rare occasions the electricity goes out, we’re reminded how important it is to have power running through those wires. A coffee pot without power is useless, a washing machine with no electric juice means dirty clothes, a television without power is a blank screen. Without electricity, we sit in the dark unless we have flashlights or candles.
For Christians, prayer is our power source. When Peter got arrested in an effort to stop him from preaching the Gospel, the churches were weakened. In those moments, the devil laughed but the people prayed. “So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him” (Acts 12:5). And then the Lord restored power. As Peter slept that night, he had no idea what God was up to. “Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him up. ‘Quick, get up!’ he said, and the chains fell off Peter’s wrists” (Acts 12:7).
Peter walked out free and continued preaching to many people. That didn’t mean Peter’s problems were gone, but he knew as long as people are praying, God would work to rescue lost souls, give hope to the hopeless, lift up the brokenhearted, and give strength to the weary.
Prayer doesn’t fix everything, but prayer gets us in line with God and gives a proper perspective and attitude. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7, NLT).
We are powerless without prayer. It should run through our veins just as electricity runs through the wires of our home. When we neglect our prayer life, we will eventually find that life is harder to navigate. But when we go to God about everything, we will be powered with His peace that exceeds our own understanding.
— Bill Kent, Pastor of Memorial Baptist Church, Sylvania, Georgia
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