Prayer: When the Ordinary Becomes Extraordinary by Sandi Somers

 

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In a blog post last year, Lorilee Guenther asked, “At what point does the ordinary become extraordinary?”

 “Many individual events that appear ordinary at first glance are anything but…when they are surrounded by prayer and by listening to God. She added that “they are evidences of recognising and listening to the voice of the Great Shepherd's guiding.” 

 Out of Lorilee’s prayers and listening come courage, risk and faith. Lorilee compared herself to Elijah, hiding in a cave in fear. “Risk and faith are themes that show themselves in my writing and I know the only way out of the cave I have been in is through the extraordinary tool of prayer God has given us. It is through prayer I have the faith to take the risks. Now I need to remember that every time I am tempted to retreat to the cave.”

 Other blog writers have acknowledged how God made their ordinary experiences extraordinary.

 God used VickieStam in ways she never would have imagined when she faced her reluctance and fears of going on a mission trip to Cuba. As she became a prayer support, others said, "Just ask Vickie to pray for that. She seems to have a direct line to God."

God also brought a special friend, one who had been battling anxiety and depression. “We became fast allies with more than one purpose in mind,” she wrote. "We can do God's work and support each other on the journey.” It didn’t take long to realize that God had put the two women together for a prayer ministry and vision for the poor.   

 Janice Mansell discovered how intercession brings about the extraordinary, both for herself and for others. “Over the years as I have learned to pray for others, God has graced me with measures of compassion, empathy, and letting the Love of Christ flow through me to bring relief, strength, safekeeping healing, deliverance and guidance to them in their lives,” she blogged.

“Time spent in intercessory prayer can be exhausting, mentally, emotionally and physically when we intercede for others with our whole heart. The spiritual Joy and Refreshment that remains when the burden is lifted and you know God hears and answers prayer in that person's life or situation is comforting and eternally rewarding.  Revelation 5:8  KJV.”

Janice affirmed that God will continue to release “our stored up prayers…into the lives of those we pray for…long after we are gone.”

 One of my most dramatic instances of God accomplishing the extraordinary—and seemingly impossible—was concerning my niece Joelle’s graduation from university. She had invited her extended family. However, Joelle’s grandma (my mom) had a specialist’s medical appointment that day and couldn’t attend. Mom was stoic about missing, but I was not to be deterred. I asked God to change the appointment, but that seemed impossible, as you don’t change critical meetings with a specialist.

 Joelle’s aunt and uncle, (Karen and Peter), drove Mom to the appointment, leaving extra early. They knew highway construction would delay their drive—and they weren’t sure how long their wait would be. Somehow, construction had been halted and so they breezed through, arriving extra-extra early for Mom’s appointment. The minute they arrived, the receptionist called my mom in, and the appointment was finished in a few minutes. Mom, Karen, and Peter had plenty of time to get to Joelle’s graduation.

This experience was a major turning point in my prayer life. I discovered that God not only cares that a grandma, aunt, and uncle could attend a family member’s graduation, but that as I pray a single request, God has a wealth of creativity to do the extraordinary. From then on I began to ask God more boldly for what seemed like impossible situations, knowing God could answer beyond what I asked or thought.

When God releases His power, hundreds of everyday situations become transformed, and our most ordinary experiences become holy. Let us pray, pause to listen, reflect on what God has done or will do, and praise Him for his extraordinary answers.

 

What seemingly ordinary event has turned into God’s extraordinary as a result of your prayers? What step of faith did you take? What valuable principles can you share with your readers? 

I look forward to your story and experiences which will add depth and scope to this, such a broad topic.