I want some calluses in 2010

While on a recent study retreat, the Lord kept bringing a verse to my mind which I'm claiming for 2010: "And as he taught them, he said, Is it not written: 'My house will be called a house of prayer for all nations' ? (Mark 11:17 cf. Isaiah 56:7)

In a time of terror attacks, war, an economy in trouble, friends with cancer, many marriages and families falling apart and many millions who need to know Christ, is there a time when prayer is more needed for God's people?

I remember hearing the story of two Kentucky churches located in a small community where there was a major whiskey distillery. Both churches complained that the distillery gave the community a bad image and contributed to the moral breakdown of society. What made matters worse was the owner of the whiskey company was a very outpsoken atheist. Church folks had tried unsuccessfully for years to shut down the distillery. Finally, the two churches gathered together on Saturday night in a joint prayer meeting asking God to intervene. All through the evening, a powerful thunderstorm raged. Then to the delight of the church people, a lightning bolt suddenly hit the distillery and burned it to the ground. The next morning, the subject of the sermon in both churches was "the power of prayer."

The insurance adjuster promptly notified the distillery owner that they would not honor the claim--they couldn't pay the damages because the policy contained an exclusion for "acts of God." The distillery owner was furious and decided to sue both churches claiming, "they had conspired with God to destroy the building and his business." The churches denied they had anything to do with the fire. The presiding judge opened the trial with these comments: "I find one thing in this case most perplexing. We have a situation where the plaintiff--an avowed atheist, is professing his belief in the power of prayer, and the defendants--all faithful church members, are denying the very same power!"

That's the irony. Most Christians say they believe in the power of prayer--but in reality, do we live like we are depending on God to do miracles in our lives and in our church? In truth, there is nothing we need more desperately than powerful prayer.

The apostle James was known as "Old Camel's Knees." The reason for the nickname was because he spent so much time on his knees that calluses had developed on them. He wrote what he knew to be true, "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." James 5:16b

What difference would it make if 2010 was truly a time of fervent prayer for God's people? It's time to make some calluses people.