The Works of God

Thank you to my wife who pointed me to Kevin DeYoung’s blog posting on Wednesday where he was highlighting the books of Ben Patterson, who wrote the following, which I found really helpful:

Ponder this scene in the throne room of heaven: An angel stands before God holding a golden censer, burning incense that is mixed with the prayers of the saints on earth. These prayers go up before God, and then are mixed with fire from the altar and hurled back down on earth. The amazing result is cataclysm on earth, “peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake” (Rev. 8:5).

Now picture the saints on earth, huddled in their prayer meetings. If their experience of prayer is anything like mine can be, they may often feel their prayers are barely making it to the ceiling, or are dribbling out and rustling across the floor like dry leaves. Prayer doesn’t frequently bring with it the sensation of cosmic power unleashed, what poet Georg Herbert called “reversed thunder.” But that is exactly what is happening! The whole creation is shaken by the prayers of the saints. Something is happening as they pray. Work is being done, whether they see it or not. Deepening Your Conversation, 24-25

I need encouragements like that!  The unusual daily routines associated with disability in many families can become a grind.  The prayers for strength to face the day can become rote, or feel ineffective. I’m glad the Bible tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17), and pray and not lose heart (Luke 18:1).  And I am grateful for faithful men who point me to the power of God.