Start Praying!

from UCB Word for Today

'...Noah...warned by God...[saved] his household...' Hebrews 11:7 RSV

Are you close enough to God to hear His warnings when danger approaches? Noah was, and he saved his family. Are you close enough to your family for them to have confidence in what God has spoken to you? You can change the direction of your family without argument or discussion. How? Through prayer. Your loved ones need to be sheltered under the covering of your prayer life. If you don't have one, get down on your knees and say, '...Lord, teach me to pray...' (Luke 11:1) We are emotionally overwhelmed and spiritually depleted because we haven't learned the power of prayer. The lack of it has left us weak and anxious. We blindly make decisions for our businesses, our relationships and our ministries without taking time to talk it over with the Lord. The story of Noah teaches that you can't prepare for trouble without a warning from God. That means staying close to Him and hearing what He has to say. You can do great things after you've prayed, but you can do nothing of eternal value untilyou've prayed. 'If My people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.' (2 Chronicles 7:14 RSV) God promises to intervene on behalf of the person who prays in His will. '...if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us-whatever we ask-we know that we have what we asked of Him.' (1 John 5:14-15 NIV)