The Power of Prayer by Alex Kendrick
There is power in prayer. We grew up in a praying home, we’ve attended praying churches, and we’ve seen God answer countless specific prayers over the years.
When we were in high school our father and a few trusted friends believed God was leading them to launch a new Christian school in our area. To get started, of course, they needed desks, books, and the right location. But with little money, what they needed more than anything was faith. And prayer.
During those early days of the school, we watched how God rapidly guided and provided. A local church agreed to house the school and allow their facilities to be remodeled for the purpose. A local business donated free lumber. A volunteer ministry team from Tennessee showed up to help with construction. Within weeks, new classrooms and offices were completed. Another school called and offered books, desks, and chairs.
The timing was unbelievable. Soon we had students sitting in new classrooms, with books in their hands and teachers in front of them. Our father went on to serve as headmaster for two decades, watching the Lord continue to provide what was needed year after year. In the fall of 2014, the school celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary, having impacted thousands of students and families for Christ through the years.
We witnessed answered prayers like these all the time. In 2002, following in our father’s footsteps, we were privileged to launch a Christian movie ministry at our church with no money, no professional experience, and no film school training. But we knew God could provide what we needed. And with the support of our church, we laid every need before Him in prayer. We had to write the scripts, find the right actors, secure the right equipment, pull off the entire production, and then obtain distribution.
God provided everything we needed at every level. Each of the five movies we’ve been part of producing has resulted from a long string of specifically answered prayers. We know we would have failed otherwise.
In our office we’ve created a “Wall of Remembrance.” Numerous framed pictures serve as visual reminders of God’s provision, each representing a clearly answered prayer. Among them is a picture of Alex as a young college student with a dream to make movies for the Lord. Another features a two-year-old orphan in Nanjing, China, that God guided Stephen and his wife to adopt. One shows a forklift on a train track that just happened to be nearby one of our movie sets, sitting idle behind a man’s house, right when we needed it. One other picture is of three brothers with their arms around each other, smiling, taken years after our father had prayed we would all be working together someday. Each picture represents a story of God’s faithfulness in our lives. It’s overwhelming to see them all together.
Incredible provision. Unbelievable direction. Impossible odds. The list goes on.
We know prayer works. We can’t deny it at this point. And we don’t want to. Answered prayers aren’t merely highly unlikely coincidences. They are fingerprints of a living, loving God who invites all of us to draw close to Him, the One who made us and “is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27–28 nkjv).
We ask you to pray for us and for the film WAR ROOM as it opens on August 28th. We believe God has a mighty plan for how he will use this film and we pray that His will be done.
War Room - In Theaters August 28
Prayer Bus Rally Tour 2015
The Prayer Bus Rally Tour 2015 will travel 5,915 miles through 24 states to 43 campuses. Join us on location to pray.
2015 Theme and Verse
The 64th annual National Day of Prayer, May 7, 2015, will have profound significance for our country. It is an unprecedented opportunity to see the Lord’s healing and renewing power made manifest as we call on citizens to humbly come before His throne.
Our theme for 2015 is Lord, Hear Our Cry, emphasizing the need for individuals, corporately and individually, to place their faith in the unfailing character of their Creator, who is sovereign over all governments, authorities, and men. To further highlight our theme, we’ve chosen I Kings 8:28 as our Scripture for this year: “Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.”
For the May 7th observances, Dr. Jack Graham, the 2015 Honorary Chairman, wrote a special prayer to be simultaneously read throughout the nation at noon (EDT). This recitation will create a huge wave of prayer, flowing from one coast to the other, illustrating the unity of God’s people and acknowledging His dominion over the circumstances facing us. Millions of people will gather to pray at thousands of events facilitated by our volunteer coordinators and people just like you! We hope you’ll join with our staff again as we seek to bring more communities than ever before together in prayer. As a way of assisting you, we have assembled a variety of resources that describe how to organize and publicize citywide prayer breakfasts, worship services, and rallies. These materials also present creative ideas geared toward helping individuals and families to establish meaningful devotional times. If you have any questions after reviewing these items, please don’t hesitate to contact our NDP staff at (800) 444-8828. We would count it a privilege to lend a hand in whatever manner we are able.
