READ: JAMES 5:13-20; 1 JOHN 5:13-15

As a freshman student attending college in the hub of Nashville, Tennessee, I took it upon myself to explore the best coffee stops in the area. One afternoon I happened to visit a small, rustic coffee shop run by a local church. Upon entering, the first thing that caught my attention was a large bulletin board that stretched along one side of the seating area. The bold letters on the sign above it read Prayer Wall. After ordering, I paused to read through the dozens of prayers people had posted. Prayers for healed relationships, for addictions, for healing, for children, for love, for peace. My heart hurt to feel the emotion behind the words of those expressing so much vulnerability, pain, hope, and fear…I whispered a silent prayer over every card I read, knowing there are many more brothers and sisters in Christ who have done the same.

This mere ten-minute experience nearly brought me to tears. Oh so beautiful is this reminder of the power and influence of prayer! How amazing is it to have the ability to intercede directly on behalf of others? To be united with so many in the knowledge and faith that God hears every single word, every thought, every desire of our hearts! Each request penned in faith speaks to the knowledge of the Christian that these prayers are not in vain. The Father is present, and He listens, and He loves. He cares so much about us and the things we go through that Jesus came to live among us, to make the Father known to us, and ultimately to die for us on the cross and rise from the grave so that we could be in relationship with God.

Brothers and sisters, this is the God we serve! A God of unchanging love and unmatched power. My own prayer, as I left the coffee shop that day and as I go forward today, is that we as the church never forget what a powerful and life-changing gift that is. • Eliana Canfield

• Have you ever experienced God answering a prayer? What happened?

• The Bible is full of stories of God answering prayers in amazing ways; there is no shortage of wonders that God has done to answer the prayers of His children, for He delights in us. If you want to explore a few of these stories, read Exodus 33:12-23; 1 Samuel 1:1-20; Acts 12:1-19.

• In addition to stories of God answering prayer in amazing ways, in the book of Psalms we hear from people who feel like God is far-off and doesn’t hear them or care about them (Psalms 13, 22, 44, 77, 88, and others). Why do you think the Bible includes prayers like these?

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)