She Prays Like a Girl

One of my favorite lines in the Bible is in the book of Hebrews "Women received their dead brought back to life again." To me, this epitomizes the power that is in the prayers of women. They, through faith, received THEIR DEAD back to them. All through the Bible, God has answered the impossible prayers of women. I believe that three things in the make-up of a woman make her prayers irresistible. Three of her potential faults are turned to great strength when she applies them to prayer.

First, she is able to completely disregard logic. People sometimes say she is crazy because rationality is often left out of the equation when she calculates her faith. She only sees that something has gone wrong that should be right. My favorite incidence of this is with the Shunamite woman. When her son died, she was unshaken in her belief that all was well; she set out for his life with no intention of returning without it. Illogical, irrational! But death forsooth! The situation was contrary to all that she had been promised and all that she had prayed for, therefore it was unacceptable. Sometimes logic and rationality get in the way of faith. You won't walk on water with logic. A rational mind will never ask for miracles. God has neither compunction nor requirement to fit into your diagram. Possible and impossible are words that people use to describe their own limitations; they are irrelevant to God and so they are irrelevant to my faith.

Second, a woman cries. She is not afraid to become emotionally invested. A woman is not afraid to cry when she is grieved, or when she is thankful, or when she loves. I can't say for sure that the Shunamite woman was crying as she traveled to the prophet's house, but I imagine that she was because the prophet recognized something that made him say "Her soul is vexed within her." Tears are physical evidence of serious need and they arrest the attention of God. They are so precious to him that he puts them in a bottle. I used to be a quiet crier. I didn't want people to see me as weak or easily broken. But there are things over which should be easily broken. That gentle tear that slides silently down the calm face may be admirable in the painting of a saint, but it's empty. Like Hannah, who cried so hard the priest thought she was drunk, I want God to hear me so badly that I don't care who else hears also.

Third, a woman is persistent. She won't just let things go. Lack of persistence is often what keeps us from seeing an answer to prayer. People may get irritated with the one who keeps coming back and coming back and coming back and then.... coming back again. God never loses patience for there is power in a ceaseless prayer. You have no idea what is being accomplished by your assault on the gates of hell, for victory is first won in the spiritual realm. Persistence pays off, sister of mine. They are things over which I am so burdened that I doubt an hour passes between my prayers. I have often said to God, "You know me. You know I won't leave until you hear me. Evening, morning, and at noon I will be here with my petition." Just like the Shunamite woman who would not go home until the prophet went with her.

Tennyson wrote a poem that I like very much. Part of it says "More things are wrought by prayer than this world dreams of. Therefore let your voice rise like a fountain for me night and day." If you love someone, pray. If you are grieved past bearing, pray. If the night is too long and the battle seems lost, pray! Let your voice rise like a fountain day and night, without reserve or shame, full of passion and sincerity.

Don't be dismayed by what seems impossible. Cling to faith and persist in hope. Wear your heart on your sleeve before the throne of God, for He is not offended by your emotions. Let there be no silences where there should be speech. You will stop the mouth of lions. You will receive promises. You will tear down strongholds in the name of Christ. And you will receive your "dead" brought back to life again. A woman of prayer is a woman of power who makes a difference.

Satan groaned and said to his hell's angels,
"It's that sort of light sprung Lazarus.
Unstoppable. This'll be big, big
Trouble, all sorts of bother
For the lot of us..."
~William Langland