At this crucial time for our nation, we can do nothing more important than pray. Thank you in advance for making this spiritual discipline a personal priority and for standing with us as we encourage others to incorporate prayer in their lives. The Lord has graciously anointed our efforts, empowering them to touch and change many hearts and lives. We look forward to seeing His hand move across our land in exciting ways each May in response to our petitions! In closing, we ask that you prayerfully consider becoming a volunteer in your church or community to lead a National Day of Prayer gathering. May the Lord’s peace fill your heart as you rest in Him throughout the days ahead.
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Remembering September 11th
"Time is passing. Yet, for the United States of America, there will be no forgetting September the 11th. We will remember every rescuer who died in honor. We will remember every family that lives in grief. We will remember the fire and ash, the last phone calls, the funerals of the children." - President George W. Bush, November 11, 2001
On September 11, 2001, the United States witnessed first hand the horror of terrorism and the barbarism of extremists willing to take any and all life. America the great, an impervious superpower had been wounded leaving behind a scar that remains for generations to come. I still remember the day as though it were yesterday. The ache in my stomach nearly paralyzed my body as I froze in disbelief while the events unfolded before my eyes on television. Every passing minute felt like an eternity as I watched my fellow Americans suffering – lost in confusion and gripped with fear of the unknown. Instantly, my heart was broken for my country. My soul absorbed every horrifying second and in those moments I did not see strangers running out of the burning buildings nor were there faceless names lost in the aircraft used for such destruction. Rather, I saw family. My brothers and sisters were dying. The sorrow I felt was as intense as I have ever experienced and it is a feeling I will not soon forget. In those hours and weeks to follow, we were a nation no longer divided by politics, socioeconomic, ethnicity, or religion. Before the finger pointing and weakness of our humanity surfaced again, we were able to put aside our differences and hold high the arms of those around us in pride as one nation united.
The heroic acts of the firemen, policemen and those serving in every area of civil service were exemplary. The instinctual nature of those who rushed back into the burning towers and those who pulled victims from Corridor 4 of the Pentagon reminded me of a protective father willing to confront a home intruder or extinguish a fire that threatens his children. Thousands of Americans gave up everything to minister to the needs of those who had lost loved ones and rebuild our broken cities. Lines formed around armed forces recruitment centers and our military acted without hesitation, drawing a line in the sand to the rest of the world in bold proclamation that you are either with us or against us. These brave men and women went above and beyond the call of duty. May we never forget!
Just yesterday, a letter we had written to a former National Day of Prayer volunteer coordinator on August 30 was returned. At the bottom of the letter were these words:
Dear National Day of Prayer, Please note that both Jean and her husband Don were on Flight 93 that went down in PA on 9/11. We bought their home and it is so sad that we still receive their mail to this day. Please keep them in your prayers forever.
Twelve years later we are just finding out why we had lost contact with one of our own – a fellow prayer coordinator. Please help me in remembering Jean and Don and everyone who lost a family member.
It is hard to believe it was twelve years ago when the images are still so vivid in my mind. Harder yet for me to grasp is the fact that two of my children were not even born yet. I don’t ever want to forget what happened on September 11 and my children must hear the stories. They must be told of the trials we faced and the triumphs that followed. When the world thought we would crumble because we were a society wrought with selfish ambition, greed and divisions, citizens young and old rose to the occasion and defined what it meant to be Americans. There were no riots in the streets. The system didn’t collapse. Chaos did not ensue. Rather, we as a people put on our boots, tightened our belts and got back on our knees, not in defeat but in strength before Almighty God, recognizing that the He is the source that grants victory over adversity.
May God Bless America!
John Bornschein
Vice Chairman
National Day of Prayer Task Force