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Gerry Gutierrez' Update
The subject that has kept me awake most of my life.
Dear Friends,
Thank you so much for your feedback to my last letter and updates from Tacoma. Since I found grace in your eyes, I want to write to you one more time a letter related to Prayer which has become my life time challenge. I think about it day and night.
The power of intercessory prayer. The question is: Power over whom? God? How could an unmovable object remain the same before an irresistible force? God and prayer is not a perfect Checkmate against himself. Neither is the encouragement to pray a cruel game God plays with his children. “Good works” is not the imputation of any ability to achieve the good grace of God. Then where does the so-called Power of Prayer come from?”
Elijah was a common man like anyone of us. But he is mentioned in scripture as a man of effectual and “Powerful” prayers so that is credited to him as the reason for three years of drought and later the reason for rain. Let us stop for a moment to take a second look at Elijah. He is a man of God: Granted. So are many others then and now. He felt lonely and at times depressed as if he was the only one left in Israel.
Welcome to the club my friend. There are many others then and now in the same predicament. Elijah was poor and hungry like many of God’s servants even today and he lived by the grace and compassion of an unusually godly woman with vision for the things of God. Elijah lived from the Gospel, by praying for the needs of the Widow of Zarephath and she in turn fed him and herself from the grace of God. Wait! Wait, Wait a minute my friend… not so fast. There might be a definition of Power in Prayer somewhere in this event.
Let us see the heroes on the stage: “A poor hungry and needy old prophet and a woman who has lost her husband and she is just as hungry as anyone else at that time. Do they remind you of Wonder Women and Superman? Not really!!! But then please explain to me the little oil and flour that did not run out feeding the hungry prophet. While you are at it, please explain to me the resurrection from the dead of the widow’s child. Come on my friends… you have just witnessed a display of power in the team of superheroes that are living supernatural lives in the most natural way.
Prayer is Power, intercessory prayer is Power. You might say, “I know it” but how did it happen? I am tempted to say, as Jesus said to his disciples, “It is not for you to know.” But I will be as bold as a peasant and as usual I will bite off more than I can chew comfortably, but it is called “Faith.” Faith is accepting with a childlike smile and just enjoying the ride even though (As Billy Graham said) I do not understand how a black cow, eating green grass can have a white milk and then drinking it have red blood and blue eyes).
Ok. Ok! But where is the power … so I can get hold of it and. …And… and what? Oh! I see now, what you are after is a magic wand to make “YOU” powerful… so you could be the medium of God’s blessings to others…. Right? Ok. There you have it, plainly spoken: “It is FAITH.” Childlike faith that believes and enjoys the supernatural in the most natural way, daily and everywhere.
There was a man at midnight walking through a cemetery in order to make a shortcut on the way home. Unbeknownst to him there was a seven foot deep freshly dug grave where he fell and could not come out no matter how hard he tried. He was tired and a little drunk so he decided to sleep in a fetal position. Shortly after another man fell in the same grave and he also try to get out but could not. The first man woke up and saw the predicament of the second man and stretching his cold hand on his shoulder he said: “You cannot get out of here buddy.” BUT HE DID!!!!
That might have been possible for the second man in the grave, but to think you can really have power in prayer strong enough to move the unmovable will of God is inconceivable apart from prayer being by faith like an outcry of a helpless baby who does not bank on its prayer but in its outcry.
Many times my best and most effective prayers were those prayers that did not make it out of my mouth but were groaned in a sight of peaceful surrender like a godly man of old would say: “Help me or forgive me dear Lord.” I also pray like the Saints of old. “Here I stand dear Lord in front of the altar, like a bullock ready to plow or ready to be sacrificed.” Ready for either!
Prayer is to say “YES” to God. Then the unmovable object will move only on his own accord. F = PW2. Faith equals Prayer under the Will and Word of God.
Gerry Gutiérrez.
PS. Today is Caleb's Birthday. Happy Birthday Caleb Matthias Gutierrez.
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