Move People Through God AloneSample

No one took hold of God

"No one calls on Your name or strives to take hold of You" (Isaiah 64:7; BSB).

In Isaiah 59:16 and 64:7, we read that God was astonished that no one prayed for the people—that no one took hold of Him. It is clear: if someone had interceded on behalf of the people, God's judgment would not have come upon them. If there had been someone pleading with God for the nation, it would have "moved" Him, and He would not have carried out His judgment.

So often, people say, "I'm not sure God will listen to me." There are three ways to find out.

The first is to read the Word of God and discover what He says about prayer and the specific matter at hand. Search the Scriptures to see who the men and women were who prayed, and what happened when they did. God is very clear on this: His invitation to pray is for everyone, every believer. We do not have to, as we sometimes mistakenly think, reach a certain spiritual standard before we can pray.

The second way is to explore the history of the church and examine the testimonies of answered prayer from the lives of countless Christians. The testimony of the church throughout the ages is that it has grown wherever there has been prayer.

The third way is to take God at His Word and His promises, and simply start to pray. Put Him to the test; you will not be disappointed. Get yourself a notebook and write down every prayer, along with the date you prayed it. Each week, review your requests and note the answers. At the end of each month, review all your prayer requests—you will find many that already have answers filled in.

Adoniram Judson was the first American missionary to work overseas, specifically in Burma (Myanmar). He had a custom of praying seven times a day. By the end of his life, there was no doubt about the significant impact he had on both the church and Burmese society. He once remarked, “I never was deeply interested in any object, I never prayed sincerely and earnestly for anything, but it came. At some time, no matter how distant, somehow, in some shape—probably the last I should have devised—it came. And yet I have always had so little faith. May God forgive me … and cleanse the sin of unbelief from my heart.”