What's Your Superpower?

 

Photo credit:  Free-images.com

Seen on t-shirts and coffee mugs in a back-to-school sale: “I’m a teacher. What’s your superpower?” Teachers definitely have superpowers that I don’t have! 

One superpower all of us possess is the power to affect the world through our prayers and our faith in our loving God. It’s up to us to use this God-given power. Here’s how prayer and faith have changed lives:

Through prayer, Saint Monica convinced God to get through to her wayward son and inspire him to give up his reckless lifestyle. Augustine was raised a Christian but abandoned his faith while in his teens and led a wild life. Monica prayed for him fervently for many years. Her friend Ambrose, bishop of Milan, assured her that “It is impossible that the son of so many tears should perish.” Through the prayers of his mother and the influence of Ambrose, Augustine abandoned his lifestyle, sold his belongings and gave the proceeds to the poor, and wrote important works on philosophy and theology. He was canonized in 1298.

Through prayer, Moses got God to change His mind! In the book of Exodus, God was angry at the Israelites for turning away from Him and worshiping a golden calf. God threatened to destroy all of them but Moses pleaded with Him, and “God changed his mind about the punishment he had threatened to inflict on his people” (Exodus 32:14).

In Luke’s gospel (Luke 5:17-26), a paralyzed man was carried by his friends on a stretcher to where Jesus was teaching. They couldn’t get near the house because of the large crowd, so the friends lifted the man up to the roof, removed some of the roof tiles, and lowered him down in front of Jesus. What happened next? “When Jesus saw their faith He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.” Then the Pharisees accused Jesus of blasphemy: “Who but God alone can forgive sins?” and Jesus replied, “What’s easier to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven’ or ‘Rise and walk’?” He then told the paralyzed man to get up, pick up his stretcher, and go home. The man did so, and he and the astonished crowd began praising God. 

It’s important to notice that Jesus commented on the faith of the man’s friends, not the faith of the man himself: “When Jesus saw their faith He said, ‘Friend, your sins are forgiven.’” Because of his friends’ faith and tenacity, the man was healed.

Do you know someone who seems lost, or who’s on a stretcher, literally or figuratively? Take them to Jesus in faithful prayer. God loves you; He hears you. Imagine the awesome influence we could have on the world if we believed in the power of our prayers for each other! 

So, here’s your superpower: Changing lives by praying with faith for the people you care about.

“We always pray for you..”  2 Thessalonians 1:11

“Lord, I know You hear me. Bless (this person) with whatever they need most from You.”

Thank you for reading my reflection. © 2024 Gina Bedell     Comments are always welcome! 

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P.S.

Pray for peace at home, in Ukraine, Russia, the Middle East, and around the world. Donate toward a cause that tugs at your heart. Take care of those around you; take care of our planet. Pray for the families around the globe whose lives have been torn apart by war and natural disasters.