Ephesians

Principle 3: Prayer brings amazing peace.

What is the result when you pray? Paul says, “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7). No one can explain this peace. It does not arise out of altered circumstances—in fact, it is available to us in even the worst, most hopeless circumstances. It is inexplicable. There is nothing we need more in this troubled, anxious, fretful, weary, disturbed world than God’s amazing, unexplainable peace.

When we pray we recognize the existence of the invisible kingdom of God. We would never pray if we didn’t believe Someone is listening, that the invisible realm is the realm of reality. It surrounds us on every side. Though we do not see it, we recognize it and we have confidence that an invisible God directly affects our lives in the visible realm. We know that if we want to change the visibilities, we must start with the invisibilities.

Satan hates it when we pray, because he knows that God answers prayer. Our prayers play a direct and essential part in bringing God’s invisible power to bear on visible life. Prayer is purposeful and powerful. It is not the pitiful, pathetic, last-ditch pleading that many people think it to be. No, prayer is powerful, because it links you and me, mere mortal human beings, with the ultimate, infinite power of the universe. God intervenes in human affairs as His people pray.